NEW ORLEANS -- Speaking at Tulane University on March 15, Cornell President David Skorton provided an outline for how universities can make a difference through committed action, and he presented a four-step program for activism.

He was addressing an audience of nearly 700 at the inaugural meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative University (CGI U), hosted by former U.S. President Bill Clinton.

The meeting attracted student leaders from 40 states and 15 countries, along with college and university presidents, policy-makers and such activists as cyclist Lance Armstrong to discuss energy, climate change, health and poverty and other global problems.

At the opening plenary session, Clinton described Cornell as a "university in northern New York with a global presence," and he asked Skorton to talk about "the obligations of modern universities in closing the economic divide." Skorton replied, "First I want to say, students rule! I have the best job in the world because I get to interact with people like this. Good for you for being here." He added, "All of us have an obligation to act in the public interest."

He described Cornell students' service in New Orleans aiding victims of Hurricane Katrina, the university's work to improve agriculture in India for "over half a century" and its current focus in Africa as examples of Cornell's efforts to close the economic gap. And he stressed the importance of forging "real partnerships -- not saying 'we know what's good for you,' but 'we're here to partner with what you say is needed.'"

When Clinton asked Skorton how to engage students to take action, Skorton offered a four-step process in activism:

"First, listen. Listen and learn about what the problem is until you know everything about it [and] you've listened to what other people are doing," he told the audience.

"Secondly, commit yourself to some sort of a plan. Don't be afraid to write it down; don't be afraid to share it with other people who have like interests; and take some friendly fire about it. So you have a plan, a roadmap.

"Thirdly, do as much as you can yourself. And then, fourthly, go to other places, including local, state and federal government, or other organizations, for your regulatory or financial needs, or the donor community. When you've done the first three -- when you've listened, when you have a plan and when you've done everything you can do on your own."

Other panelists talked about their own activism. Armstrong, for example, related how he started the Lance Armstrong Foundation to raise funds for cancer research after he was diagnosed with testicular cancer.

"I didn't sit down one day and say, 'OK, I'm a semi-successful bike racer, I need to find a cause,'" he said. "A cause found me. We didn't know it would evolve and raise $270 million for research."

Clinton founded CGI in 2005 to turn ideas into action by bringing attention to the world's most pressing issues and fostering a shared responsibility to address them. The organization's leadership also includes Cornell trustee Robert S. Harrison '67. Partners and participants with CGI are asked to make a commitment to action.

"I have always tried to find ways to motivate the young," Clinton said, citing the AmeriCorps service program and the Clinton School of Public Service, which has trained 1,000 young people. "A lot of you are here because you want to change the world, and you know you can."

The next day, March 16, Clinton joined actor Brad Pitt for a walk through the city's hurricane-devastated Lower 9th Ward, where Pitt has pledged to build 50 environmentally sustainable homes through his own commitment to CGI. More than 600 of the student participants at CGI U, including recent Cornell graduate Daniel Roth, were pitching in to clean up a 10-block area on the site of Pitt's project.

"Back when Clinton launched CGI three years ago, I organized youth leaders from around the country for the U.S. Partnership for Education for Sustainable Development," which also made a commitment to CGI, Roth said.