It's the American leadership that has not played the role it should be playing and that leaders in other countries have been playing.

The rich do not have to invest enough in the poorest countries to make them rich; they need to invest enough so that these countries can get their foot on the economic ladder . . . Economic development works. It can be successful. It tends to build on itself. But it must get started.

If you have a lot of short-term debt, it means that all of that money can be demanded in a very short period of time. Technically, short-term debt means money that's coming due within a year. Typically, it means money that's coming due within 30 to 90 days.

The runs started in Thailand after the IMF intervened in such a dramatic way. Then the IMF came to Indonesia.

It's not an accident that the U.S. ranks lowest of all major donor countries in the world - that is the share of our income that goes to development aid. Americans will ask whether, because were so generous privately, that makes up the difference. But it doesn't. We still rank far below other countries.

I believe myself that there's a great deal more interest and engagement among Americans than our politicians recognize.

Let the future say of our generation that we sent forth mighty currents of hope and that we worked together to heal the world.