BILL CLINTON HAS said that he hopes the ‘One Percent Difference’ campaign in Ireland is one that the rest of the world can learn from.

The former US president was speaking at the Ray Murphy Memorial Lecture on Philanthropy organised by Philanthropy Ireland and the Forum on Philanthropy at a dinner in Dublin’s Conrad Hotel tonight.

“The ‘one percent’ thing is a great idea,” Clinton told an audience of 250 people, saying that “it is the right thing, it is the smart thing to do”.

The initiative is aimed at getting people to give one per cent of their time or their income to good causes.

Clinton praised the Irish government’s generosity through the years claiming that Ireland has been at the forefront of humanitarianism since the foundation of the United Nations.

“Ireland is the only country in the world since the UN was created to have had somebody in some other country trying to keep innocent people alive, every single solitary day since the UN was born,” he said. “You’re the only country who can say that.”

Philanthropy, Clinton said, is important for Ireland because there is always going to be a need for it where the government cannot provide and the private sector cannot produce.

“That’s where the charitable sector should be stepping into,” he said.

Bill Clinton greeting attendees at the dinner in Dublin tonight:

Clinton said that philanthropy can help in the fight against the effects of climate change and said the last thing Ireland wanted is to lose economic recovery “because of some natural disaster”.

He said that Irish communities which are vulnerable to the effects of climate change could have a “reinforcement strategy” against climate change, but said this would not be possible “unless you’ve got a steady stream of adequate philanthropy coming down”.

He concluded: “I hope once again before long the rest of the world will not only be admiring but learning from you.”

Vice-chairman of Philanthropy Ireland, John Healy, said there were challenges facing philanthropy in Ireland but said that Clinton’s appearance would help raise the profile of the ‘One Percent Difference’ Campaign.

“Ireland’s recovery is everybody’s business. In times of crisis we should all try, within our means, to do a little more,” Healy said adding that “everyone’s contribution is equivalent in appreciation and value”.

The event was attended by a number of politicians including Health Minister James Reilly, Arts Minister Jimmy Deenihan, Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin, Sinn Féin’s Pearse Doherty, Senator Katherine Zappone and the chair of the Oireachtas Finance Committee Ciaran Lynch.

Other well-known faces at the dinner included the media mogul Denis O’Brien, former RTÉ broadcaster Anne Doyle and Late Late Show host Ryan Tubridy.

Earlier Clinton met with Taoiseach Enda Kenny at government buildings on this his first visit to Ireland in more than two years.

Read: Can you give 1 per cent (of your time or money) to a good cause?

Watch: Bill Clinton retaliates with a Bono impression