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Clinton Global Initiative Honors $50 Million Western Union Commitment

NEW YORK-(Business Wire)-October 2, 2008 - As world leaders gathered at the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Annual Meeting, Western Union was announced for its Our World, Our Family program, a five-year, $50 million effort to promote greater economic opportunity. With the global economy featured prominently on the agenda of the United Nations and the U.S. Congress alike, Western Union’s signature program offers innovative solutions for expanding financial know-how and access to essential financial services for the world’s migrant and underserved communities.

Former President Bill Clinton launched CGI, a project of the non-partisan Clinton Foundation, in 2005 to address the world’s most complex and pressing issues.

Western Union’s effort is targeted to the estimated 200 million people who live and work outside their country of origin, equipping them and the communities they leave behind with the skills, knowledge and resources essential to breaking the cycle of poverty. The Our World, Our Family program will help migrant workers take control of their finances and build more wealth for themselves and their families back home.

“Migration touches one in ten people alive today, yet is too often overlooked by traditional approaches to development,” said Neal Keny-Guyer, CEO, Mercy Corps. “We are honored to collaborate with Western Union to address the needs of this growing population, and urge others to join with us in finding innovative ways to reach the billions of people impacted by this global phenomenon.”

“We believe that migrants are a force multiplier, serving as an essential economic engine in the developed and developing world,” said Luella Chavez D’Angelo, President, The Western Union Foundation. “Investing in the global, mobile workforce can have an exponential impact on the hopes for prosperity for generations to come. Migrants are the unsung heroes of modern development, and we are proud to support them on their journey toward a better life.”

About the Western Union Foundation

Through the donations of The Western Union Company, its employees and Agents, the Western Union Foundation helps to fund programs that create economic opportunity around the world. Embracing the truly global nature of its corporate sponsor, the Western Union Foundation has granted nearly $48 million to more than 1,750 nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in 70 countries. Its signature giving program, Western Union’s Our World, Our Family^sm is a $50 million, five-year commitment reaching people at every rung of the economic ladder.

About Western Union

The Western Union Company (NYSE: WU) is a leader in global money transfer services. Together with its affiliates, Orlandi Valuta and Vigo, Western Union provides consumers with fast, reliable and convenient ways to send and receive money around the world, as well as send payments and purchase money orders. It operates through a network of more than 355,000 Agent locations in over 200 countries and territories. Famous for its pioneering telegraph services, the original Western Union dates back to 1851. For more information, visit www.westernunion.com.

About The Clinton Global Initiative (CGI)

Established in 2005 as a project of the non-partisan William J. Clinton Foundation, the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) convenes global leaders to devise and implement innovative solutions to some of the world's most pressing challenges. Since 2005, CGI members have made nearly 1,000 Commitments to Action valued at upwards of $30 billion to improve more than 200 million lives in over 150 countries around the world. Through past Annual Meetings, CGI has brought together more than 80 current and former heads of state, hundreds of top CEOs and non-profit leaders, major philanthropists, and 10 of the last 16 Nobel Peace Prize laureates.

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