Shakira, Alejandro Sanz Plead To Help Poor Children

Latin singers Shakira and Alejandro Sanz urged the presidents of Mexico, Argentina, El Salvador, Panama and Paraguay on Wednesday to reach a regional accord to help poor children in Latin America.

Representing the Panama-based ALAS foundation, which works toward improving the education, health and nutrition of children up to six years old, Shakira warned that more than 50 percent of children in the region lack any kind of preschool learning or stimulation and never have a chance to escape poverty.

“He who is born poor dies poor” in her native Colombia, Shakira said, “and that must change.”

About 32 million children are born into poverty in Latin America, according to ALAS, and lack the necessary education, stimulation and nourishment to develop properly.

The singers asked the presidents to adopt an agreement on combatting child poverty during the upcoming Iberoamerican Summit in late October.

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Pictures from ALAS Conference at Columbia

Conference at Columbia University

I hope some of you were able to watch the live Webcast of The Children of Latin America: A Future Without Poverty today! ALAS posted photographs of the event on their official flickr profile! If you want to view these pictures, simply click on the photo above to check them out.

Here is what was written about the event on Shakira’s official blog:

ALAS & Columbia University joined forces

Shakira, Alejandro Sanz and Jeffrey D. Sachs along with Heads of State from Mexico, Argentina, El Salvador, Panama and Paraguay got together on September 24th at Columbia University where they discussed the importance of comprehensive Early Childhood Development In Latin America. Feeding, educating and taking care of our kids is our biggest motive.

La Universidad de Columbia y ALAS unieron fuerzas

Shakira, Alejandro Sanz y Jeffrey D. Sachs junto a los Presidentes de México, Argentina, El Salvador, Panamá y Paraguay se unieron en un mismo escenario este 24 de Septiembre en la Universidad de Columbia, en Nueva York, donde discutieron la importancia de implantar programas de Desarrollo Infantil Temprano en América Latina. Educar, alimentar y cuidar a nuestros niños de 0 a 6 años es nuestra consigna.

Source: Here

Live Webcast Registration

For anyone who was planning on physically attending the Children of Latin America: A Future without Poverty at Columbia University, registration for the event is now close. However, if you follow the link here, you will be able to sign up to login and watch the Live Webcast of what will be discussed this Wednesday, September 24, 2008 starting at 3PM. Latin American leaders from Argentina, Paraguay, Mexico, El Salvador and Panama will be there discussing early childhood development programs as well as experts and activists with ALAS, including Shakira.

If you want to learn more about the Earth Institute at Columbia University and ways that you can help, click here. To get more information about ALAS, click here.

Hope you all join in!

The Children of Latin American: A Future Without Poverty

On September 24th, The Earth Institute at Columbia University and América Latina en Acción Solidaria (ALAS) present “The Children of Latin America: A Future Without Poverty. World leaders from Mexico, Argentina, El Salvador and Panama join Jeffrey D. Sachs and Shakira to discuss the importance of comprehensive early childhood development in Latin America.

The event will be streamed live on the official ALAS foundation website.

To see the event, all you have to do is register on the ALAS website.

I encourage all of you to take a look at this. And if you are inspired, please make a commitment to ALAS. I am also a member of the ALAS foundation and it is truly an amazing cause. It’s a wonderful feeling when you know you’re doing something that can help future generations.