Famed Colombian singer Shakira added her name to a list of celebrities working for a United Nations initiative to ensure education for every child worldwide by 2015.
Shakira joined the select group of celebrities working as part of the “Emergency Coalition for Global Education Action” which was recently announced in Washington. The coalition is to be driven and funded by the United Nations and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
This is not Shakira’s first taste of philanthropic work. As well as being a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF, the singer also runs the “Barefoot Foundation” which builds schools across Colombia and helps underprivileged children across the Andean nation.
MORE: This time for UNICEF! Shakira celebrates 10 years as Goodwill Ambassador
The inclusion of Shakira was met positively by ex-UK Prime Minister turned Representative to the United Nations, Gordon Brown, and UN Secretary Ban Ki Moon.
According to a statement released by Moon, “among other objectives of the coalition is to combat child marriage, forced labor of children, school dropouts and to reduce discrimination against girls in some regions of the world.”
Gordon Brown then continued to state that the world’s education crisis is “unacceptable from a moral, economic and global security perspective.”
The emergency coalition was launched in response to the news that the international community could fall short on the United Nations Millennium Development Goal (MDG2) to get all children into education by 2015. If the current pace continues it will be 2086 before all children are in school and learning.
Sarah Brown, founder of NGO “A World at School”, unveiled a network of 500 youth ambassadors from more than 80 countries, who will work internationally to promote learning and education for all children as part of the initiative.
MORE: Shakira returns to Colombia to inaugurate new school
Large media companies have also signed on to help the cause with Discovery Communications (parent company of Discovery Channel, TLC, & Animal Planet) announcing their involvement and support.
More than 75 companies have now signed up to support education through the coalition.
Other celebrities involved in the coalition are actors Jude Law and Goldie Hawn, concert pianist Lang Lang and global icon Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
Sources
- Shakira impulsa acción global por la educación (Caracol)
- Education Coalition (United Nations)
- Emergency coalition to get all children in school launched at 2015 Countdown Summit (A world at school)