Colombian singer Shakira has been named ambassador for 1GOAL: Education For All, a charity movement by the Global Campaign for Education (GCE) that aims to ensure good primary education for children around the world, the singer announced via her website on Monday.
1GOAL is supported by global soccer association FIFA, and the campaign will run until the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, a country where poverty keeps many children from going to school.
“The World Cup captures the attention and hearts of millions. We must use this moment to raise our voices for 1GOAL and demand that this generation of children have the chance to fulfill their dreams and live up to their full potential through education,” said Shakira. “I’m honored to be part of this incredible movement.”
As ambassador for the movement Shakira will work to support the campaign alongside world leaders and celebrities including UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, South African President Jacob Zuma, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, pop star Bono, and actor Kevin Spacey, as well as footballers Marcel Desailly, Rio Ferdinand, Eusebio and Alessandro Del Piero.
The chair of the GCE 1GOAL campaign committee Adrian Lovitt said of the decision: “We are delighted Shakira has joined 1GOAL. She is a humanitarian, a philanthropist, and one of the world’s biggest artists. Her lasting concern for the millions of children who do not have access to any kind of education make her an ideal 1GOAL Ambassador. We look forward to working with Shakira in this very special year to achieve our shared vision of education for all.”
Shakira is also currently filling the roles of UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and president and founder of the Barefoot Foundation.
To find out more about the GCE 1GOAL campaign, click here.
