British PM and Pop Singer Shakira Lead Education Effort (1/2)
The glamorous Colombian singer and the quiet British leader are working together to persuade developed countries to help finance an effort to provide a basic education for every child in the world.
Shakira is the honorary chairman of a week of events to publicize the cause of an advocacy group called the Global Campaign for Education.
She says one of the group's goals is to get more help from world leaders in paying for primary education for 72-million children, ages six to 12, who cannot attend school because of poverty.
"From 1999, there were 96 million children around the world who were not enrolled in any kind of education, and the number has decreased to 72 million, so, yeah, it is working, but we still have to do so much more."
The group also wants to help some 226 million older children who miss out on school.
British Prime Minister Brown joined with Shakira in a telephone conference on Monday, to push for the effort.
"I want to see us become the first generation in history to ensure that every child goes to school and we develop the potential of not just some of the world's children but all of the world's children.
