Early years champion Shakira tells world leaders: ‘Today’s babies will drive tomorrow’s business’

Pop star Shakira has聽made an impassioned plea to world leaders to look after the development of our聽youngest children.聽

“Today国产视频檚 babies will drive tomorrow国产视频檚 business,国产视频� she said聽at the opening ceremony of the World Economic Forum in Davos.

国产视频淐hildren国产视频檚 capacity to contribute will shape tomorrow’s societies, will solve tomorrow’s problems.”

Shakira – who is a member of the influential Education Commission –聽made an impassioned speech yesterday聽on the importance of early childhood development when she accepted the World Economic Forum’s聽Crystal Award for her humanitarian work.

And today, at a special question-and-answer聽session on education and early years learning聽at the Davos event, she said everyone can make a difference by raising awareness聽through social media.

The singer-songwriter has championed聽education and early childhood development in her home country of聽Colombia and around the world.

During her Crystal awards聽speech,聽Shakira said:聽国产视频淭he brain of a child who is nourished and nurtured, read to and played with, protected from factors like stress and conflict, has the best chance of developing its full potential.

“It’s proven that children who receive proper care, nutrition and stimulation in the first five years do much better at school and in life.”

Her comments echo the aims of 国产视频’s #5for5 campaign, which urges world leaders to invest in early childhood development and聽ensure all children have access to essential nutrition, health, learning, play and care. 聽聽

More than 200 million children under five fail to reach their full potential because of poverty, poor health, inadequate nutrition and deficient care.聽

The Education Commission plan is for the international community聽to provide all children with access to quality early childhood development support and services by 2030.

Shakira warned that, without such action, being born into poverty could mean many children will never escape from it.

She added: “We should be devastated that, in 2017, there are still 250 million kids under five who are still at risk, who will likely be stunted physically and intellectually.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4pxoY3Wiig

With Gordon Brown discussing the next steps to secure new major financing for Education. Shak #LearningGeneration @educommission pic.twitter.com/Zr4vFJoBCD

— Shakira (@shakira) January 17, 2017

国产视频淣ow take that in for a second. We国产视频檙e talking about nearly the population of an entire country the size of the US. This is a tragedy for those children and an epic, epic failure for all of us.国产视频�

As a member of the Education Commission, Shakira is one of聽a聽group of world leaders, policy-makers, researchers and influential figures聽who are working together to tackle the lack of funding for education.

In its Learning Generation report, it recommends that every child gets two years of free, quality preschool. Shakira met commission chair Gordon Brown in Davos to discuss the group’s聽next steps.

She was also a leading support of 国产视频’s #UpForSchool petition, which saw her hand over 10 million signatures – demanding that every child gets an education –聽to the United Nations in 2015..

And as the founder of the Barefoot Foundation (Pies Descalzos), she has worked聽to provide underprivileged children in Colombia with access to quality education

Shakira used her speech to call on leaders to act now to ensure every child has access to early years development.

She added:聽“In this room there are some of the most powerful people in the world –聽and definitely I’m convinced you know what it means to be ahead of the curve.

“We need to apply the brains and strategies of business and the assets and human resources and talents of your companies to do social good and to solve social problems.”

The World Economic Forum also gave Crystal Awards to violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter, who runs a foundation providing scholarships for young musicians, and actor Forest Whitaker, who has worked as a global advocate for peace, focusing on empowering youth as leaders and entrepreneurs in communities touched by violence and poverty.

At the session today – titled An Insight, An Idea with Shakira –聽said: 国产视频淚 hope it国产视频檚 a reflection of the global understanding of the importance of investing in early childhood development. I hope it means that the issues will come top of mind for everyone.”

She said that聽growing up in Colombia聽she was aware of deprivation and violence. As聽a child, her father had taken her to see poverty first hand. She added: 国产视频淚t marked me forever, I never forgot that night. It made me want to do something about it.”

Shakira called on ordinary people to get involved in raising awareness of聽early child development.聽

国产视频淵ou don国产视频檛 have to be a politician, a singer or a model to bring attention to these issues,” she said. “Anyone can share thoughts on the internet, can share literature on the issue.国产视频�

You can watch the full session here.