-- Artists, Intellectuals and Businessmen Unite against Poverty in Latin America.

-- This Humanitarian Initiative Will Be Launched on December 12.

PANAMA CITY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 12, 2006--The ALAS Foundation (America Latina en Accion Solidaria - "Latin America for Solidarity") will be launched on December 12, in the National Theater of Panama. The Foundation is based at the City of Knowledge in this Central American country.

With the goal of helping the neediest, artists, intellectuals, businessmen, international organizations and NGOs have gathered to form the ALAS Foundation, the largest cultural solidarity movement in the history of Latin America.

With the aim of replacing philanthropy with commitment and charity with solidarity, personalities from the world of culture such as Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Shakira, Alejandro Sanz, Miguel Bose, Diego Torres, Juanes, Babasonicos, Mana, Ruben Blades, Daniela Mercury and Danilo Pere have risen to the occasion, as well as outstanding individuals in the Latin American world, such as Carlos Slim, Emilio Azcarraga, Alejandro Santo Domingo, Alejandro Soberon, Joseph Safra, Roberto Kriete, Marinela Servitje, Stanley Motta, Alberto Bollmer, Jose Antonio Fernandez, Felipe Gonzalez, Oscar Arias, Sergio Renan and Jaime Baily. All of them have joined to fight hunger, poverty and marginalization.

On Tuesday, December 12, the National Theater of Panama will be the setting for the announcement of the various actions to be undertaken by the Foundation, examples of which are large humanitarian concerts at Latin American venues during the next year. Such events will raise funds for two of the key local programs, the ALA VIDA Plan (designed to fight poverty-related mortality) and the ALA ESCUELA Plan (designed to increase schooling and thus combat child labor).

The satellite transmission will be available live beginning at 18:00. The signal will be in the following format:

PAS-9
Transponder 24C
Slot A
December 12th, 22:30 to 24:00 GMT

Copyright Business Wire 2006

ALAS Foundation, The

ALAS Foundation, The

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