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FreeBalance Celebrates World Read Aloud Day

Join the Global Literacy Movement on March 3, 2010

Ottawa, Canada (March 1, 2010) - FreeBalance, a For Profit Social Enterprise (FOPSE) software company that helps governments around the world to leverage robust Government Resource Planning (GRP) technology to accelerate country growth, , today committed to global participation in World Read Aloud Day. FreeBalance staff will be reading aloud in schools located near offices to celebrate World Read Aloud Day on March 3. World Read Aloud Day is a global event created by LitWorld to promote community bonding by reading aloud together. This event brings attention to the importance of literacy for human development.

“World Read Aloud Day will be a global celebration of the invaluable practice of reading aloud,” said Pam Allyn, founder and executive director of LitWorld. “By raising our voices to express the written word, we come together to create meaning, and enhance understanding and shared experiences for our words and stories. What better way to enlist the world’s citizens to become involved in the movement for global literacy?”

“Ensuring every child in the world has the chance to learn how to read and write is one of the smartest things we can do for all of our global futures,” said Global Action for Children Executive Director Kathleen Guy. “It is a skill that empowers a child to support herself, her family and her community as she grows. We at GAC are proud to partner with LitWorld to spread the word about the importance of literacy for children everywhere.”

People of all ages all around the world can become literacy advocates in homes, communities and schools by participating in World Read Aloud Day. People are asked to spread the word and elicit support and participation from an anticipated one million observers.  

The FreeBalance office locations that will be participating in World Read Aloud Day include:

  • Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic
  • Dili, Timor-Leste
  • Guatemala City, Guatemala
  • Kampala, Uganda
  • Lisbon, Portugal
  • Ottawa and Montreal, Canada
  • Prishtina, Kosovo
  • Ramallah, Palestine
  • Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
  • Washington, D.C., United States

“Global citizenship at FreeBalance is about our commitment to international development, active participation in the global community and social responsibility," said Manuel Pietra, President & CEO of FreeBalance. "Our software solutions make a difference in improving country development outcomes. We strive to do more in the countries where we are active. We look forward to March 3, where together, we will celebrate the importance of literacy, by reading aloud to children around the world."

FreeBalance customers span the globe and the user community includes public financial management professionals in 18 countries, including Namibia, Sierra Leone, Uganda, and Southern Sudan. FreeBalance operates in 15 customer time zones. FreeBalance has more than 60,000 users around the world. FreeBalance software manages a global civil service workforce of 1,500,000, and also manages a quarter trillion ($US) annual budgets worldwide.

About LitWorld
LitWorld’s mission is to cultivate literacy leaders worldwide through transformational literacy experiences that build connection, understanding, resilience and strength. We work with teachers, parents, community members, and children to support the development of literacy and the redemptive power of story in the world’s most vulnerable communities. Visit litworld.org to find out more about LitWorld’s story. For more information, visit www.litworld.org.

About Global Action for Children
Global Action for Children generates awareness, policies and funding so every child has the chance to grow up safe, healthy and ready to thrive. We work with policymakers, journalists and concerned citizens to ensure orphans and vulnerable children have the support they need to go to school, get the proper nutrition and vaccinations, and be protected. GAC was formed in 2003 and is based in Washington, DC. For more information, visit http://www.globalactionforchildren.org/.

About FreeBalance
Founded in 1984, FreeBalance is a For Profit Social Enterprise (FOPSE) software company that helps governments around the world to leverage robust Government Resource Planning (GRP) technology to accelerate country growth. FreeBalance software solutions for public financial and human resource management support reform and modernization to improve governance, transparency and accountability. Good governance is required to improve development results.

FreeBalance is headquartered in Ottawa, Canada, with sales and support offices in Washington, DC (United States), Lima (Peru), Lisbon (Portugal), London (Great Britain), Pristina (Kosovo) and St. John (Antigua and Barbuda). FreeBalance solutions have been implemented in countries across the globe, including Canada, United States, Sierra Leone, Guyana, Pakistan, Mongolia, Afghanistan, Antigua & Barbuda, Timor-Leste, Republic of Kosovo, Palestine, Panama, and Uganda.

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