Among the shoe shines and magazine kiosks on the sidewalk along Cinco
de Mayo Avenue in Mexico City last Saturday afternoon, two children
played. A little boy of about four years old climbed on top of his
older sister, who giggled and wrestled him away. Noticing a foreigner
walk by, the children interrupted their game. The sister pushed her
brother out in front of the foreigner, where he suddenly put on a
mournful face and held out a tiny hand.

A few feet away, a young mother holding an infant in her lap held out her hand too.

The
sight of mothers and children begging in the street is common across
Latin America. So common as to seem almost natural, inevitable.
Certainly, there's no need to raise awareness about the problem. It's
in everyone's face, everyday.

But on this afternoon, where Cinco de Mayo turns into the Zocalo
-- the biggest plaza in the hemisphere -- more than 250,000 people were
gathering to entertain the idea that it's not inevitable for 32 million
children to live in poverty. That, in fact, every child can be fed,
clothed, housed, cared for, and school.

Well, really, most
people came for a concert featuring 16 of the top pop acts in the
Spanish-speaking world. But the message promoted by the concert
organizers, ALAS
(Latin America in Action and Solidarity or WINGs in English) was that
childhood poverty across the hemisphere could be brought to an end in
the next six years.

Unlike benefit concerts hosted by wealthy
countries, such as Live Aid or Live 8, the ALAS concerts in Buenos
Aires and Mexico City last Saturday, did not call for any donations
from the public. There was no admission fee for the concert, no drop
boxes for food or clothes; no telephone hotlines or internet addresses
to make pledges (well, you can donate or volunteer here, dear reader, they just weren't making a big deal about it at the concert).

Instead,
at a press conference a few days before, ALAS announced that Carlos
Slim Helu  -- the richest man in Mexico and one of the richest in the
world -- had contributed $110 million to the cause. As a photo in the
Mexican newspaper revealed, he received not only good will, but a kiss
on the cheek from hot, Colombian rocker Shakira
as well. Kicking in another $85 mil (although maybe not getting
kissed), was Howard Buffet, son of billionaire Warren Buffet (whose
largess has been destined largely for causes in Africa). Other wealthy
folks ponied up a few more millions, bringing the total to more than
$300 million.

So the concert was meant to shine a spotlight on
their generosity? Or meant to pressure other wealthy folk to give too?
Or maybe to put pressure on the various Latin American governments to
take up the cause as well?

Standing among the 250,000 people in
the audience on a rainy evening, it was hard to tell. Between acts,
MTV-style videos played, highlighting the plight of children with hip
speak and hip graphics. More important, the videos suggested, we can
end that plight: "We can accomplish in six years, what could not be
done in 100" and

Ricky Martin, as always, the most engaging showman on the bill, announced: "I'm happy because I feel like I'm part of a historic movement."

Maybe. But it's a strange movement, too. As Ricky explained:
<blockquote>We,
the artists, have done our part. Now it's time for the governments to
join us. Let's give a big hand of applause for the governments of Latin
America, because I know they're watching, so that they will say, "Count
me in."</blockquote>So, forget about a violent revolution, where the
poor overthrow the rich. And we're not really talking about voting out
governments that don't respond to the people's demands. Instead, Ricky
and Shakira, and a whole host of other stars will cajole the powerful
into doing right by kids. And the public will be there, by the hundreds
of thousands, by the millions, to witness it all.