/UCWE/ - New York, NY - CILA Management, an event management agency, and Vihara Foundation, a research and action based NGO working for the cause of Poverty and Climate Change, are excited to bring to New York City, Rock against Poverty (RaP). RaP is a art/film/ music/fashion and sports entertainment industry fund raising movement being grown out for raising much needed funds to carry out research and development and implementation/expansion of real science and action based solutions for the two biggest challenges facing our planet.

Rock against Poverty is a grassroots initiative to mobilize local musicians and artists to inspire action and raise funds to fight poverty and support climate change mitigation projects to save Mother Earth. RaP strives to provide a platform to build a movement across the globe by inspiring local artists to collaborate with international development practitioners and generate resources locally to implement innovative and sustainable solutions for poverty alleviation and climate change mitigation. RaP is founded by The Vihara Foundation, and by NYC native… guitarist Dale Stephens. Here is the amazing talent to be performing for the first annual Rock against Poverty benefit slated for April 22nd, EARTH DAY…right here in NY’s own Tompkins Sq. park in The Village.

Tickets are available via Ticketron, Trey Lorenz Anwar Robinson Dale Stephens The Trapps Dirty Rotten Liars Hirosonic Timothy Thomas Ultralust Jon Montgomery Bobby Syvarth Lily Vasquez Minnie Dee Remember this is a charity event, and there is a need for sponsors and donors, so please contact Rock against Poverty at this website for sponsorship and donation information: http://www.rockagainstpoverty.com There is still time for both sponsors and advertisers to be a part of this historic event in NYC.

RaP was founded by the Vihara Foundation as a creative fund raising initiative to support critical ground work that is currently underway in rural sector Bihar/Uttar Pradesh India (where 1/4th of the world poverty stricken exists). In growing out, RaP will move to a multiple city event, (the first of which took place in Kolkata, India on December 8th, 2010), and the next to be held in New York City on Earthday April 22. Following this, RaP will move to London, Rio de Janeiro, Johannesburg, Sydney, Tokyo and Trinidad (representing small island states). RaP’s fund raising goal is to raise 100 million dollars over 4 years at various events to help maintain the programs on the ground now by Vihara Foundation, and other NGO’s and academic institutions (in all continents). Since the RaP’s movement and intentions are in parallel with supporting the 2015 United Nation’s Millennium Development Goals (to reduce poverty by half and fight climate change), Vihara Foundation is coordinating with United Nations counterparts to host a panel discussion on the same day (at the UN Headquarters). The panel will discuss critical work currently being undertaken on a macro design scale in India, and build awareness of the need and benefit for a creative funding movement as RaP .