MTV Concert Tour to Fight Human Trafficking Launches September 5 in Kathmandu

EVENTS TO FOLLOW IN POKHARA, DHARAN & HETAUDA

Monday, August 24, 2009

KATHMANDU  – Indian pop star Sunidhi Chauhan and Nepalese headliners Nima Rumba, Kranti Ale, and Nalina Chitraker will take a stand against human trafficking at a September 5 concert in Kathmandu, the first in a series of free “MTV EXIT Live in Nepal” concerts that will later be staged in Pokhara, Dharan, and Hetauda.

The September 5 concert will be held at 5 p.m. at Jawala Khel Stadium.  It will be hosted by radio host RJ Ashish Syangden and actress and former Miss Nepal Malvika Subba, who narrated the MTV EXIT (End Exploitation and Trafficking) documentary “SOLD: An MTV EXIT Special” and is the MTV EXIT campaign’s ambassador in Nepal.  

The MTV EXIT campaign extends across all of Asia and is produced by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and MTV.

The concerts in Pokhara, Dharan and Hetauda will also be held in September.  The anti-trafficking organizations Maiti Nepal and ABC Nepal will distribute information about human trafficking and its prevention at the concerts.

“I am incredibly proud to perform at this important concert,” Sunidhi Chauhan said. “I hope that through my music and my involvement in this event and the MTV EXIT campaign that millions of people learn about this tragic form of slavery.”

Non-governmental organizations in Nepal estimate that as many as 15,000 Nepali women and girls are trafficked to India annually, while 7,500 children are trafficked domestically for commercial sexual exploitation.  In addition, an estimated 20,000 to 25,000 Nepali girls become involuntary domestic workers each year within Nepal, according to the U.S. Department of State’s 2009 “Trafficking in Persons Report.”

The U.S. Government estimates that as many as 800,000 people are trafficked internationally each year and that millions more are trafficked within their own countries.  A disproportionately high number are from the Asia Pacific.  Victims are often young men and women – MTV’s demographic – who are guilty of only wanting a better life.

“Efforts to stop human trafficking have been hampered by the public’s lack of awareness about the severity of this problem,” said Olivier Carduner, USAID’s Regional Mission Director for Asia.  “USAID is funding this project with MTV because of the unique opportunity that MTV provides to reach millions of people through broadcasts and its events.”  Raising awareness will encourage communities to promote the law enforcement and victim outreach efforts needed to stop this form of modern-day slavery, Carduner said.

“The power and influence of music is a great force for change,” said Simon Goff, MTV EXIT’s Director.  “By holding this concert tour across Nepal we are harnessing this power; using it to inform and mobilize young people in the fight against trafficking.”

### END ###

More Information:

MTV EXIT
The MTV EXIT (End Exploitation and Trafficking) campaign is an award-winning multimedia initiative to raise awareness and increase prevention of human trafficking and exploitation. MTV EXIT was launched in Europe in 2004, in partnership with the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, Sida, and expanded across Asia with USAID in 2007. To date MTV EXIT has produced many MTV documentaries and other programming on trafficking, including Sold: An MTV EXIT Special presented by Lara Dutta, Traffic: An MTV EXIT Special, presented by Lucy Liu; Inhuman Traffic, presented by Angelina Jolie; over a dozen localized language versions presented by Asian celebrities; short films; public service announcements; and animation.  MTV EXIT and Radiohead collaborated on an anti-exploitation video for their song All I Need, which premiered across MTV’s global network on 1 May 2008. MTV EXIT has also established partnerships with over 100 non-governmental organizations, distributed hundreds of thousands of anti-trafficking brochures in over 25 languages, and reached out to millions of young people through anti-trafficking messages at concerts and music festivals featuring R.E.M., Radiohead, The White Stripes, The Hives, Thievery Corporation, and hundreds of other international and local artists. For more information see www.mtvexit.org.

Human Trafficking
Human Trafficking is defined by the United Nations as “the recruitment, transportation, and receipt of a person for sexual or economical exploitation by force, fraud, coercion, or deception” in order to make a profit. The UN estimates that at any one time there are 2.5 million trafficked victims in the world, with the majority of these victims in Asia and the Pacific. It is the second-largest illegal trade after drugs, with criminal traffickers earning over US$10 billion every year through the buying and selling of human beings. Often, victims are young men and women – the MTV demographic – who are guilty only of wanting a better life.

MTV Europe Foundation
Launched in 2003, the MTV Europe Foundation is a UK-based charity (Reg. No. 1103267) whose overarching aim is to utilize and maximize the power of MTV’s network to educate youth and adults on critical social and human rights issues.  The Foundation produces multimedia programming and events aimed at raising awareness and influencing attitudes and behaviors on key issues, as well as inspiring young people to take action.  In addition, the Foundation seeks to support nongovernmental organizations that are working on the ground to address these issues and effect positive change.

About MTV Networks in Asia
MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), is one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. MTV Networks in Asia comprises three distinctly branded channels in the region: MTV, the world’s largest television network and the leading multimedia brand for youth; Nickelodeon, the leading entertainment brand dedicated exclusively to kids; and VH1, the music video network that keeps adult viewers connected to the music they love. MTV Networks has the following channels and programming services in South and Southeast Asia: MTV Asia, MTV China, MTV India, MTV Indonesia, MTV Mandarin, MTV Pakistan, MTV Philippines and MTV Thailand, Nick Asia, Nick India, Nick Indonesia, Nick Pakistan, VH1 India, VH1 Indonesia and VH1 Thailand. MTV and Nickelodeon’s businesses also include branded consumer products, program sales and digital media including online and wireless.

USAID
USAID, the United States Agency for International Development, is an independent US government agency that receives foreign-policy guidance from the US Secretary of State.  Since 1961, USAID has been the principal US agency extending assistance to countries worldwide recovering from disaster, trying to escape poverty, and engaging in democratic reforms.  USAID’s Regional Development Mission for Asia, based in Bangkok, oversees a broad portfolio of regional and transnational programs, and also provides support to several USAID bilateral missions in Asia.  Its regional approach addresses problems that cross national boundaries, such as human and wildlife trafficking, HIV/AIDS, natural resources conservation, trade, and political and economic conflict.  See www.usaid.gov and www.usaid.gov/rdma/ for more information

More Press Releases