Indian singing sensation Sunidhi Chauhan (above) and three Nepali artists warned 20,000 fans about the dangers of human trafficking at a USAID-sponsored MTV EXIT concert in Kathmandu. The event, staged on Nepal’s National Anti-Trafficking Day, was the first in a month-long series of MTV EXIT (End Exploitation and Trafficking) ‘Live in Nepal’ concerts to educate people about the risks of trafficking.

Indian & Nepali Pop Stars Slam Human Trafficking at Kathmandu Concert

Sunday, September 20, 2009

KATHMANDU – They came, they heard, and they took home the message: Don’t be a victim of human trafficking.

More than 20,000 young adults wedged shoulder-to-shoulder inside a football field in Nepal’s capital to hear Indian singer Sunidhi Chauhan and three Nepali artists who performed and warned about the risks of trafficking in the region.  

The concert, held on Nepal’s National Anti-Trafficking Day, was the first in the MTV EXIT (End Exploitation and Trafficking) Live in Nepal concert series sponsored by the U.S. Agency for International Development and the MTV Europe Foundation.

“Our sisters and our mothers are our honor. Stop human trafficking!” Chauhan chanted, referring to how anyone can be victim of exploitation.

An estimated 15,000 Nepali women and girls are trafficked to India each year for prostitution and domestic servitude, according to non-governmental organizations in Nepal.  An additional 7,500 children are trafficked domestically for the same purpose.

In addition, an estimated 20,000 to 25,000 Nepali women are forced to do domestic work each year in Nepal, according to the U.S. Department of State’s 2009 “Trafficking in Persons Report.”

Concert hosts Ashish Syangden and Malvika Subba, the narrator of the MTV EXIT documentary “Sold,” told the crowd to read and heed the wallet-sized MTV EXIT anti-trafficking cards that they received as they entered the concert grounds.  Segments from “Sold,” with real-life trafficking victims, were projected onto screens flanking the stage.

“Every year thousands of people are trafficked due to lack of awareness about human trafficking,” said Brinda Hada of Nepal’s Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare.  “I urge you to show your commitment to fight human trafficking.”

The U.S. Government estimates that as many as 800,000 people are trafficked internationally each year and millions more are trafficked within their own countries.  Many are from the Asia Pacific.  Victims are often young men and women – MTV’s demographic – who are guilty of nothing more than wanting a better life.

Before performing at the Jawala Khel Grounds, Chauhan visited the headquarters of Maiti Nepal, an organization that houses and counsels the victims of trafficking.  She met dozens of trafficked women, among them a Nepali woman whose kidney had been harvested in India before she was sold into prostitution, and her son’s tongue mutilated so he wouldn’t disturb clients.

“These women are survivors, not victims anymore.  I’m overwhelmed by their strength,” said Chauhan, whose songs are staples on Indian and Nepali radio.  She sang solos for the trafficking victims and abandoned children who live at Maiti Nepal before going to the concert grounds to perform with her band.

Chauhan was preceded by Nalina Chitrakar, Nima Rumba and Kranti Ale, top Nepali singers, who will take the concert tour to Pokhara, Hetauda and Dharana later this month.  Subba will also host those shows and will be joined in Pokhara, in the foothills of the Himalayas, by chart-topping Australian pop star Kate Miller-Heidke.  All the concerts are free of charge.

“I’m thrilled to be visiting Nepal and performing to raise awareness about human trafficking,” Miller-Heidke said.  “I hope a lot of young people, especially women, come to these concerts and learn that anyone can be a victim of trafficking.  We must protect ourselves from this horrible practice.”

The concert tour will provide content for a series of television programs produced by MTV EXIT.  They will be broadcast in Nepal on Kantipur TV and on MTV channels internationally.  These specials will combine concert footage with important information about human trafficking.  MTV EXIT’s television programming is produced rights-free and is free of charge for broadcasters and organizations to use.

Additional 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.


Kate Miller-Heidke

Kate Miller-Heidke trained as an opera singer in Australia, but has since built a solid career in popular music, recording for Sony-BMG Australia. Miller-Heidke released her debut album Little Eve in Australia in 2007 and her second album, Curiouser, in October 2008. The third single from the album, “Last Day On Earth,” is currently number 3 on the coveted Australian Top-40 singles chart, making it Kate’s highest selling single. Miller-Heidke was nominated in 2007 for four ARIA Music Awards: Best Female Artist, Best Pop Release, Breakthrough Artist: Album and Breakthrough Artist: Single

Kate Miller-Heidke and Keir Nuttall were awarded the $US25,000 Grand Prize in the 2008 International Songwriting Competition for their composition "Caught in the Crowd," which had been released in Australia as the second single from Curiouser.
Kate performed for the historic MTV EXIT Live at Angkor Wat concert in December 2008 alongside UK rock band Placebo and US pop group The Click Five.




Sunidhi Chauhan

Sunidhi Chauhan began to sing in India at the age of four, winning a televised, singing contest, Meri Awaz Suno, which led to her performing for the Hindi film Shastra. Her breakthrough was Ram Gopal Verma's film Mast, in which she sang the hit song Ruki Ruki Si Zindagi. Chauhan has since worked with numerous prominent musicians and sung in several commercially successful films.

Sunidhi has worked with practically every major Indian music director of the new millennium's first decade, and is one of the most played voices on India's radio circuit. Chauhan's strength lies in her versatility. She been labeled "genre-defying," and is perhaps the only popular singer who performs rock, pop, classical and folk. Chauhan's voice has been described as "powerful," "amazing," "husky” and “sensuous".

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