Mỹ Tâm, Karik, and Buc Tuong to join international bands Simple Plan and Brown Eyed Girls at MTV EXIT Live in Hanoi free concert on 26 May

15 MAY 2012, HANOI: MTV EXIT (End Exploitation and Trafficking), today announced the launch of new half-hour documentary film, Enslaved: An MTV EXIT Special, hosted by Mỹ Tâm, the newly appointed MTV EXIT Celebrity Ambassador to Vietnam and one of the country’s leading pop stars.  The powerful documentary film will give audiences a rare glimpse into human trafficking and exploitation, telling stories of survivors and highlighting what everyone can do to help end this horrific crime. Enslaved: An MTV EXIT Special will premiere on Vietnam Television (VTV) and on MTV Vietnam channel on 2 June 2012. Full broadcast details to be announced.

Enslaved gives audiences a real-life look glimpse into this critical social problem telling real-life stories of Vietnamese people affected by the human trafficking trade. Two friends Lin and Trong tell their account of being trafficked to carry out hard manual labour in a brick factory; Khanh shares her story of how she was trafficked to work on a chicken farm; and Thien, a young girl shares on how she was deceived and trafficked as a forced sex worker. MTV EXIT celebrity ambassador to Vietnam and host of Enslaved, Mỹ Tâm connects these experiences to the audience, while demonstrating how Vietnamese can protect themselves and their families from being trafficked, and highlighting what everyone can do to help end this horrific crime.

Mỹ Tâm will also be joining the fight against human trafficking by performing at the MTV EXIT Live in Hanoi free concert at Hanoi’s My Dinh Stadium on 26 May. The massive live concert will be headlined by international modern-rock sensation, Simple Plan. Joining the line-up are Korean pop group Brown Eyed Girls and Australian vocal sensation, Kate Miller-Heidke who previously performed at MTV EXIT’s 2010 concert in Hanoi, as well as top local artists, Karik, Buc Tuong, DJ Tri Minh, and Bigtoe.

The 26 May live concert follows the MTV EXIT’s 2010 concert tour in Vietnam, which saw 80,000 Vietnamese music fans attend four concerts across the country, including the massive event at My Dinh Stadium featuring K-pop superstars, Super Junior.

MTV EXIT is supported by the following partners: VTV, MTV Vietnam, An Thuan Media, TQPR Vietnam, NCT, Sinh Vien Vietnam, Hoa Hoc Tro, Xone FM, Rockpassion.vn and Baomoi.com. For details on how to get FREE tickets to the MTV EXIT Live in Hanoi concert go to www.mtvexit.org/vietnam.

For more details about human trafficking and exploitation in Asia, visit www.mtvexit.org/vietnam or follow MTV EXIT on the following social media platforms: Twitter @mtvexit, www.facebook.com/mtvexit and www.facebook.com/mtvexitvietnam

DETAILS OF FREE TICKETS TO THE MTV EXIT LIVE IN HANOI CONCERT ALSO ANNOUNCED

3 May 2012, HANOI: MTV EXIT (End Exploitation and Trafficking), today announced the additional international artist line-up for its massive live concert at Hanoi’s My Dinh Stadium on 26 May to raise awareness and increase prevention of human trafficking.

The free outdoor concert will be headlined by international modern-rock band, Simple Plan and joining the line-up are Korean pop group Brown Eyed Girls who will also be performing in Vietnam and Australian vocal sensation, Kate Miller-Heidke who previously performed at MTV EXIT’s 2010 concert in Hanoi.

“If we truly want to have world peace, we have to end human trafficking,” said Jason Mraz during his speech to over 25,000 youths at the concert.888888888888888888888

Come on a musical journey with this free-spirited international singer-songwriter as he helps reveal the real life stories of human trafficking in Asia.

MTV EXIT Presents Jason Mraz airs in Singapore on MediaCorp Channel 5 on May 1 at 12:30PM

DOCUMENTARY, YOUTH SESSIONS, AND ROADSHOW ALSO ANNOUNCED

3 APRIL 2012, HANOI: MTV EXIT (End Exploitation and Trafficking), today announced the return of the MTV EXIT campaign to Vietnam with a nation-wide initiative to combat human trafficking through a series of live events, TV programming and youth engagement activities. The flagship event will be a massive live concert at Hanoi’s My Dinh Stadium on 26 May featuring international modern-rock sensation, Simple Plan.

MTV EXIT is produced in partnership with the Government of Vietnam including the full support of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MOCST), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Australian Government’s Agency for International Development (AusAID), and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

After performing to screaming fans across Asia (including Japan, China, and Singapore), this will be Simple Plan’s first-ever live performance in Vietnam. The band is currently on a sold-out European tour and has gained worldwide recognition, selling more than 7 million albums sold globally. Their success has led to Top 3 standing in Mexico, Brazil, Japan, and Canada, Top 10 in Hong Kong, Sweden, Austria, Switzerland, Australia, and Germany, and Top 20 in Spain, Finland, and France. The band’s recent hit singles, Summer Paradise and Jetlag, are part of an impressive lists of hits, including This Song Saved My Life, the first song ever written from hundreds of messages collected from fans via Twitter. The members of Simple Plan have also used their global popularity for good by starting the Simple Plan Foundation, which raises money for a variety of charities, including proceeds from the sale of the band’s single, Save you, which were distributed to various cancer charities.

“Over our career, it’s always been very important for us to get involved socially and support causes that are close to our hearts. We started the Simple Plan Foundation with the goal of helping young people in need,” said Chuck Comeau. “Teaming up with MTV EXIT to raise global awareness around the issue of human trafficking is exactly what our mission is all about. Human trafficking is a horrible crime with devastating consequences for so many young people and their families. We are proud to stand together with MTV EXIT and their partners in the fight against exploitation. We can’t wait to play in Vietnam for the first time and are looking forward to informing our fans on how they can get involved and help out.”

Also joining the line-up are top local artists to be announced soon, as well as details on how to obtain free tickets to the concert. The 26 May live concert follows the MTV EXIT’s 2010 concert tour in Vietnam, which saw 80,000 Vietnamese music fans attend four concerts across the country, including the massive event at My Dinh Stadium featuring K-pop sensation, Super Junior.

Human trafficking is a crime that affects 2.5 million people worldwide. Of those, more than half are living in or are from Asia and the Pacific. Often, the victims are young people who are guilty of nothing more than wanting a better life for themselves and their families.

In addition to the concert, MTV EXIT announced the new appointment of one of Vietnam’s leading pop stars, Mỹ Tâm as the new MTV EXIT Celebrity Ambassador to Vietnam, where she will host a new half-hour Vietnamese documentary film, Enslaved: An MTV EXIT Special. The documentary will give audiences a real and rare glimpse into human trafficking and exploitation in Vietnam, telling stories of human trafficking survivors and highlighting what everyone can do to help end this horrific crime. Enslaved: An MTV EXIT Special is currently in production and will premiere on Vietnam Television (VTV) and on MTV Vietnam channel in May 2012.

MTV EXIT is also hosting its first-ever multi-media exhibition on human trafficking as part of MTV EXIT Youth Sessions. This will give Vietnamese youth the opportunity to learn about human trafficking by interacting with the issue through different creative mediums. The exhibition is being developed in collaboration with leading Vietnamese artistic talents to showcase innovative ways of communicating this critical social issue. It will be segmented into a series of different spaces, such as video, music, installation, photography, and interactive activities to facilitate a dynamic learning experience. The Youth Sessions will also include a one day training workshop to empower and engage selected youth leaders aged 18 to 28 years old and challenge them to fight against human trafficking back to their local communities and run their own campaign activities. Approximately 20 of these youth leaders will then run their planned series of engagement activities at MTV EXIT’s anti-trafficking roadshows in at least 5 vulnerable provinces outside of Hanoi starting from the third quarter of 2012.

For more details about human trafficking and exploitation in Asia, visit www.mtvexit.org or follow MTV EXIT on the following social media platforms: Twitter @mtvexit and www.facebook.com/mtvexit

CAMBODIAN YOUTH TO LEAD IN THE FIGHT AGAINST HUMAN TRAFFICKING ACROSS FIVE PROVINCES AND TO STAGE OVER 30 DISTRICT LEVEL OUTDOOR SCREENINGS

5 APRIL 2012, PHNOM PENH: MTV EXIT (End Exploitation and Trafficking) and National Committee to Suppress Human Trafficking, Smuggling, Labor and Sexual Exploitation (NC to lead S.T.S.L.S.) will be launching the first-ever National Trafficking-in-Persons Prevention Roadshows in Cambodia to empower youth leaders to spread key anti-trafficking messages across five provinces. The first series of roadshows will take place in the provincial municipality of Prey Veng and subsequently in Kampong Cham, Koh Kong, Banteay Meanchey, and Siem Reap over five months.

The Roadshows will center on a series of engaging music performances by young leading musicians, dancers, and comedians. Educational workshops and interactive sessions will be conducted where the youth will also participate on the development of an art installation with two young professional visual artists. The art installation will be displayed in public areas in their province to further spread anti-trafficking messages.

The Roadshows will then travel around the provincial level districts with a giant inflatable screen to conduct special screenings of the documentary film entitled, Enslaved: An MTV EXIT Special, hosted by MTV EXIT’s Celebrity Ambassador to Cambodia, Dr Chea Samnang, who reveals the real-life issues of this horrific crime affecting Cambodians.

Human trafficking is a crime that affects 2.5 million people worldwide. Of those, more than half are living in or are from Asia and the Pacific. It is also happening here in Cambodia. Many Cambodians and their families are affected by human trafficking. Often, the victims are young people who are guilty of nothing more than wanting a better life for themselves and their families.

The National Trafficking-in-Persons Prevention Roadshows are produced by MTV EXIT in collaboration with NC to lead S.T.S.L.S. and in partnership with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Australian Government’s Agency for International Development (AusAID), the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Winrock International, Khmer Youth Association (KYA), Cellcard, and Cambodian Television Network (CTN).

For more details about human trafficking and exploitation in Asia, visit www.mtvexit.org or follow MTV EXIT on the following social media platforms: Twitter @mtvexit and www.facebook.com/mtvexit

New documentary film entitled, Enslaved: An MTV EXIT Special, to premiere on Cambodia Television Network (CTN) on 24 March at 9 P.M.

21 MARCH 2012, PHNOM PENH: MTV EXIT (End Exploitation and Trafficking), in partnership with the Royal Cambodian Government, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Australian Government’s Agency for International Development (AusAID), and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) today announced the release of Enslaved: An MTV EXIT Special (Enslaved), a powerful documentary film that aims to raise awareness and help prevent human trafficking in Cambodia.

Enslaved gives audiences a rare glimpse into this critical social problem telling real-life stories of Cambodian human trafficking survivors: Posvak, a Cambodian woman who was trafficked to another country and forced to work as a domestic slave; Vannak, a young man from Cambodia trafficked for labour onto a Thai fishing vessel; and Chaivoeurn, a young girl from Cambodia, who was trafficked by her Aunt to Phnom Penh as a forced sex worker. MTV EXIT celebrity ambassador to Cambodia and host of Enslaved, Dr. Chea Samnang, connects these experiences to the audiences, whilst demonstrating how Cambodians can protect themselves and their families from being trafficked, and highlighting what everyone can do to help end this horrific crime.

The documentary film will premiere on Cambodia Television Network (CTN), channel 21, on 24 March 2012 at 9:00 P.M. and repeat telecast on 25 March 2012 at 9:30 A.M., as well as MYTV on March 26 at 9:30 A.M.

For more details about human trafficking and exploitation in Asia, follow MTV EXIT on the following social media platforms: Twitter @mtvexit and www.facebook.com/mtvexit

“There is almost no country in the world where trafficking and exploitation do not exist and Nicaragua is no exception,” said Philippe Barragne-Bigot, UNICEF Representative in Nicaragua . “Today we launch the MTV EXIT campaign in Nicaragua with Calle 13 and MTV—two key cultural references for young people—which allows us to reach millions of potential victims by communicating with them directly, using their language.”

The launch event will be seen live through Livestream starting at 9PM EST at www.unicef.org.ni. It will feature the screening of a documentary hosted by Calle 13’s Residente and Visitante to address how this global issue is affecting Latin America. The documentary, Invisible Slaves, includes first-hand interviews with young Latin Americans who have been affected by trafficking and exploitation. Calle 13 also donated the rights of Preparame la Cena, a song from their most recent award-winning album Entren los que Quieran, for the music video for the campaign. To see the documentary and the video go to www.mtvexit.org/la..

UNICEF is actively working to prevent trafficking and exploitation in Latin America and the Caribbean, mainly with support from the Italian Government. Protecting children begins with prevention. UNICEF and its partners address the root causes of trafficking, essential in the fight against this global crime..

The MTV EXIT campaign will continue to expand in Latin America through mass media broadcasts, local events and activities with children, adolescents and youth. Other partners, such as PADF (Pan American Development Foundation) will join the initiative in upcoming projects..

For more information, please visit: www.mtvexit.org/la
Follow us on: Facebook– MTVExitla and Twitter @MTVExitla

Enslaved: An MTV EXIT Special, documents the real-life experiences of people involved in the trafficking chain. Three brave survivors tell of their harrowing experiences: Kyi Kyi, a woman trafficked to China for marriage; Ko Min, a man trafficked onto a fishing boat in Thailand; and Vatsana, a woman sold by a friend to carry out domestic labour for over 10 years with no pay in Thailand.

R Zarni said, “This is a serious issue affecting my country. I am very excited to be part of the MTV EXIT campaign as the celebrity ambassador to Myanmar. I hope by lending my support, I will be able to help raise awareness on this critical social issue across the nation.  I am proud of this collaboration and would like to encourage everyone to join me in the fight to end human trafficking and exploitation in Myanmar.”

MTV EXIT campaign will continue to expand in Myanmar through mass media broadcasts, local events and activities. Enslaved: An MTV EXIT Special will premiere on MRTV and MRTV-4 this March 2012.

For more details about human trafficking and exploitation in Asia, follow MTV EXIT on www.facebook.com/mtvexit.

R Zarni: MTV EXIT approached me and share more about this critical social issue. It is an issue that affects us all and I am compelled to join the fight and spread the message to raise awareness to all my fans in Myanmar.

MTV EXIT: What was your experience like working with MTV Exit on this documentary?

R Zarni: It was a great experience. Not only was it enjoyable, but I have also gained some new experiences too. This documentary reveals real-life stories of survivors who were deceived and forced into these horrific situations. It also gives an insight on how we can help them get back on their feet and become part of their communities again when they return home. I got to learn more through these insights from the documentary. Traffickers don’t discriminate as to who they try to deceive or force into exploitative situations. It can really happen to anyone. As a celebrity, I can lend my voice to educate my fans and help spread the message across Myanmar by teaming up with MTV EXIT.

MTV EXIT: How can people protect themselves from being trafficked?

R Zarni: The power of conversation is very important; we can educate our family and friends, and report any possible offenders in our communities.

MTV EXIT: What is the main thing you want to tell people when it comes to human trafficking?

R Zarni: My main message to young people, not only in Myanmar but worldwide is to have empathy for each other. I hope the strong will always help the weak as much as they can. The terrible thing about human trafficking is that it is exactly the opposite: so-called ‘strong’ people taking advantage of other people’s vulnerabilities.

MTV EXIT: Imagine that any of your friends or family were trafficked and then returned home. What would your response be to them?

R Zarni: People, either relatives or acquaintances, should help victims when they return. They should help them as much as possible and attend to their needs. They are all survivors and should be respected for the resiliency they have shown for escaping from exploitation and for working to put the pieces of their lives back together. If I had a relative or a friend who had been trafficked, I would console them to my best knowledge and help the best way I can. Human trafficking affects everyone, victims as well as their families and friends. That’s why we should all be aware of the issue and do all we can to end it.

The partnership was announced today as the MTV EXIT campaign returns to Cambodia for a free live concert at the Olympic Stadium in Phnom Penh, headlined by Korean band After School, and American pop band The Click Five.  MTV EXIT has held 27 concerts across Asia over the past two and a half years, including events in Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Nepal, Taiwan, the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Timor-Leste.  Concerts will be held in other ASEAN countries next year.

Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for Political-Security Community, Sayakane Sisouvong, who was present at the concert, expressed that,  ”Being one of the most powerful means and tools with today’s advanced technology and the growth of social media, the music, the film and celebrities, we believe that MTV EXIT can certainly make an additional contribution to ASEAN in its continued effort to reach out to young people in their campaign to increase awareness of the issue through families, friends and neighbors.”

Human trafficking is a crime that affects 2.5 million people worldwide. Of those, more than half are living in or are from the Asia-Pacific region.  Often, the victims are young people who are guilty of nothing more than wanting a better life for themselves and their families. MTV EXIT’s collaboration with renowned international and local celebrities around the world seeks to build a stronger affinity with youth and keep this global problem relevant to them with the objective to inspire and empower youth to drive local action against a global problem by spreading the message to their communities.

MTV EXIT’s new celebrity ambassador to Cambodia, Dr. Chea Samnang said, “Human trafficking is modern day slavery and it is an issue that affects all of us, including my family and yours. It is a crime that needs to be addressed and stopped, which starts with you and me. Let us join the fight together to end this critical social issue in Cambodia and in ASEAN.”

ASEAN has taken measures to intensify the efforts to curb the issue of trafficking in persons as it threatens the stability and prosperity of the region. At the 18^th ASEAN Summit held in May 2011, ASEAN Heads of State agreed to strengthen regional and international cooperation to prevent and combat trafficking in persons, enhance cooperation within existing frameworks and instruments, and emphasized the protection of the right of victims.

“The U.S. Government is committed to ending modern-day slavery.  We are proud to work in partnership with MTV EXIT, ASEAN and Australia,” said David L. Carden, U.S. Ambassador to ASEAN.

This week in Phnom Penh, MTV EXIT also hosted the first-ever MTV EXIT National Anti-Trafficking Youth Forum in Cambodia co-organized with World Vision Cambodia to empower and engage youth leaders from across the country to spread key anti-trafficking messages. The Forum brought together youth leaders ages 18 to 25 years old for a series of interactive workshops conducted by media professionals over 4 days. The Forum strengthened the youth leaders’ creative skills, while challenging them to produce a campaign plan to take the fight against human trafficking back to their local communities.

H.E. Penny Richards, the Australian Ambassador to Cambodia said, “The risk of being trafficked is a real one for far too many people living in Southeast Asia. Australia is a proud supporter of MTV EXIT and continues to work closely with ASEAN and the United States on this issue of shared international concern.”

For more details about human trafficking and exploitation in Asia, visit www.mtvexit.org or follow MTV EXIT on the following social media platforms: Twitter @mtvexit and www.facebook.com/mtvexit