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YHRI has begun to tackle the problem of human trafficking or "modern-day slavery," a type of crime that now affects an estimated 27 million people worldwide, mostly women and children. YHRI believes that increased understanding of its scope will compel effective action. In furtherance of this aim, YHRI has held a number of seminars and roundtables on human trafficking, including one in Los Angeles in January 2004 attended by a representative of the U.S. Department of Justice.
Song & Music Video Project
Our current project is the creation of a moving song and music video that educates people on the problem of human trafficking toward the purpose of raising money to combat it. The video highlights prominent musical artists in various genres and from various countries.
Human Rights advocate and Director/Producer Guy La Brusciano is working with Youth for Human Rights International, anti-human trafficking groups and several top musical artists around the world to not only raise awareness of this growing problem but to come up with workable solutions towards the goal of ending this problem in our lifetime.
Combating Human Trafficking:
Guy La Brusciano and Artists United to Free Children
Using the Power of Music and Film to Educate and Unite the World to End Human Trafficking of Children and Women. FOREVER.
"No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms."
– UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 4
As representatives for Youth for Human Rights International (YHRI) traveled the world educating youth in human rights, they were shocked to find out just how far-reaching human trafficking was, and how it affected so many children.
YHRI has begun to tackle the problem of human trafficking or "modern-day slavery," a type of crime that now affects an estimated 27 million people worldwide, mostly women and children. YHRI believes that increased understanding of its scope will compel effective action. In furtherance of this aim, YHRI has held a number of seminars and roundtables on human trafficking.
Since the children of the world are so influenced by artists, especially musicians, a new division of YHRI was formed called "Artists United to Free Children." Created and organized by Guy La Brusciano in 2005, the purpose of Artists United to Free Children is to "Use art, music and film to educate, motivate and inspire others to forward the purpose of Youth for Human Rights International and specifically to end human trafficking."
Facts About Human Trafficking
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The modern slave industry is a $10 billion illegal industry.
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Human trafficking is a modern tragedy. It is estimated that there are 27 million people around the world today who are enslaved.
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The major forms of exploitation are forced labor and sexual slavery.
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Children as young as 8 or 9 are stolen from their parents – many times smuggled out of their home country – and forced into child prostitution and are beaten or killed if they do not cooperate. In most countries, less than 2% of the nation's populations are even aware of this problem and very few are actually doing anything about it. Well, something CAN be done about it!
Song & Music Video Project
Our current project is the creation of a moving song and music video that educates people on the problem of human trafficking towards the purpose of raising money to combat it. The video highlights prominent musical artists in various genres and from various countries.
Human Rights advocate and Director/Producer Guy La Brusciano is working with Youth for Human Rights International, anti-human trafficking groups and several top musical artists around the world to not only raise awareness of this growing problem but to come up with workable solutions towards the goal of ending this problem in our lifetime.
The purpose is to create an impactful, commercially viable song and music video utilizing musical artists to raise awareness and funds towards the attainment of the above goal, such that it is played frequently on MTV, radio, etc. In the tradition of "We Are The World", "Live Aid" and other successful worldwide campaigns – the goal is to get people ACTIVE to stop this atrocity.
Artists
Guy La Brusciano – Producer/Director
A human rights activist for many years, Guy became involved with the International Foundation for Human Rights, participating in human rights marathons in the U.S. and Europe. He helped distribute tens of thousands of copies of the UN's Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 11 different languages.
During these crusades, he met with many political religious leaders to forward the goal of human rights tolerance throughout the world. Seeing his leadership, organizational and financial skills, other human rights groups recruited him. From production coordination to planning to fundraising, Guy has helped raise several hundred thousand dollars for these charities.
Guy's other passion is filmmaking: acting in several TV and film projects, then producing and directing several short films. Taking his love for film and combining this with his passion for human rights, Guy decided to create media projects that expose human rights abuses. One that caught his eye was that of human trafficking, being so widespread yet little known. Guy partnered with Youth for Human Rights International to create a revolutionary broad-scale public awareness project, utilizing the power of influential artists and the media to educate and raise funds to combat the problem. Asked why he is so passionate about ending human trafficking, Guy responded, "No man can truly be free while others are enslaved."
Michael Duff – Musical Director
Former lead singer and songwriter of the critically acclaimed Columbia Records Alternative Rock act Chalk FarM, Michael Duff's career has included touring with Dishwalla, Better Than Ezra and Tonic, playing for tens of thousands at festival shows around the country as a headlining act and sharing the stage with Matchbox Twenty and others.
Since disbanding Chalk FarM, Duff has been busy writing, producing, recording and winning singer/songwriter competitions in Los Angeles. Meatloaf recorded a yet-to-be-released song Duff co-wrote with songwriting giants Shelly Peiken and Jud Friedman. Australian sensation Kate Ceberano has two Duff/Ceberano co-written songs on her great CD called "The Girl Can Help It." And last summer's hit Disney film "A Cinderella Story" has in it a song sung by Duff called "The Best Day of My Life" (produced by Robert Palmer). Duff also put out his well-received "5-Song EP" last year, two songs on the EP were co-written with Aerosmith co-producer Marty Fredericksen and one co-written with multi-platinum songwriter/artist David Pomeranz (this song was featured in an episode of "The Young and the Restless").
Duff has spent most of the last year writing and recording new songs for his first full-length CD and is also a touring member of Rusty Truck (with celebrity photographer Mark Seliger). Visit his site at www.duffweb.com.
Diego Verdaguer – Latin American Musical Coordinator
Argentine native Diego Verdaguer showed an inclination toward music since early childhood. By the tender age of 6, he was experimenting with singing and playing musical instruments.
He scored his first record deal at 17 and his first regular spot on a television show only one year later. After finding success in his native land with hit singles such as "Yo No Soy Aquel" and "Ven Ven Ven Que Se Va La Vida", Diego teamed up with up-and-coming singer and wife Amanda Miguel to record "Volvere" ( I Will Return). The song soared to the top of the Latin American charts and established Diego as one of the most successful Hispanic artists in the Western world. He signed a record contract with Melody Records and left Argentina shortly thereafter to record "Estoy Vivo" in Mexico City. Diego was ready to take on the role of producer himself. He produced Amanda Miguel's seminal album "El Sonido Volumen 1" which went on to sell more than 3 million copies and 2 million singles.
Success followed success for the star couple throughout the next decade. Diego's songs where recorded by famous American artists including Herb Alpert. Diego and Amanda Miguel were received by Pope John Paul II in the Vatican. And the title track of their 1996 collaboration "Amame Una Vez Mas" stayed at the top of the U.S. Hispanic charts for 20 consecutive weeks. The couple started their own record company DIAM Entertainment in the mid 90s. And in 1999, Diego's record "Inolvidable" sold hundreds of thousands of copies worldwide. Over the course of his career Diego Verdaguer has sold more than 15 million albums.
Amanda Miguel – Award-Winning Latin Singer
Born into a family of musicians, Amanda Miguel began to study piano at the age of 4 and continued her studies all through her childhood. Years later Amanda met Diego Verdaguer (singer and her lifetime love) on a street in Buenos Aires. Diego by then was already well-known and Amanda told him that she was a singer too. Impressed by Amanda's singular vocal style, Diego offered Amanda a job as a backup singer. Amanda's talent grew by leaps and bounds, and eventually Diego arranged an opportunity for her to record her first single "Asi No Te Amara Jamas" (She Will Never Love You, This Way), a song that was written by Diego, Amanda and Graciela Carballo, which turned out to be a bona fide hit. Quickly snapped up by a record label, Amanda recorded her first solo album "El Sonido Volumen 1". The album sold 3 million copies and Amanda became exactly what audiences wanted.
With sales surpassing 15 million and a score of Top Ten hits to her name, Amanda Miguel is truly an icon in the Hispanic music world. Fans, worldwide, look forward to her upcoming release, titled "Piedra De Afilar" (Whetstone) and slated for release some time in late 2005.
Mark Isham – Composer/Songwriter
Mark Isham has a dynamic and diverse musical career. He is critically acclaimed both as a composer and a recording artist/instrumentalist.
Named one of the "top three composers of the 80s" by the American Film Institute, Isham's feature films number over 50 including A River Runs Through It, for which he earned Academy Award and Grammy Award nominations. In 1994, Isham received a Golden Globe nomination for his work on Nell-starring Jodie Foster.
He has received seven Grammy nominations, including his Grammy Award for Mark Isham. He has recorded over 50 albums and is featured soloist on numerous projects. In the last four years, Isham has started writing for television, which has earned him four Emmy nominations, including an Emmy Award for the critically acclaimed project, "EZ Streets."
Justin Meldal-Johnsen – Bassist/Songwriter
Los Angeles native Justin Meldal-Johnsen is best known for his long-time work as bassist and musical director for the artist Beck.
He has also performed, recorded and written with artists as diverse as Macy Gray, Air, Tori Amos, Garbage, Black Eyed Peas, Nelly Furtado, The Mars Volta, Marianne Faithful and many others.
He is currently working on the second Virgin Records release of his own band, the energetic and arty Ima Robot.
To get involved, contact Guy La Brusciano at
coordinator@youthforhumanrights.org
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