UN Kicks Off Global Youth Forum in Bali, Indonesia: 2,000 Youth Delegates Empowered to Re-Set Priorities for the UN

BALI, Indonesia, Dec. 4, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- United Nations — Today 2,000 young people representing over 126 nations joined forces with global artists, nonprofits, corporate and government leaders, to debut the mPowering Mobile Platform, a first-ever, entertainment-driven program empowering youth with information and access to education, job and health resources, delivered directly through their mobile phones. The announcement was made at the start of the ICPD Global Youth Forum where thousands of youth will participate in person, online and through social media to influence the UN agenda on health and reproductive rights, education, employment and civic participation. Timbaland, the platform's first-ever Producer-In-Residence, Avicii, and Agnes Monica (a.k.a., AGNEZ MO), will be on-site to support the conference and perform on December 6^th to close the 3-day event. 

Young people, who constitute 43% of the world's population of 7 billion and growing, (in some countries, such as Brazil, Nigeria and Tanzania, the number is as high as 60%) face the greatest challenge in a fast changing world. Yet they can be an innovative source of solutions to these challenges—if engaged and motivated.

The mPowering Mobile Platform recognizes this potential by harnessing the power of music to captivate and inspire today's young people to take action alongside organizations that specifically work to improve global issues.

"Today's young people are not only the leaders of our future, they are our leaders today," said Kwabena Osei-Danquah, Executive Coordinator for ICPD Beyond 2014. "Our world nurtures so many talented, creative, educated people. We have never been so well equipped and interconnected to respond to global challenges. We are truly part of a global community, where actions taken in one country or region can have an immediate impact on other parts of the world."

To join the initiative, youth will download a free mobile application through which they will connect with their peers around the world, share their stories, stream exclusive songs by participating artists and producers-in-residence, discover information on the issues most important to them, and explore a database of non-profit organizations in their regions to seek help or to volunteer anywhere in the world. Over the next five years, the campaign will feature hundreds of artists at more than 40 events around the world, and will also feature a Mobile Recording Studio bus, where musical content will be created by global artists and integrated into an app in real-time.

"With youth delegates gathering from around the world at the Global Youth Forum, we'll collect priceless feedback necessary to create the mobile legacy that is the mPowering Mobile Platform," said Jeff Martin, CEO and co-founder of Tribal Brands. "It's the voices of these young leaders amplified that will drive real-world change, one action at a time."

The mPowering Mobile Platform will be officially launched on February 8^th, 2013 during Grammy Week in Los Angeles. For more information visit www.facebook.com/mPoweringAction and @mPoweringAction on Twitter.

About ICPD Beyond 2014
ICPD Beyond 2014 is a mandated review of the Programme of Action that was agreed by the United Nations member states who attended the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in 1994. The ICPD was a watershed event that made clearly evidenced Iinks between population dynamics and human rights and placed the empowerment of women and young people at the heart of the global development agenda. The ICPD review process will assess progress, gaps and new challenges in achieving the goals of the Programme of Action through process which engage all stakeholders including governments, civil society and youth. For more information about ICPD Beyond 2014 visit icpdbeyond2014.org, for information specifically related to the ICPD Global Youth Forum visit icpdyouth.org.

About Avicii
Beginning his career at 18, Avicii has had greater success at 22 than most could hope for in a lifetime. With chart-toppers such as Seek Bromance, My Feelings For You, Fade into Darkness, Silhouettes, and LE7ELS, Avicii has since 2008 risen from bedroom music-maker to international superstar. Kicking 2012 off with his unique 'House for Hunger' tour, Avicii and his manager Ash Pournouri personally donated $1M to the organization 'Feeding America,' by doing a not-for-profit 27-stop tour in the U.S. Additional information about Avicii can be found at: http://www.avicii.com.

About Timbaland
For more than 20 years, Timothy "Timbaland" Mosley's innovative sound has redefined how the world experiences music. As the most sought after producer with multi-platinum collaborations with hundreds of artists including Justin Timberlake, Elton John, Keith Urban, Missy Elliott, Madonna, and Jay-Z, Timbaland is the number one producer in the world. Acclaimed as Billboard Magazine's Song Writer of the Decade (2011) and multi-Grammy Award winner, Timbaland is a global icon surpassing time and genre.

About Agnes Monica (a.k.a., AGNEZ MO)
After rising to stardom at the age of 6, Indonesian singer Agnes Monica (a.k.a., AGNEZ MO) has made a name for herself as an award-winning, multi-platinum singer and highly acclaimed actress. With eight albums and commercial success throughout the globe, Agnes awards include: 10 Anugerah Musik Indonesia Awards, seven Panasonic Awards, four MTV Indonesia Awards, three Indonesia Kid's Choice Awards, and seven JpopAsia International Music Awards.

As the face of Olay for Southeast Asia, and the spokesperson for Honda in the region, Agnes' branded slogan, "Dream, Believe, and Make it Happen" became the campaign for the US Embassy's 2011 cultural conference. Agnes is an ambassador of MTV EXIT to combat human trafficking, the regional icon for Anti-Drugs Movement appointed by DEA and IDEC Far East Region, and was recently appointed as the ambassador of Intellectual Property Rights 2012 by Ministry of Justice and Human Rights Indonesia.

Agnes broke into the international music scene through collaborations ranging from American R&B Singer Keith Martin to Latin heartthrob Christian Chavez, recently recorded a duet with Grammy Award winner, Michael Bolton, and is in the process of working on an English studio album with Timbaland and other renowned producers/collaborators.    

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

Edelman:
North America: Tyler Spalding, Tel.: +1.202.412.8808, Email: [email protected]
Asia: Arie Rukmantara, Tel.: +62 21 721 59000, Email: [email protected]
Europe: Virginie Serre, Tel.: +33 15 66 97 500, Email: [email protected]
South America: Agustina Mikulka, Tel. +54 11 4315-4020, Email: [email protected]
Brazil: Giovana Lerda, Tel.: + 55 21 2507-7788. Email: [email protected]

Tribal Brands:
North America: Jason Taylor, Tel.: +1.925.895.0090, Email: [email protected]
Asia: Jette Speights, Tel.: +1.415.385.8829, Email: [email protected]

Timbaland:
Monique Idlett-Mosley, Tel.: +1.305.389.1082, Email: [email protected]

SOURCE ICPD