SWITZERLAND - Russian Singer Valeriya Becomes IOM Goodwill Envoy - Award-winning Russian pop star Valeriya is today being nominated as a goodwill envoy for IOM in the Russian Federation. The singer will accept her nomination at a ceremony at IOM headquarters hosted by IOM Director General, Brunson McKinley.
Valeriya will also be presented a medal award in recognition of her already fruitful collaboration with IOM on counter-trafficking issues in Russia which began a year ago. The singer, the first Russian celebrity to become engaged on such an issue, participated in an IOM information campaign against human trafficking and has used the sale of her CDs as a vehicle for disseminating anti-trafficking messages.
At the invitation of IOM, she also took part in an international conference on human trafficking in Austria early in the year alongside another IOM collaborator, Ricky Martin and actress Emma Thompson and has been keen to contribute further to IOM anti-trafficking efforts.
"Because artists speak the universal language of emotions and feelings, they are able to focus the attention of the general public on crucial social issues, such as trafficking," says Valeriya. "Music and entertainment are powerful tools to put an end to indifference and generate positive changes worldwide. With IOM's support, I feel we can change public perceptions of trafficking, stop human rights violations and save many human lives."
"We are tremendously excited at having Valeriya become IOM's first goodwill envoy. The affection and admiration she inspires among people in the Russian Federation and across the CIS and her commitment to fighting human trafficking in her country makes her an excellent advocate on the issue," says Brunson McKinley.
"We wanted Valeriya for this role not only because of her wide-ranging achievements as a singer, artist and successful woman, but also for her strong character and her kindness as a mother which has made her a role model for millions of Russian women through the years. Her life story speaks for itself," says Enrico Ponziani, IOM Chief of Mission in Moscow.
It is her own experience of physical violence of which she has openly spoken that has made Valeriya particularly keen to work on countering human trafficking, particularly of women.
Speaking to trafficking victims at an IOM rehabilitation centre in Moscow, she told them that the future was in their hands, "and that it is important to try and forget the pain and humiliation of the past in order to go on living a normal life."
Her meeting with the victims led to an emotional appeal highlighting the importance of assistance to people who experienced suffering in the past.
A press conference by IOM and Valeriya is being held today at 1115 CET at the UN Palais in Geneva, Salle III. To access audio, please go to the UN website, www.unog.ch
For further information, please contact Jean Philippe Chauzy at IOM Geneva, Tel: + 41 22 717 93 61, mobile: + 41 79 285 4366, Email: pchauzy@iom.int
THAILAND - Australian Immigration Minister Meets Australia-bound Refugees, Sees IOM Cultural Orientation - Australian Immigration and Citizenship Minister Chris Evans this weekend visited IOM's refugee resettlement operations on the Thai-Myanmar border and met with refugees scheduled to start new lives in Australia this week.
The Minister took part in an IOM Australian Cultural Orientation (AUSCO) class for children in Mae La camp and later met with a group of 23 refugees bound for Australia at IOM's Mae Sot refugee processing centre.
Mae La camp, with a population of some 35,000, was established in 1984 and is the largest of nine closed border camps housing a total of 120,000 refugees from Myanmar. The camps are run by the Thai Ministry of the Interior, supported by the UN and international NGOs
IOM currently provides medical screening, cultural orientation and transport for refugees from Myanmar in the camps accepted for resettlement by ten countries, including Australia.
In the first seven months of 2008, IOM helped 1,252 refugees to resettle in Australia, some 678 of them from Mae La.
Over the same period IOM moved a total of some 12,196 refugees from eight of the nine border camps to ten resettlement countries. The vast majority - 10,164 - were accepted by the US.
Since 2004 IOM has helped some 52,000 refugees to leave Thailand and start new lives abroad.
Other resettlement countries in addition to the US and Australia include Canada, Denmark, Finland, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.
For more information please contact Chris Lom at IOM Bangkok; Tel: +66 819275215; Email: clom@iom.int
