Pop Stars Team Up to Fight AIDS

WASHINGTON, DC - The first in a series of public service announcements (PSAs) made by some of today's hottest pop and hip-hop stars and targeted at vulnerable youth in Africa, Asia, Europe and the U.S. have begun airing on television and radio in several southern African countries where PSI has AIDS prevention projects.

The filming was produced and directed by Artists Against AIDS Worldwide (www.aaaw.org) and made possible through PSI's involvement with the Africa Alive!YouthAIDS Initiative (AA!YA).

Justin Timberlake (of *NSYNC), Destiny's Child, Alicia Keys, Shaggy, Nelly, Eve, Shabba Ranks and Jermaine Dupri recorded the PSAs in Las Vegas in December when they gathered for the annual Billboard Music Awards.

Each artist recorded messages promoting HIV testing, abstinence, condom use and other healthy behavior with country-specific tag lines for both television and radio. The PSAs will be used to influence the behavior of young people vulnerable to the AIDS virus in PSI AIDS prevention programs in Africa, Asia and Eastern Europe.

"We are grateful to these artists for donating their time and considerable talent to helping us fight AIDS around the world," says PSI President Richard A. Frank. "We believe that one of the most effective ways of influencing the behavior of young adults is to offer them realistic options to protect themselves, delivered by credible role models. We believe these messages do that."

The artists recorded messages such as "Regardless of your race, whether you are male or female, gay or straight...AIDS kills and it doesn't discriminate. If you're gonna have sex, latex condoms work. Carry them. Use them."

Destiny's Child delivered an abstinence message: "Hi. This is Destiny's Child, with a message for all our young friends out there: Don't give in to peer pressure, not everyone is doing it. Take it from us, when it comes to sex, sometimes waiting can be the sexiest move of all. Protect yourself. Respect yourself. Be a Survivor. Remember: Love yourself enough to look out for your dreams. We're Destiny's Child, reminding you that dreams can come true."

Each artist also recorded a specific PSA for PSI's new YouthAIDS project launched on World AIDS Day 2001. YouthAIDS (www.youthaids.org) is a global initiative to raise funds and awareness to slow the spread of HIV/AIDS among the world's youth. YouthAIDS showcases PSI's HIV/AIDS prevention programs and combines their efforts into one global campaign to achieve comprehensive, international reach. Using the power of music and media, YouthAIDS intends to mobilize partners and secure the necessary funding for a collective effort to protect and educate youth around the world.

The making of the PSAs was an outgrowth of an earlier effort by AAAW in September 2001 - a remake of Marvin Gaye's classic "What's Going On?" recorded by an even greater line-up of pop stars organized by U2 lead singer Bono. A percentage of the proceeds will go to Africa Alive!YouthAIDS for their HIV/AIDS prevention programs in Africa. Other beneficiaries include the Global AIDS Alliance and the Hope for African Children Initiative.

Africa Alive!YouthAIDS is a cooperative initiative between PSI, Johns Hopkins University Center for Communication Programs and Global Justice. The organizations joined together in an effort to increase the impact of their respective programs to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS among African youth.

—David J. Olson, Senior Manager for Public Affairs, PSI/Washington

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The pop divas called Destiny's Child take a break from shooting public service announcements for PSI.