Jyrki 69 & UNICEF

When Jyrki69 visited Benin in West Africa in spring of 2003, not only great ideas emerged for the new album "Devils", but also a special mission with a highly humanitarian goal. Jyrki was asked to become UNICEF Spokesperson in a two-year campaign "Stolen Childhood", against trafficking and sexual exploatation in Benin( other two Spokespersons are Angelique Kidjo and Robbie Williams). After excellent and successful work, on 16.08.2005. UNICEF Finland appointed Jyrki69 as the new Goodwill Ambassador.

For more details and new events just keep reading, and as for me, I wish him all the best and great success with his work with UNICEF. Congratulations, Jyrki!!!

Jyrki 69 receives an award for his humanitarian work, 26.04.2006.

SNKK, Junior Chamber International Finland, has awarded Jyrki 69 as the Outstanding Young person in category Humanitarian and Volunteer Act. This organisation awards every year three persons that are under 40 years old and seen at the top of their field. The actions of the person receiving the award must benefit the society, nation or the world. 

Jury said that Jyrki's actions as the Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF show real caring for one's neighbor. Jyrki has visited schools telling about the situation in Africa and also been in the publicity as the spokesperson for UNICEF.

At the same time the artist Jyrki 69 lives his own life in the world of rock'n'roll. By volunteering he gives one excellent example especially for the young.

Jyrki 69 in a spot for UNICEF campaign UNITE FOR CHILDREN UNITE AGAINST AIDS, 05.04.2006.

UNICEF Finland has presented a spot for the campaign UNITE FOR CHILDREN UNITE AGAINST AIDS, which features Jyrki 69, and had its premiere on 05.04.2006. in Finland. The director or the spot is Tukka Temonen, member of the finnish band Apulanta, and the spot has 2 versions: on english (for Europe and rest of the world)and finnish, which you can both see here:

UNITE FOR CHILDREN UNITE AGAINST AIDS is the largest Campaign ever mounted to bring the world’s attention to the global impact of HIV/AIDS on children and young people. The Campaign was launched in New York on 25th October 2005, and has since then alarmed the general public and involved world countries into a joint action that puts a focus on children, which have been majorly overlooked when strategies on HIV prevention and treatment are drafted and implemented, and will help in saving them from a disease that shows no sign of weakening.

In fact, AIDS is threatening children as never before. Children under 15 account for 1 in 6 global AIDS-related deaths and 1 in 7 new global HIV infections. A child under 15 dies of an AIDS-related illness every minute of every day, and a young person aged 15–24 contracts HIV every 15 seconds.

The global Campaign will:

- Provide a child-focused framework for nationally owned programmes around ‘Four Ps’ - urgent imperatives that can make a real difference in the lives and life chances of children affected by HIV/AIDS.

• Prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission

• Provide paediatric treatment

• Prevent infection among adolescents and young people

• Protect and support children affected by HIV/AIDS

- Provide a platform for child-focused advocacy on global AIDS issues such as: mobilizing international resources to combat HIV/AIDS, supporting corporations as they develop socially responsible policies and programmes for workers, their children and communities, advocating for governments, donors and international and non-governmental organizations to stand by the commitment to come as close as possible to the goal of universal access to treatment by 2010, campaigning for education and health services to be strengthened

- Putting the protection, care, support and treatment of children, adolescents and young people at the centre of the HIV/AIDS agenda

- Put the missing face of children affected by AIDS at the centre of the HIV/AIDS agenda and make sure that the voices of children and young people are heard on the issues that affect them.

Millions of children, adolescents and young people in the path of the pandemic are at risk and in need of protection. AIDS is redefining the very meaning of childhood for millions, depriving children of many of their human rights – of the care, love and affection of their parents; of their teachers and other role models; of education and options for the future; of protection against exploitation and abuse.

Following the appeals made at the 2005 G-8 Summit, the 2005 World Summit, and other declarations and commitments on HIV/AIDS, UNICEF, as part of its work as a cosponsoring agency of UNAIDS, calls upon every part of global society to join in a campaign to support national efforts to ensure that this is the last generation of children that must bear the burden of AIDS.

UNICEF and UNAIDS are leading the initiative along with partners from all sectors of society, including governments, NGOs, academic institutions, faith-based groups, community groups and youth and sporting organizations. 

UNICEF's Goodwill Ambassadors, including our Jyrki 69, through their specific fields of work help raise public awareness of the issue and focus media attention to the UNITE FOR CHILDREN UNITE AGAINST AIDS campaign, as well as other campaigns and initiatives of UNICEF.

For more information about the campaign, please visit:

http://www.unicef.org/uniteforchildren/index.html

Jyrki69, UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, pays visit to "Otradnoye" children centre in Moscow, 23.09.2005.

This week Jyrki69 has visited Moscow for the start of the big tour, including Russia, Mexico and  Brazil. Young people from “Otradnoye”, the Moscow state social rehabilitation centre for children and young people attended his concert as the special guests. The next day the singer paid a visit to “Otradnoye” where he enjoyed an opportunity to meet with children.

UNICEF has been working with “Otradnoye” since 1999. There are 100 children of different ages living at the center all of whom have faced numerous troubles and tragedies throughout their lives. More than 50 young people visit the centre on the daily basis and have additional lessons here and do extra curriculum activities, including sessions with psychologists.

There is a special department - social hostel - for those young people who are elder than 18 years and  need to be accommodated. “Otradnoye” specialists provide support in individual educational programmes to children with big gaps in schooling. Here children get psychological support, and what’s the most important, love and respect which they have never seen before.

”It was a big fun to visit the concert,-said Natalya Snournikova, the psychologist of the centre who accompanied a team from the centre to The 69 Eyes concert.- It’s also very important that our children know that they have been invited especially. They definitely enjoyed the show and were looking forward to see the front man at their home.”

Kolya Fardzinov and Alesha Ouglov liked the concert despite the fact that the music was too loud sometimes. They didn’t believe to the last moment that the singer would make his promise and would visit the centre. He came and they were able to discuss the music and why was it so loud. There were questions about the name of the group The singer explained that The 69 Eyes was a  little bit scare and intriguing following the rock traditions.

The youngest children were busy with drawing session when Jyrki entered their room. He happened to be a good painter. He made a good picture of a funny bat and told the fairy take about it. This bat happened to live in the castle and it was leaving it when there was a moon. The bat had a big and kind heart. Children asked a lot of questions. Polina, a 6 year old girl wondered if the guest was wearing a wig. Jyrki pulled his long black hair to show that it was his own.

Young people showed UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador their home and invited him to the impromptu concert. Jyrki was delighted to communicate with children and watch the concert. He happened to be a very attentive listener and a spectator.

"This meeting with children became a highlight of my visit to Russia",  said Jyrki. "I will be meeting with Finnish  schoolchildren at home and I will be telling them what I’ve seen here. As UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, I’m a messenger. I have to tell people what they don’t know. I will have a right to talk now about these wonderful children whom I’ve met here. I will be able to talk not only about abandoned children, street children and children from vulnerable families but also about those projects that help such children to start a normal life with regular schooling, vacations and getting vocational training. I hope to be back at this place to visit my new friends with  my fellow musicians. We will play football altogether at that time for sure!"

UNICEF Finland appoints new Goodwill Ambassador: 

Jyrki69, singer of The 69 Eyes, 16.08.2005.

"Invited by the Board of Directors of UNICEf  Finland Jyrki69, singer of the rock band The 69 Eyes, today signed an agreement of cooperation with the organization. Jyrki69 has done excellent UNICEF work as Spokesperson for the school campaign “Stolen childhood”. “Stolen Childhood” is a campaign designed for schools, and the beneficiaries are children in West-African Benin, who run the risk of becoming trafficked.

During the ceremony, Executive Director Pentti Kotoaro of UNICEF Finland said that “the unselfish work of the Goodwill Ambassadors is a priceless resource to UNICEF. With their help the message of children’s rights reaches audiences, to which we would not have access otherwise.”

The Goodwill Ambassadors are UNICEFs messengers and spokespersons for children’s rights. They commit to the goals of the organization and put children’s issues on the agenda in their own field. Goodwill Ambassadors are volunteers for UNICEF. International Goodwill Ambassadors are among others Harry Belafonte, David Beckham, Angelina Jolie, Robbie Williams, Angélique Kidjo, Ricky Martin and Sir Roger Moore."

As his first UNICEF field trip Jyrki visited Kenya in the end of August 2005 - the main part of this he spent in Garissa district near border of Somalia. This trip was documented for the Finnish Channel 4's use and also for the Finnish daily newspaper Ilta-Sanomat (in which it was released on Sat. 17th Sept. in a special PLUSSA magazine) and the pop magazine MIX. He also met last week in Helsinki his fellow Goodwill Ambassador Sir Roger Moore as a part of UNICEF's started school campaign.

For more information on UNICEF campaigns, visit:

www.unicef.org/infobycountry/benin.html

www.unicef.org/protection/index_exploitation.html

www.unicef.de/stoppt_kinderhandel.html