3R TV Hosts appointed UNICEF Malaysia Goodwill Ambassadors
Hosts of the Award Winning TV Programme will help enhance the protective environment for children and young people in Malaysia.
KUALA LUMPUR, 22 June 2005 - The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) appointed today the current hosts of the popular award-winning TV programme 3R (Respect, Relax, Respond) as its first ever Goodwill Ambassadors for Malaysia.
The three TV hosts namely Celina Khor, Kartini Kamalul Ariffin and Rafidah Abdullah were selected because of their popularity as well their willingness to use their professional platforms and networks to promote the cause for children in Malaysia .
“Celina, Kartini and Rafidah, like all our Goodwill Ambassadors, were chosen for their compassion, their deep commitment to children and women, and their appeal to young people. Not only are they articulate, they are also quite well-informed about HIV/AIDS, which is one of our priorities in Malaysia ”, said Gaye Phillips, UNICEF Representative to Malaysia .
Aside from HIV/AIDS, Celina, Kartini and Rafidah will also focus on UNICEF’s other priorities in the country such as exploitation of children, trafficking, and accidents and injuries. Their role will include highlighting these concerns during their TV programme, workshops, public appearances and speaking out on behalf of children and young people. In addition, the three TV hosts will also help raise funds in support of UNICEF’s programmes around these issues.
“We have always admired the tireless work of UNICEF. We are accepting this role with humility, recognising that there are some concerns that need to be addressed for children and young people in our country. We have always believed that each individual has an opportunity to make a difference, and we hope that we may have a chance to do just that. After all, children are our future," chimed Celina, Kartini and Rafidah.
3R’s relationship with UNICEF began in 2004 when Celina and Kartini readily stepped forward to help launch a “Youth-to-Youth Theatre” programme in conjunction with World AIDS Day. And more recently, the three TV hosts together with their Executive Producer Lina Tan spoke to young reporters and broadcasters at a UNICEF media training programme on drug abuse and HIV/AIDS.
Upcoming commitments from the busy and energetic trio include hosting the Campaign Launch of “My Playground – Keep the Music Clean” on 25 June. The event is a collaborative effort between UNICEF and Zouk Kuala Lumpur in conjunction with ‘International Day Against Drug Abuse & Illicit Drug Trafficking’ which falls on 26 June annually. The three TV hosts will also be making a presentation about their TV work on HIV/AIDS during a UNICEF Malaysia co-sponsored satellite symposium at the 7 th International Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific (ICAAP). The 7 th ICAAP will take place in Kobe , Japan from 1 – 5 July 2005.
“We are truly pleased that these three wonderful young women have agreed to join the UNICEF family. I know they will help bring UNICEF’s mission to the audience who will have the most impact on our future – young people themselves” added Phillips.
NOTE TO EDITORS
About UNICEF
For close to 60 years, UNICEF has been helping governments, communities and families make the world a better place for children. Part of the United Nations system, UNICEF has an enviable mandate and mission, to advocate for children's rights and help meet their needs. In Malaysia , UNICEF has been working with the Government since 1954 by supporting programmes in health, nutrition, water and sanitation, formal and non-formal education as well as services for deprived children in poor urban areas. With Malaysia ’s progress and development, our focus today includes three new priorities – HIV/AIDS; Child Protection as well as Accidents and Injuries.
About UNICEF’s Goodwill Ambassadors
UNICEF works with nearly 200 International, Regional and National Goodwill Ambassadors around the world to increase public awareness of the rights of children and women and of UNICEF's work in protecting those rights. UNICEF Goodwill Ambassadors are well-known personalities willing to do their utmost to mobilize support for children among the general public and within their industry. In the 50 years since these celebrities began working with UNICEF, they have helped sway government policies on behalf of children, publicize children's issues around the globe and raise funds for UNICEF-supported programmes. These volunteers have a unique ability to touch people’s hearts with their passion and commitment. Among UNICEF’s early International Goodwill Ambassadors were such legends as Danny Kaye, Audrey Hepburn and the Late Sir Peter Ustinov, who have been joined over the years by luminaries such as Sir Roger Moore, Jessica Lange, Harry Belafonte, Amitabh Bachan, Jackie Chan and football player David Beckham.
About 3R
3R (Respect, Relax, Respond) is a television program created specially to recognize the importance of women’s role in society and their ability to challenge and change the conditions in their lives and communities. It brings issues of importance, relevance and concern to young women between the ages of 16 to 27. The program is currently hosted by Celina Khor, Rafidah Abdullah and Kartini Kamalul Ariffin, three dynamic women who are representative of the target audience as well as role models for teenagers. Each episode of 3R deals with issues that affect youth and children from serious to fun to controversial through the use of role-play, open and frank interviews and discussions among the three hosts. 3R was awarded Best Infortainment Program in the Asian Television Awards 2002, highly commended in the Best Youth program category and awarded the Red Ribbon Media Award by the Malaysian AIDS Foundation for its coverage on HIV/AIDS issues. It also won the Malaysian Video Awards 2003 for Best Magazine Program (Silver).
For further information, please contact: Indra Nadchatram, Communications Officer, UNICEF Malaysia
Telephone (+6.03) 2095 9157
Mobile 013 366 3452
Email inadchatram@unicef.org
