Popular Band Supports Movement

The Killers back MTV trafficking campaign

Tue Jul 7, 2009 4:24pm BST

LONDON (Reuters) – Las Vegas rockers The Killers have joined up with U.N. children’s arm UNICEF, U.S. aid agency USAID and MTV to produce a video raising awareness of human trafficking and sexual exploitation.

The band is lending its song “Goodnight, Travel Well,” from the album “Day & Age,” to a video that highlights the human suffering and dangers of trafficking, particularly of young women.

The video will air globally on music channel MTV on July 13, reaching a potential audience of hundreds of millions of people in 168 countries, MTV said.

Viewers will be able to watch it from that date on the MTV EXIT (End Exploitation and Trafficking) website www.mtvexit.org.

It is the second such collaboration for the awareness campaign after MTV EXIT produced a film for “All I Need,” by British band Radiohead.

“We are deeply shocked and appalled that women and children are forced into such exploitative situations,” The Killers said in a statement.

“We hope that through MTV’s efforts and this powerful video that millions of people across the world learn about this tragic form of modern-day slavery.”

Susan Bissell, UNICEF Chief of Child Protection, added: “There is almost no country in the world now that isn’t affected by human trafficking in some way.

“The statistics are staggering. More than 1.2 million children are being trafficked each year and nearly 80 percent of all trafficking is for sexual exploitation, and the most at risk are girls.”

The Goodnight, Travel Well video is directed by David Slade, who made “Hard Candy” and “30 Days of Night.”

One scene depicts a group of young women being held in a bare, cell-like room and forced to go and work as prostitutes. On the screen appear the words: “Some things cost more than we realise.”

(Reporting by Mike Collett-White, editing by Paul Casciato) Reuters UK