Cloud USA

— Cloud cover by: Stephe, Managing Editor ^@@^

{*Edited to Add 8/5/11: MTV Exit has totally revamped and updated their site, so their old links no longer work. This article has been updated with new Rain/MTV Exit links, and we have notified MTV Act about the change so they can update theirs as well. ^@@^}

*Edited to Add 6/29/11: Here is a screen shot update of how Rain fans and Colfer fans have risen to the occasion over at MTV Act since my original article. From 2 Actions Taken and 4 Actions Taken, to this! I’m truly pleased at the response. And I say let’s keep going! You can never bang the drum enough. *applause, applause*

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ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Five years ago, in 2006, South Korean mega-entertainer Rain (a.k.a. Jung JiHoon) joined MTV in the fight against human trafficking, a horrible scourge that continues to plague our planet even today. The MTV EXIT (End Exploitation and Trafficking) video documentary that he presents (Traffic: Rain) is the story of three very real women whose lives were utterly destroyed by forced imprisonment, prostitution, and servitude.

From the MTV EXIT site: Traffic is a unique and powerful program presented by Rain that addresses the issue of human trafficking in Asia-Pacific. Told through the stories of real people, the show features Ana, trafficked from the Philippines and forced into prostitution; Eka, an Indonesian woman, trafficked into forced domestic servitude in Singapore; and Min Aung, from Burma, trafficked to Thailand and imprisoned for 2 years in a factory. Their harrowing stories are told along side other people in the trafficking chain, including a trafficker who has been forcing girls into prostitution for over 20 years, a young man who pays for sex, an anti-trafficking police officer, and a woman who runs a shelter for abused victims. The film gives an insight into the realities of trafficking, addresses the part we all play in the issue, and gives information on how to protect ourselves as well as what we can do to help end exploitation and trafficking. 

Rain is still active in this fight, and since 2006 many celebrities across the world have joined him in this cause and presented their own EXIT documentaries in an effort to educate people and eradicate this man-made plague.

A few days ago, we noticed that MTV Act put up a wonderfully informative article about young people on the 2011 TIME 100 Most Influential People list who are truly using their influence to help others in a myriad of ways. Rain, Colfer, Bieber, Ghonim, Wills and Kate… we salute everyone on the TIME 100 list and we salute MTV Act for doing this. After all, we live in a strange world where, for some reason, because of your profession or position alone—singer, royalty, actor, POP STAR—you aren’t deemed worthy of certain awards or recognition. You aren’t seen as having done anything worthwhile or influential for your fellow man, much less treated like a person.

Well. MTV Act doesn’t agree with that. Neither do we.

Influence means that you’ve moved someone to act, which everyone on the TIME 100 list has done.

Perhaps, one day, someone will patent a cure for small-mindedness and the world might actually have a chance.

Stephe @cloudusa.wordpress.com / www.cloudusa.org

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MTV Act 4/27/2011 — by Caroline Walker

Young People Make Dent In TIME Magazine 100 Most Influential People

Time Magazine just announced its annual list of the world’s 100 most influential people—and while longtime bigwigs did indeed make the cut, it’s refreshingly packed with a crew of young powerhouses taking the world by storm.

Here’s a partial peek at young’ns who got a shout-out:

Wael Ghonim: This 30-year-old Egyptian innovator decided to use social networks to mobilize citizens who were fed up with a corrupt regime. The effect, as Time puts it, was “miraculous.” Here’s to the founder of the Facebook Revolution. Power to the people, indeed.

Justin Bieber: Hailed as a culture-shaper, we’ve got to give it to Bieber, who’s been active in at least half a dozen charities. We’re giving props for his Pencils of Promise involvement. Paying visits to students? Love that personal touch.

Kate Middleton and Prince William: They’re listed separately and are, of course, influencers in their own right. We can’t help but clump ’em together, though, since their joint foundation is the ultimate wedding registry.

Chris Colfer: The “Glee” star mirrored back to us the effect of teen bullying, particularly against LGBT students, and we paid attention. In his Golden Globe acceptance speech, the actor (and singer and dancer) said, “Most importantly, to all the amazing kids…that are constantly told ‘no’ by bullies in their school and they can’t be who they are–well, screw that, kids!” Our sentiments exactly. (Fight back against LGBT bullying now!)

Rain: You might not yet be hip to this 29-year-old Korean pop sensation, but his global influence is nothing new. (He made this list in 2006, too.) He’s active in the fight against human trafficking; check out his MTV EXIT video here.

Check out the full list to see other young people—Bruno Mars, Blake Lively (hmmm), Mark Zuckerberg (duh) among them—making a mark.

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And so now it’s time to make your mark too and take a moment join Rain’s fight. Let the world know that you care. Go to the April 27 original MTV Act article, click the red ACT button underneath JOIN RAIN’s MISSION, and share the article with your friends and loved ones using the medium of your choice. And if you’d like, go on over to the MTV EXIT site and watch the 27-minute Traffic: Rain video documentary (in Korean). Thanks, all.

— Stephe ^@@^

Posted in 2011 Time Magazine 100, Bi Rain, Bi Rain News, Cloud USA, Jung Ji Hoon, Rain Topics
Tags: Bi Rain articles, Bi Rain charitable cause, Bi Rain News, Influential Rain, Jung Ji Hoon, Rain Charitable Initiative, Rain MTV, Rain Time 100 2011, Rain wins Time 100 Online Poll, Time's World's 100 Most Influential People