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RELEASE: Enough Announces Finalists for “Come Clean 4 Congo” Video Contest

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RELEASE: Enough Announces Finalists for “Come Clean 4 Congo” Video Contest

Posted by Enough Team on July 23, 2009

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Media Contacts:
The Enough Project
Eileen White Read, 202.741.6376
[email protected]

 
YouTube™
Spencer Crooks, 650.214.1304
[email protected]
 
RELEASE: Enough Announces Finalists for
                   “Come Clean 4 Congo” Video Contest
                
WASHINGTON, D.C., and SAN BRUNO, CA – Enough, the anti-crimes against humanity project at the Center for American Progress, today announced the three semifinalists of its Come Clean 4 Congo video contest and is inviting the public to begin voting to choose the winner. The contest, launched in May with YouTube, empowers individuals to create compelling messages that highlight the link between “conflict minerals” used in cell phones and the war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo – the deadliest since World War II.
 
The creator of the winning video will be flown to Los Angeles, where the video will be screened at the first-ever human rights symposium during the Hollywood Film Festival,www.hollywoodfestival.com, on October 24 at the ArcLight Cinemas in Hollywood.
 
“It is crucial that people at large get involved in highlighting social and humanistic issues, especially violence against women. We can no longer wait for somebody else to do it for us. Together, we can give a voice to the voiceless through the visual medium and promote social awareness, by giving power to the people to take action now,” said the festival’s founder and Executive Director, Carlos de Abreu.
 
The winner will be presented with an award at the symposium, which will feature a panel of expert speakers to address the issue of violence against women in Congo, Afghanistan, Iran and Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. The winning video also will be featured on the Enough Project’s websites and YouTube page. Judges for the contest – Oscar-nominated actor Ryan Gosling, actress Sonya Walger from ABC’s "Lost," and Oscar-nominated director Wim Wenders – narrowed the entries to three.
 
Between July 23 and September 8, the public is invited to visit www.youtube.com/enoughproject to watch the three finalists and cast a vote. The winner will be announced on September 9.
 
 “Enough and YouTube created the Come Clean 4 Congo video contest to raise awareness about the human consequences of Congo’s ‘conflict minerals,’ which wind up in our personal electronics devices such as mobile phones,” said Candice Knezevic, Enough’s RAISE Hope for Congo campaign manager.
 
“Not only has this contest generated increased consciousness of one of the world’s most pressing human rights catastrophes, but it also empowered the YouTube community to be voices and agents of change for Congo,” said Steve Grove, Head of News, Politics and Non Profits for You Tube.
 
Enough has called on electronic companies to pledge that they will certify their products are “conflict free” and subject their supply chains to transparent audits.
 
Come Clean 4 Congo marks the first installment of YouTube's new Video for Change program, which leverages the reach of the video-sharing site to spotlight the most pressing social causes that are important to YouTube's nonprofit partners and users.
 
The video contest is part of Enough’s RAISE Hope for Congo campaign, which aims to raise awareness about the crisis in the Congo and empower the women and girls who continue to be targets of horrific sexual violence in that country. To learn more, visit www.RAISEHopeforCongo.org.
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ABOUT YOUTUBE VIDEO FOR CHANGE

YouTube's Video for Change initiative highlights pressing social causes that are important to the YouTube community. Partnering with YouTube's top Nonprofit partners, each Video for Change initiative empowers individuals to raise the volume on causes they care about, using video. To learn more about the YouTube Nonprofit Program visit www.youtube.com/nonprofits.

 
ABOUT THE ENOUGH PROJECT AT THE CENTER FOR AMERICAN PROGRESS
Enough is a project of the Center for American Progress to end genocide and crimes against humanity. Founded in 2007, Enough focuses on crises in Sudan, Chad, eastern Congo, northern Uganda, Somalia, and Zimbabwe. Enough’s strategy papers and briefings provide sharp field analysis and targeted policy recommendations based on a “3P” crisis response strategy: promoting durable peace, providing civilian protection, and punishing perpetrators of atrocities. Enough works with concerned citizens, advocates, and policy makers to prevent, mitigate, and resolve these crises. To schedule an interview, contact Eileen White Read, 202.641.0779; [email protected].
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Center for American Progress, 1333 H St. NW, Washington, DC 20005-4707 United States.