CRY America and Zee TV Launch ‘My Vision and Dream for Children’ Campaign

CRY America and Zee TV Launch ‘My Vision and Dream for Children’ Campaign

Non-profit initiative brings people across the US together to create a better world for children

DALLAS, Texas – August 12, 2009 – Zee TV and CRY America announce a new initiative aimed at bringing people together from different walks of life to work collectively towards a better world for children. The campaign called ‘My Vision and Dream for Children’ provides a platform for people to engage in the larger debate on children’s rights and express their vision and dream for children in creative ways.

CRY, Child Rights and You America Inc. (CRY America) is a 501c3 non-profit organization that works towards ensuring the basic rights of underprivileged children – to education, healthcare, protection from abuse and a life of dignity. Zee TV, a leader in South Asian entertainment, is the official media sponsor for this campaign, providing CRY with airtime support on their channel for this initiative.

Participants who wish to express their dream for children can now do so through eight creative ways: through paintings, poems, essays, songs, photographs, photo-essays, short films, and statements and slogans. The website specifically created to garner interest and motivate people to think and act for children’s rights can be found at: www.america.cry.org/myvisionforchildren.

“Illiteracy, child labor, malnutrition, preventable diseases and gender discrimination are injustices faced by millions of children. But not for long we hope. Because no matter how long or difficult the journey - if each one of us believes in doing what’s right, then we will create a better world for children,” said Shefali Sunderlal, President, CRY America. She thanked Zee for their generous support and emphasized the need for everyone to participate in such campaigns.

“CRY America believes in the power of people and collective action. Campaigns like “My Vision for Children” are opportunities to bring people together – hundreds of individuals and organizations coming together to change the situation of children - spurred by the belief that ’Change is possible, because we will make it possible’. Let’s all come together, express our vision for a better world for children and work towards the day when all children will have their rights to live, learn, grow and play!”, Sunderlal added.

“We’re very excited to partner with CRY as the official media sponsor for this powerful community initiative and hope that everyone is encouraged to share their dream and vision,” said Subroto Bhattacharya, CEO for Zee TV USA. “Together we can create a better world for all the world’s children, and align our visions for a better tomorrow.”

Bhattacharya added, “Zee TV feels a corporate responsibility to help charitable organizations and give back to the South Asian community in ways that promote health and happiness. Our partnerships with global organizations mean that not only will immediate affects be felt in small communities, but the fruit of our efforts will have a lasting impact on behaviors and attitudes around the world for years to come.”

The relationship with CRY marks another in a series of charitable partnerships for Zee TV, who earlier in the year teamed up with the Nargis Dutt Cancer Foundation, a non-profit organization committed to improving medical care in India, as well as the Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation, which provides value-based primary education to tribal and other underprivileged communities in rural India. In the past 12 years, Zee TV USA has supported initiatives to reach out to the South Asian community in ways and means that touch hearts and lives. Through the best in entertainment (Carnival, Sa Re Ga Ma Pa), and its non-profit partnerships, Zee continually strives to make a difference.

Creative entries for ‘My Vision and Dream for Children’ can be uploaded online across eight categories and in three age groups of juniors, teens and adults. On-ground contests will be held through local events organized by the volunteer chapters across 12 cities in the US. The site also allows participants to set up their ‘own page’ through which they can showcase their entries and invite friends to join in. The campaign will run for four months and will culminate on October 15th, 2009 and winning entries will receive certificates and be displayed in a booklet that will be released in November 2009.

About CRY America

CRY – Child Rights and You America Inc. (CRY America) is a 501c3 non-profit organization that is driven by it‘s vision of a ‘just’ world in which all children - regardless of gender, class, caste, faith, color, race, physical and mental ability - have equal opportunities to develop to their full potential and realize their dreams. With the support of over 500 volunteers and 10,000 donors, CRY America has impacted the lives of over 156,000 children living across 1211 urban, rural and tribal communities in India and the USA. For more information about CRY America, please visit www.america.cry.org.

About Zee TV USA, Inc.

Zee – the name that has become synonymous with entertainment – has been a dominant player in broadcasting content for more than 17 years in the national and international space. As an Indian channel, Zee is committed to supporting the values and cultures that appeal to South Asians across the globe. With many firsts already associated with its name, Zee has also become a pioneer in the international space, refurbishing its flagship channel to reach out to the South Asian Diaspora worldwide.

International operations began in July 1998 for USA. And since then there has been no looking back. The team built Zee into a strong household name in the Americas, currently reaching out to more than 2 million viewers, and it has been an undisputed leader in the market for 10 years.

Not only did the channel grow and create a strong foothold in the market, it has also been responsible for evolving to the needs of the market for content across genres and languages. Consequently the team launched channels that cater to a noticeably wide audience spectrum. Channels like Zee Cinema (Bollywood movie channel), Alpha Punjabi (Punjabi general entertainment channel), and Zee Sports (sports channel) were launched in the US market.

After successfully launching these channels, Zee TV USA has ventured into producing content locally to reach deeper into the South Asian Diaspora, while making them feel closer to their roots. Sa Re Ga Ma Pa (SRGMP) came into being 12 years ago and Indian television history has no other program parallel to this. Last year (2008), for the first time ever SRGMP was produced in an international market (USA) and has quickly become one of the highest rated shows on Indian television. Zee’s legacy continues with other initiatives like Zee Carnival and many more in the pipeline, which have all contributed to Zee’s position as the undisputed leader in South Asian entertainment.

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