The Voice Project's newest video features renowned musician and activist Peter Gabriel

Recently, we introduced you to some new friends of ours at The Voice Project.  We are excited to join them and a handful of other organizations in unveiling their newest video, featuring legendary musician and committed activist Peter Gabriel.  Check out the clutch new video below of Gabriel covering Tom Wait's In the Neighborhood, as well as a joint press release from The Voice Project and Rolling Stone magazine.

Our most sincere thanks and congratulations to The Voice Project team for a job well done.

---FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE---

HOW FAR A VOICE CAN CARRY
New Video of Peter Gabriel Covering Tom Waits for War Torn Africa

A new video of Peter Gabriel covering Tom Waits' "In The Neighborhood" was released today simultaneously across five non-profit web sites. Invisible Children, Oxfam America, Resolve Uganda, WITNESS, and HOPE Campaign teamed up to premiere this latest installment of The Voice Project, a music based initiative to raise awareness as well as support for the war torn region of Central East Africa.

Northern Uganda, Southern Sudan, Eastern Congo and Central African Republic have been severely affected by the ongoing violence of Joseph Kony's rebel army the LRA in Africa's longest running conflict. As part of The Voice Project initiative, artists have been recording cover songs as links in musical chains that began with a small group of widows and rape survivors in Gulu, Uganda. Women's groups in Northern Uganda have been using songs to send messages of forgiveness to those abducted and forced to fight, many of whom escape but hide in the bush afraid to return home because of reprisals for what they were made to do. The songs are played on the radio and passed by word of mouth to let the soldiers know they are forgiven and can return home.

The Voice Project employs the same idea of using music to pass the message as each artist covers another artist's song creating a chain of melodies, awareness and support. In this particular chain UK based artist Gary Go passed the torch to his friend Joseph Arthur by covering "Chicago," Joseph passed it to his friend and mentor Peter Gabriel with his version of "Shock the Monkey" and now Gabriel has passed it to Tom Waits with this cover of "In the Neighborhood."

"I love the idea that a song can reach people that can't be touched in any other way. The Voice Project is a movement that grew out of a few songs.with a simple message," said Gabriel. "Almost every one on the planet has access to a mobile phone, which means we can start dealing with the world's problems linking person to person. That is what is powerful about The Voice Project's original dream."

The project also utilizes what it calls a content driven model of philanthropy, using the music and video content created on the Website not only to raise awareness but to attract advertisers, sponsors and donors in order to help fund programs on the ground, both their own and those of local and international partner organizations.

"We realized that these song chains and the content on the site could be effective on various fronts, not only in amplifying the voices of the women in Uganda and sharing their message with the world, but also using that content as a means to fund effective initiatives on the ground that could contribute to hopefully ending the conflict, sustaining peace and helping people in the region to rebuild,"said Voice Project co-founder Hunter Heaney.

"We wanted to release this video together with some of the organizations who've been working so hard and for so long on this issue, these are organizations we've been working with and who've become friends, and one of the great things you can see happening is how willing everyone is to work together at this problem, so we thought all of us releasing this in unison would be a reflection of that."

Peter Gabriel just finished his world tour in support of his covers album "Scratch My Back" and his daughter Anna Gabriel is also one of the founders of The Voice Project. "I am enormously proud of all my daughter's work on this and I was very happy have been asked to participate. I've wanted to sing Tom Waits "In the Neighborhood" for a long time and this was a great opportunity."

"Music has always been a part of my life and I believe it's one of the most powerful and effective tools to bring about change," said Anna. "My father has inspired me with his humanitarian work and has always been supportive of my work as a film maker so shooting this video in particular bought together all aspects of my life in an amazing way."

"It has been such an honor to work with Anna and have Peter do a song for the Voice Project. It is amazing to see the transformative power that music can have in solving problems and healing wounds when words and diplomacy have failed. Peter Gabriel has inspired us, from 'Biko' to 'Scratch My Back', he has been sharing his uniquely personal voice to make a change in the world around him."
-Chris Holmes, The Voice Project

"By connecting people through the music that beats in all of our hearts The Voice Project is bridging cultural gaps in such a beautiful and wonderful way. We're honored to be working with such a sincere and creative group of people dedicated to seeing peace in Central East Africa."
-Kenny Laubbacher, Invisible Children

"We are incredibly grateful for the hard work, creativity, and character of our friends at The Voice Project. Their team and the musicians who are coming on board this project are bringing very needed attention to one of the world's most neglected humanitarian crises and they are doing it in a way that is truly inspiring."
-Lisa Dougan, Resolve Uganda

"The HOPE Campaign is honored to partner with The Voice Project in the effort to bring these important humanitarian issues to the forefront of the media through involvement of artists and the creative community. As Martin Luther King Jr. said, "Almost always, the creative dedicated minority has made the world better." It is amazing to be a part of such an incredible collaboration!"
-Andi Scull, HOPE Campaign

"One reason why Oxfam America's music outreach work continues to be so meaningful is that we've built partnerships and alliances with other organizations who also use music to engage the public, like The Voice Project. I love how the voices of the women in crisis in Uganda are amplified by the artists involved. The Voice Project is more proof that music is a powerful tool for creating social change."
-Bob Ferguson, Oxfam America


Information on The Voice Project

The Voice Project is a song-driven effort inspired by the women of Uganda who are using their voices and songs as vehicles for change in the war-ravaged region of Northern Uganda, Southern Sudan, Eastern Congo and CAR which for the last 24 years has been marred by terrible atrocities and perpetual and ongoing violence. The Voice Project is an attempt to support these incredible women and the peace movement in the region, and an effort to see how far a voice can carry.

From Indie rockers to African R&B artists, The Voice Project is recording musicians all over the world, filming them as they cover songs by fellow artists, creating a chain of melodies, stories, awareness and support. In the process, they are carrying a message of peace from resilient Acholi mothers and wives to eyes and ears around the globe and shedding light on Africa's longest running war.

The founders of The Voice Project see this endeavor as a partnership with the women and communities in the region of Northern Uganda and they emphasize that "the strength, the message, and the art of these women and their peace movement can benefit the world." Beyond spreading awareness, the Voice Project also supports programs in region that provide viable and sustainable economic opportunities for these women and their communities.

Links:
www.invisiblechildren.com
www.oxfamamerica.org
www.resolveuganda.org
www.witness.org
www.hopecampaign.org
petergabriel.com
tomwaits.com
www.voiceproject.org