Asia Vision Benefit to Unveil Shepard Fairey Art

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Jared Pearman
202-441-0317
jpearman@asiavisionfoundation.org

Best-Selling Author of ‘Slave Hunter’ Aaron Cohen to Speak
at Benefit Featuring New Portrait by Shepard Fairey

Event to highlight Aaron Cohen’s work in Burma with a special exhibit of signed prints of Shepard Fairey’s new portrait of Aung Sang Suu Kyi

NEW YORK (July 23, 2009)—Artists, celebrities, activists, business leaders, and others who share a vision of helping the people of Asia to build more open, just, and peaceful societies in ways that honor their unique cultures and values will be attending a benefit reception on Tuesday July 28 at the Centurion, 33 W. 56th St. New York.

The event, hosted by the Asia Vision Foundation, will highlight the work of prominent human trafficking opponent Aaron Cohen, whose new book “Slave Hunter” has just been released. To support the work of Mr. Cohen and others helping the Burmese people, Shepard Fairey, the artist famed for his “HOPE” portrait of Obama, has generously granted two signed prints of his yet-to-be-unveiled portrait of Burmese leader and Nobel Laureate Aung Sang Suu Kyi to be displayed at the event.

Cohen is a human rights activist who has established a modern-day Jubilee movement to free slaves and forgive debts around the world. On many of his missions in the US, Israel, Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Sudan, Ecuador, Columbia, Cambodia, Thailand, and in the Junta-ruled Myanmar (Burma) Cohen worked undercover and assessed the phenomenon of slavery from the inside. He was recently named by the World War II Memorial Foundation, the Immortal Chaplains, as the recipient of the 2008 Prize for Humanity for “risking all to save others”, and he was honored with a US Congressional Certificate of Merit for his public service.

Also featured will be the Internet Freedom Consortium, a group of internet companies providing uncensored, secure web access to millions of users in Iran and China as well as Asia Catalyst, an NGO that provides training and assistance to grassroots groups in Asia working for economic and social rights.