23 March 2005                                             FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

CONTACT: John McAuliff (Hanoi/HCMC) 0915-095-634, jmcauliff@ffrd.org

             

American Folk Singer and Activist Peter Yarrow Visits Vietnam, Will Perform at Hanoi Opera House

 

A songwriter, performer, and social activist, Peter Yarrow (of the folk group Peter, Paul and Mary) is synonymous with the anti-war and peace movements in the United States in the 1960s and 70s. On his first visit to Vietnam, Yarrow will perform a solo benefit concert at the Hanoi Opera House on Tuesday, 29 March at 8:00 PM. This event is being sponsored by the Ministry of Culture and Information. Proceeds from voluntary donations will support the Vietnam Association of Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin (VAVA).

Peter Yarrow's career with Peter, Paul & Mary is now in its 40th year. His gift for songwriting has produced some of the most moving songs that Peter, Paul & Mary have recorded, including “Puff, The Magic Dragon,” “Day Is Done,” and “Light One Candle.” This musical creativity has always gone hand-in-hand with Yarrow's commitment to social change. Over the years, he has dedicated his time and talent to ending hunger, homelessness, the nuclear threat, and supporting education and equal rights.

As the Founding Director of Operation Respect, a project to help establish safe, compassionate and nurturing environments for schoolchildren, Yarrow feels that this program is “perhaps the most important advocacy effort of my entire career.” (For more information on Operation Respect, see the attached description.)

Yarrow says, “I am very much looking forward to this remarkable trip. My wish is to serve the mission of Vietnam-U.S. reconciliation as well as peace education efforts, which are at the heart of our Operation Respect mission.”

On his trip to Vietnam, Peter will be accompanied by Operation Respect board member and vice-provost of the College of New Jersey, Suzanne Pasch. Yarrow and Pasch will make presentations at the conference of the Association for Advancement of International Education in Ho Chi Minh City from March 31-April 1 and will meet with Vietnamese schools and education officials in both the north and south.

Yarrow will have limited time available for individual press interviews in Vietnam. In lieu of a formal press conference, media are invited to accompany him on a visit to the Vietnam Friendship Village (Lang Huu nghi Viet Nam), located about 15 km west of Hanoi (tel. 04-828-6746). This visit will take place from 2:00-4:00 PM on Monday, March 28. Please confirm your attendance in advance with John McAuliff at the above number.

Yarrow’s visit to Vietnam is facilitated by the Fund for Reconciliation and Development (www.ffrd.org), an independent American non-governmental organization that has worked since 1985 to foster and preserve normal diplomatic, economic, educational, cultural and people-to-people relations between the United States and Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Cuba. FRD and Yarrow wish to thank the following agencies and companies who have provided support to his visit: Ministry of Culture and Information, Vietnam Performing Arts Society, Vietnam-USA Society, and the Sunway Hotel (Hanoi).

 

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