Russian singer Alsou Abramova is the newest artist to join the roster of renowned personalities who promote the message and programmes of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the agency announced on Tuesday at its headquarters in Paris.The 28-year-old will be designated a UNESCO Artist for Peace by Director-General Irina Bokova during a ceremony on July 7. She is being recognized for “her commitment to help the most vulnerable people throughout the world, her charitable activities aiming to empower childhood development, and her dedication to the ideals and aims of the organization,” according to a news release issued by UNESCO. Abramova won international recognition at the age of 15 with her first recording, Alsou, and in 2000, took home second place in the popular Eurovision Song Contest. She has recorded albums with artists such as Enrique Iglesias, Bon Jovi and the rapper Nelly. In 2001, she won the Best Russian Singer MTV-Europe Music Award. She is also one of the founders and organizers of the International Folk Music Festival of Peoples of the Volga River, which attracts thousands of spectators every year, and of the Rainbow Foundation, which helps restore schools and hospitals, build churches and mosques and assists underprivileged people worldwide. UNESCO's Artists for Peace also include Brazilian musician Gilberto Gil, Canadian singer Celine Dion, Spanish dancer Joaquín Cortés, Cameroonian musician Manu Dibango and Iraqi-born British architect Zaha Hadid. They work to heighten public awareness of the agency's work in culture, education, the sciences, and communication. BM/UN
