09 July 2009: 46664 and the Nelson Mandela Foundation, together with live video streaming partner, Livestream, have launched Mandela Day TV, a free and pay-per-view event that lets viewers anywhere in the world take part in the Mandela Day concert at Radio City Music Hall, New York on July 18th.
The concert boasts a wonderful range of artists from all over the world including Stevie Wonder; Wyclef Jean; Aretha Franklin; Loyiso; Will.I.Am; Jesse McCartney; Cyndi Lauper; Zucchero; Josh Groban; Baaba Maal; Angelique Kidjo; the Soweto Gospel Choir and many more.
This is the latest pioneering development in the campaign for people around the world to support and take part in the creation of an official Mandela Day, to be held annually on July 18th, Mr Mandela's birthday.
Livestream has enabled the free viewing option for users by creating a custom video Flash player that can be embedded as a widget on any Web site and social networking page. The player widget has been developed using a soon to be announced Livestream player API (application programming interface)"We were chosen because our live Flash player and Livestream Premium platform has the scalability required for the hundreds of thousands of concurrent users expected to view the Mandela Day event," commented Max Haot, CEO and Co-Founder of Livestream.
Distribution partners already on board include: Sympatico-MSN (Canada), Canoe (Canada), Telefonica (Spain), Univision.com (Mexico), MSN (Italy), Tiscali UK/Carphone Warehouse, Comcast (US) and UOL (Brazil). The Mandela Day event will be promoted and available on the Livestream.com website. Sites wishing to support Mandela Day are invited to contact 46664.
For the $4.99 pay-per-view alternative to Livestream's free option, organizers have forged a partnership with Pecunia, that will let users who visit mandeladay.com watch the concert in high resolution, full-screen mode. These viewers gain access to multiple camera feeds and interactive content.
Pecunia is a cutting-edge live streaming partner using the Silverlight technology to create a full screen, immersive and interactive environment where users will be able to view multiple camera feeds, information about the artists featured during the event, share with friends, exchange live with their contacts on Twitter and Facebook, answer polling questions and send in their questions to specific artists.
All the net proceeds from this pay-per-view experience will benefit all the Nelson Mandela organisations.
The annual Mandela Day celebration is being created to inspire people from every corner of the earth to embrace Nelson Mandela's values as they seek to improve their lives through service to their communities.
New York takes world center-stage in July when the city hosts the inaugural 'Mandela Day.' Centered around a massive music headliner concert at New York's Radio City Music Hall on Nelson Mandela's 91st birthday, July 18, the event is designed as a call around the world for people to honor Nelson Mandela's inspiration and values, and observe the day annually as a celebration – not as a holiday, but as a day to opt in.
Nelson Mandela has been making an imprint on the world for 67 years, beginning in 1942 when he first started to campaign for the human rights of every South African. His life has been an inspiration to the world. To date, the Nelson Mandela Foundation and 46664 have focused mainly on supporting projects in South Africa and sub-Saharan Africa where current needs are greatest, particularly for those infected or affected by HIV/AIDS.
The Mandela Day campaign calls upon people around the world to commit 67 minutes of their time to make an imprint and help change the world around them.
46664 will also be working with partner organizations, other city authorities and community associations and volunteers across the globe to create a worldwide series of Mandela Day events to honour Nelson Mandela's life and legacy.
'46664 – Mandela Day Celebration' Radio City Music Hall concert tickets prices range from $75-$500, with VIP packages available. All tickets are available at http://www.ticketmaster.com, livenation.com, thegarden.com and charge by phone at 800-745-3000. For VIP packages visit ticketmaster.com.
To view the free live stream visit www.livestream.com/mandeladaytv
To pick the embeddable flash player widget visit http://www.mandeladay.com/events/mandeladaytv/simulcast/
For photos, footage and EPK visit www.MandelaDay.com
About 46664 (http://www.46664.com)
46664, the campaign that bears Mr Mandela's Robben Island prison number, was originally launched to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS. Working alongside the other Mandela organisations, it is now expanding its focus to champion Mr Mandela's broader humanitarian work. A centrepiece of 46664's activities will be the celebration of Mandela Day each year, and monies raised from Mandela Day will support the ongoing work of 46664 and the Nelson Mandela charitable organisations.
About the Nelson Mandela Foundation (http://www.nelsonmandela.org)
The Nelson Mandela Foundation through its Centre of Memory and Dialogue contributes to the making of a just society by promoting the values, vision and work of its Founder. As custodian of Nelson Mandela's historic papers, the Centre of Memory makes his life and times accessible to the world. The Dialogue programme provides a safe space where disadvantaged communities, policy makers and non governmental organisations enter into dialogue aimed at finding solutions to critical social issues such as poverty and AIDS.
The Nelson Mandela Foundation, which houses Nelson Mandela's personal office embodies the spirit of reconciliation, ubuntu and social justice. Its work is a celebration of Nelson Mandela's life.
About Livestream
Livestream (www.livestream.com – formerly Mogulus) provides everything needed to easily webcast live, build an engaged audience and monetize these efforts. Founded in 2007, the company is based in New York and includes Gannett Co. as a minority shareholder and investor. Producers can use Livestream to create live, linear and on-demand Internet television to broadcast anywhere on the Web through a single embeddable player widget. The service comes in two flavors: Free (ad-supported) and Premium (ad-free, white-label, higher-quality). Unique features include the ability to mix multiple live cameras, overlay gRaphics, and desktop streaming with 3D effects.
About the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund (http://www.nmcf.co.za)
The Nelson Mandela Children's Fund came into existence in 1995. This was within a year of Nelson Mandela having taken political office a founding President of South Africa's democracy. Itself a part of the country's history, the Fund shares the age of South Africa's 15 years of democracy with rich lessons to share on appropriate models of child care and youth development.
Initially a grant-making organisation, the Fund was for the strategic period 2005-2010 repositioned in 1999 as a development and an advocacy agency. Being a rights-based and child-centred organisation, the Fund's target group is children and youth from 0-22 years of age. Its vision, to Change the Way Society Treats in Children and Youth, places it in the league of UNICEF and is similarly committed to creating a world fit for children. The Fund carries out its mandate through South African-based implementing partners within its four key areas of focus. The approximately R35m it grants per annum is according to a rigorous selection process following a public call for proposals.
Successful applicants are funded on a three-year funding cycle. The raising of its funding is a joint responsibility of its resource mobilisation unit, programmes department and established offices in the United Kingdom, United States, Canada and the Netherlands. All are registered in accordance with applicable laws in their respective countries.
About The Mandela Rhodes Foundation (http://www.mandelarhodes.org)
The Mandela Rhodes Foundation Was established in 2003 as a partnership between Mr Mandela and the Rhodes Trust in the United Kingdom, with the specific brief of developing exceptional leadership capacity in Africa. The Foundation's flagship programme, the Mandela Rhodes Scholarships, seeks out and then nurtures young Africans who demonstrate academic ability and broader leadership potential. The Mandela Rhodes Scholarships offer Scholars educational opportunities at Honours or Masters level, coupled with a unique leadership development programme and personalised mentoring.
For more information on 46664 and Mandela Day contact:
For Europe, Middle East & Africa: THE PR OFFICE, Shimon Cohen +44 20 7284 6940 scohen@theproffice.com or Katie Phillips +44 207 284 6942 kphillips@theproffice.com
For U.S.: Rubenstein Communications, Inc., Susie Arons +1-212-843-8033 sarons@rubenstein.com or Gretchen Wagner +1-212-843-8076 gwagner@rubenstein.com
For more information on Livestream contact:
Sue Huss, for Livestream
sue.huss@comunicano.com
619-379-4396
