Published: Monday - March 31, 2008
Words by Allen Starbury
Wyclef Jean Photo: Getty Images
Former Fugees' frontman, Haitian-born rapper Wyclef Jean, recently recorded in a radio ad sponsored by the UN his home country, asking his countrymen to stop crime.
With crime escalating in his native Haiti, the rapper continues to make an effort for improvement.
"If you love Wyclef, that means you love Haiti," he said in Creole, in a short ad run by local stations in the nation, according to Reuters. "So you should not be raping women, kidnapping people and children. There can be no excuse for doing so."
Wyclef was made roving ambassador for Haiti early in 2007 by President Rene Preval, and has since used his celebrity in an effort to improve the crime-ridden, poorest country in the Americas.
According to BBC, 36 people were abducted in the capital city Port-au-Prince during March alone.
"I reject these evil practices," said Jean in his message, in which he also urged Haitian men to respect women's rights.
The UN feels Wyclef's message can help encourage young people involved in crime to stop, due to his influence.
"All kinds of Haitians, the good guys as well as the bad guys, have a lot of appreciation for Wyclef for what he represents as a Haitian," Fred Blaise, a spokesman for the U.N. police, told Reuters. "So they would be more likely to be receptive to Wyclef's message because they are all proud of him."
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