Well-known American singer Peter Yarrow and his group will perform in a charity concert in Ho Chi Minh City today to raise funds for Agent Orange victims.

Peter Yarrow&The Heart of Vietnam is being organised by the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations together with Viet Nam Television (VTV4) and Ho Chi Minh City Television (HTV9).

The group will sing folk and country music, with the highlight of the show being performances by Yarrow and his friend Mick Moloney, a folk artist and winner of the US Government’s National Heritage Fellowship.

Vietnamese pop stars like My Tam and Ha Anh Tuan will also perform.

During the 90-minute show, the foreign and local performers will also share their views on peace and compassion with the more than 700 people expected to attend.

Organisers said the show’s theme, Singing for Peace, was chosen to encourage more organisations and individuals around the world to contribute to world peace, equality, and freedom.

Le Hung Quoc, chairman of the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organisations in Ho Chi Minh City, said, "Peter Yarrow and his group are close friends of the Vietnamese people and have spent years working and perform for victims of Agent Orange.

"Our concert is for children suffering from the dioxin," he added.

The programme is part of community activities supporting Agent Orange victims in Vietnam launched by Yarrow, a member of the US-based Fund for Reconciliation and Development.

Yarrow’s band, Peter, Paul&Mary, was famous in the 1960s and 70s for performing country and soul music. The band’s songs like Where Have All the Flowers Gone, Lemon Tree, and Light One Candle are still popular among millions of fans, including Vietnamese.

Yarrow has participated in many social and charity activities in the US and other countries, encouraging people to come together and work for a better world.

He received the Allard K.Lowenstien Award in 1982 for his contributions to human rights and peace.

Yarrow and his family visited Vietnam in 2005 and 2006 and participated in several community and charity programmes. He is involved in encouraging Americans to know more about Vietnam’s Agent Orange victims, particularly children.

Yarrow and his group will arrive in Ho Chi Minh City on June 23 before visiting Hanoi and Hoi An. They will work with some American and local non-government organisations and visit some centres for disadvantaged children.

The concert, sponsored by Ton Hoa Sen Group, one of the country’s leading steel sheet producers, will be held on June 25 at the Ho Chi Minh Television Theatre, 14 Dinh Tien Hoang Street, District 1.

It will be broadcast live on HTV9 and VTV4.

The concert’s proceeds will go to the Compassion Fund for supporting Agent Orange victims and children. The fund is run by the Study Encouragement and Knowledge newspaper situated in Giang Vo Street, Hanoi.

For contributions, contact the hotline numbers (08) 9484112, (08) 9484118, and (08) 9484119. (VNS)