The multi-faceted platform is designed to help raise awareness on the many ways we can impact an individual's life. Fourteen-time Grammy Award(R) winning artist, Alicia Keys will host the initial launch of the World of Betters initiative at her alma mater, the Professional Performing Arts School (PPAS) in New York. There, she will officially kick off an online contest to motivate attendees to get involved and participate in 'bettering' our world.

To participate in the Western Union(R) World of Betters online interactive experience, eligible participants should visit http://www.worldofbetters.com where they can share how they would use $1,000 to make the world a better place. Public voting will determine the top 500 entries from which a judging panel will select 100 ideas and the winners will receive the equivalent of US $1,000 to bring their idea to life. The Western Union World of Betters contest begins November 1, 2011 and ends December 15, 2011.

Throughout the contest, other renowned artists will join Alicia's efforts by broadening the campaign's reach. K'Naan and Sunidhi Chauhan will host events in Mumbai, India and Johannesburg, South Africa, with other celebrities and dates to be announced globally and livestreamed on http://www.worldofbetters.com. The celebrity team will also activate social media throughout the campaign. "As a proud graduate of the Professional Performing Arts School, I thought about the students there who are in desperate need of new musical equipment to help them learn their craft," said Alicia Keys. "Because right now, my alma mater is underfunded and oversubscribed--and I hope to make this better for them, so they can follow their dreams. As the Co-founder of Keep a Child Alive, I constantly see that there are so many ways the world can be made a better place. That's why I'm so excited to work on the 'World of Betters' initiative and I know for a fact, that there are so many people out there with amazing ideas that can show how even a small change, can make a big impact."

Hikmet Ersek, President and CEO, Western Union, added, "Western Union teamed up with these world-class music icons because their focus on giving back to the global community matches the essence of our business - to help others have a better day and a better life. Western Union World of Betters honors the positive impact we make in the lives of our consumers and recognizes how to keep 'Moving Money for Better' around the world."

Western Union World of Betters is one program of many that align under "Moving Money for Better" branding concepts, focused on Western Union(R) products and services as solutions to create 'moments of better.' While sustaining the company's 160-year history of innovation and helping people improve lives, the new branding elements depict visual timelines that invite consumers to be a part of the worldwide campaign. To participate in Western Union, "World of Betters" and tune in live to the events, consumers can visit http://www.worldofbetters.com.

How to Enter:

Eligible participants should visit http://www.worldofbetters.com and upload their entry of no more than 100 words describing how they would use US$1,000 to make the world a better place. Participants are then encouraged to tell their family and friends to view their story and vote on the website. Public voting will determine 500 entries from which a judging panel will select 100 Western Union World of Betters ideas, and winners will receive the equivalent of US$1,000 cash to bring their idea to life. Those entering the contest should submit their entries between 12:00:01 a.m. Greenwich Mean Time on November 01, 2011 and 11:59:59 p.m. GMT on December 15, 2011.