The MTV Europe Foundation was established in 2003 by MTV Networks Europe

MTV Networks Europe

MTV Networks Europe is a division of Viacom International Media Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom.MTV Networks Europe includes the multimedia entertainment brands: MTV, VH1, TMF, VIVA, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central and Nick Jr...

 to expand its commitment to social issues

Social issues

Social issues are controversial issues which relate to people's personal lives and interactions. Social issues are distinguished from economic issues...

 and human rights

Human rights

Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...

. As a result, MTV Networks Europe launched the MTV Europe Foundation, a legally independent, but closely related, corporate charity. The MTV Europe Foundation is incorporated under United Kingdom law as a charitable company (UK Charity. No.1103267).

The MTV Europe Foundations’s aim is to use and maximise the power of MTV’s network and brand to educate and inform European youth, and adults, on critical social issues. The mission is:

• To educate young people on critical social issues, chiefly through the production and broadcast of special programming;
• To inspire young people to get involved and take action to address those and other issues; and
• To support organizations addressing these issues on the ground and to launch creative initiatives to promote and effect positive change.

The MTV Europe Foundation runs multimedia campaigns including the MTV EXIT

MTV EXIT

The ' campaign is a multimedia initiative produced by MTV EXIT Foundation to raise awareness and increase prevention of human trafficking...

campaign to fight human trafficking.

In 2010 The MTV Europe Foundation was renamed the MTV EXIT Foundation.