Let’s Come Together is an interactive musical peace movement to activate the public’s participation in supporting UNHCR and NGOs in their fight for human rights in the midst of a global refugee crisis through the power of music.
“We don’t choose the place we are born, just as we don’t choose to live where natural disaster strikes. If we turn our backs on innocent children and families that have been stripped of everything but their lives, can we expect the world to do anything different if misfortune befalls us?
Each time the international community chooses to ignore international law due to fear and xenophobia, our civilization deteriorates further. If we use race and religion as a reason to ignore people’s right to freedom, can we expect others to do anything different to us?”
– Jihae
According to international law, if a person merits asylum by showing he/she has a “well–founded fear of being persecuted” based on race, nationality, religion, political opinion or membership in a particular social group, he/she is no longer a migrant, who can be sent away at any time.
He/She must be recognized as a refugee, with a right to be protected for as long as it is unsafe to return home, no longer is he/she a migrant. According to international law, if a person merits asylum by showing she has a “well–founded fear of being persecuted” based on race,
nationality, religion, political opinion or membership in a particular social group, she is no longer a migrant, who can be sent away at any time. She must be recognized as a refugee, with a right to be protected for as long as it is unsafe to return home.
However, out of 14.4 million refugees currently of concern to UNHCR around the world, less than 1% are submitted for resettlement.
Nearly half of them are children, like this refugee child fleeing out of Kobani city in Syria into Turkey during a sandstorm.
In search of safety, thousands of families have drowned at sea while others have put themselves at the mercy of smugglers, many dying during transport. They are clashing with border patrols and being forced into refugee camps to live for years under inhumane conditions.
Those who are able to survive the harrowing journey find their applications for refugee status returned, and often told to reapply years in the future.
The lost generation of millions of children will have no adequate education, thus no hope to rebuild their future. These families have nowhere to go and very little help – winter is approaching.
Let’s Come Together and Sing for Change
The goal is to unite and spark compassion into action to uphold human rights. If enough voices gather together for the same cause, change is imminent.
November 5th: The Putney School
November 12th: Zurich Youth Choir in Switzerland led by Michael Gohl
Everyone is encouraged to release their version of “Let’s Come Together” to directly benefit:
UNHCR
A United Nations agency mandated to protect and support refugees at the request of a government or the UN itself and assists in their voluntary repatriation, local integration or resettlement to a third country.
MIGRANT OFFSHORE AID STATION
This charity dedicated to save children like Alan Kurdi, with a fleet of rescue boats patrolling the Mediterranean to save migrants lost at sea.
MERCY CORP
Mercy Corp provides emergency relief in times of crisis, then moves quickly to help communities recover and build resilience to future shocks.
LET’S COME TOGETHER
Words & Music by Jihae
Arrangement by Teese Gohl
Production by Simone Giuliani and Teese Gohl
Let’s come together in one harmony
Let’s come together as one family
Since only love can heal the world
Let’s plant love and hope in every boy and girl
Let’s come together as one heart and soul
To brighten the weather and to break the mold
Since only love can heal the world
Let’s plant love and hope in every boy and girl
Come let’s come together for everyone’s freedom across the lands
Oh let hope overflow from the cold river to our loving hands
Let’s come together and sing a new song
A song full of laughter, a song of joy
Since only love can heal the world
Let’s plant love and hope in every boy and girl
Together we can heal the world
Let’s plant love and hope in every boy and girl
A small place can hold a thousand friends.
– Syrian proverb
Simon Says Sing For Peace
Simon Says is an interactive musical peace movement. It’s a platform for the young and old to express their ideas for peace through art, song, and dance and to give voice to the children affected by war conflict all over the world.
Using the most universal children’s game as a tool for peace, Jihae wrote a children’s peace song called “Simon Says”. Musicians, singers, dancers, and artists of all kinds, types and ages are invited to create, write, sing, or dance their own peace message.
Nightmare and the Cat
Johnny Mcnabb
Little Muse
