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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

 
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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.

 
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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.

 
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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.

Every week starting November 5th 2015 until December 7th, a group or a choir will perform “Let’s Come Together” and record the video of the performance to share on social media. The Putney School in Vermont will launch the project with Jihae and Teese Gohl on November 5th 2015.
 
We invite you to do the same!  You don’t have to be a singer or a musician to participate, just gather your tribe of friends and sing! Share a video recording of your version of “Let’s Come Together” on www.facebook.com/LetsComeTogether7 with hashtags #SaveRefugees #LetsComeTogether #UNHCR .
 
Here’s current list of groups confirmed to participate:
        November 5th: The Putney School
        November 12th: Zurich Youth Choir in Switzerland led by Michael Gohl 
       
        November 19th: Karlakór Akureyrar Geysir (94 yr old traditional choir) from Iceland led by Hjörleifur Örn Jónsson 
       
        November 26th: Mama Foundation for the Arts (Teenage Gospel Choir in Harlem) led by Vy Higginsen
 
On Dec 7, 2015 inviting people of all ages, races, nationalities and voices across the globe to gather together and sing at a public place in your town. Be sure to post  the time and location of your singing gathering on: www.facebook.com/LetsComeTogether7
 
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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

 
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A small place can hold a thousand friends.

 

– Syrian proverb

 

Simon Says Sing For Peace

 
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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.

Simons Says Website

 

Nightmare and the Cat

Recently signed to Capitol Records, Nightmare and the Cat are an exciting new indie-folk band. Claire Acey and brothers Django and Samuel Stewart form the 3-piece band. Fresh from the cult London music scene, they have soft vocals reminiscent of Jeff Buckley, an indie pop vibe like that of The Thrills or Vampire Weekend, and instrumental skills that only Arcade Fire can match.

Johnny Mcnabb

Johnny Mcnabb was a big champion for Simon Says. He was an accomplished musician, a lead singer/guitarist of Rumble and the Texas Killers and former guitarist for Ryan Adams. He was also a music supervisor; the founder of IRP Worldwide and SNIPER CREATIVE who spent recent years as an in-demand photo-shoot producer.

Little Muse

Annemarie Lawless, the founder of A Little Muse blog collaborated with Jihae featuring her daughter Tallulah Rose and her friends on this video for Simon Says.
 
Trip Carroll, a designer/illustrator and native Texan, is an MFA Illustration Student at the School of Visual Arts in NYC. He’s incredibly fond of stories, and is attempting to save the world by telling them in his design and comics work.
To see more of Trip’s work, visit his site.

Trip Caroll

Trip Carroll, a designer/illustrator and native Texan, is an MFA Illustration Student at the School of Visual Arts in NYC. He’s incredibly fond of stories, and is attempting to save the world by telling them in his design and comics work. To see more of Trip’s work, visit his site.
 
 
 

View more of Jihae’s social cause projects at Septem.