In the next couple of days (hopefully) we will begin making posts about a joined effort on the part of Detroit Musicians who would like to seek out a way to help the needy and destitute of Palestine and Gaza. A few of us have already said (amongst ourselves) Yes, lets do this thing Although nothing is ever logistically simple, the foundational idea is simply this: A) Lets get together and cut some songs to an EP or full length CD, homegrown, hopefully as collaborations between bands and or individuals in the spirit of the village of hope. B) Lets sell that homegrown product and give the proceeds to a credible, well rated charity that is not a political movement, but is an entity that exists to simply provide aid to those in need in both Gaza and Palestine. Food, Medical, Shelter, etc, these things are not political, they contain nothing worth arguing over. We want to help, lets help. C) If things are moving along well, lets book a one-off event and invite bands to come do their thing. All proceeds to go to said charity, no bands will be paid, no bickering will be taking place, not street cred called into question. The goal is the children of Palestine. Come, play your heart out, and give back. The charity I have been looking at (no decision has been made) is called the United Palestinian Appeal Inc. They were featured on a charity watchdog/performance evaluation website for all charities and they rank very high in ethics and performance, as well as actual distribution of resources (almost 90%). Here is their mission statement: Established in 1978, United Palestinian Appeal, Inc. (UPA) is dedicated to providing aid to Palestinians in need, especially children, in the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon. UPA provides both emergency humanitarian relief and long-term development programs to Palestinian communities striving for economic and social development in the wake of ongoing conflict. We strive to deliver efficient charitable services at low overhead costs in the areas of education, health care, child sponsorship, and agricultural and community development. Now, for my personal statement into why I (Steven Urenda) am doing this, lest it become twisted, I submit the following: 1) I am a musician, and as a musician this is simply the best, most organic gift that I can use to give back. 2) I am a Christian, meaning I follow Jesus Christ. This was a man who did everything in his power to heal, bless, help, restore hope, and bring value to others. The politics in all of this is a distant second to the call to reach out to people. The religious politics in all of this ranks even further below that line and frankly Im not interested in it. To keep it simple, Im just going to try to do something that can bless those in need, with the help of my friends, the funkier and more colorful the better. if you want in, let me know. were just getting started with the idea phase. can you in Detroit do something that actually affects somebody else in some remote part of the world, somebody you dont even know? I think so, I think if anybody can understand the need to simply reach out, Detroit can.
Posted on: Tue, 12 Aug 2014 23:03:33 +0000
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