I love this message that one of the people on staff from Up With People wrote this.
The Message is in the Music
There is this fishing village in Togo, West Africa, where on any day if you go down to the harbor you will see a group of men working. Pulling their nets in from the sea. If you listen carefully you will here them singing and shouting a word that many of them have known for a long time. The word is Ayiko, which is a native word for Pulling together. It’s an important word because if it were not for that word, they would not have the strength and teamwork to work hard and to feed the village and their families. Its that word that gives them the power to do anything and to get through the hard times that enter into their life, it works as an arrow that pierces through pain and struggle.
But before you can understand the true meaning of what that word means we must start from the beginning. We must first introduce ourselves. Are you ready? Can you get into the language; can you handle this right now? Because in South Africa they say Jambo, which means hello, and in India they say Nameste, that too means hello, and if you travel to the fields of Sweden you will hear them say Hej Hej, a friendly saying for hello. Now that we have accomplished the proper greetings its time to start believing.
We all need to slow down; this world is changing too fast, so fast that I cannot find my way. What can we say now about our world, can you believe that we can find a way? I want to say that there is a way, but we all need a little respect, it’s not much to ask and it’s not too much to expect. No one needs rejection, is there someone to go to to help find that brighter day for tomorrow. Can it be you and me? We have to understand that power with your sisters and brothers is way stronger then any power over each other.
I’m not trying to preach it to ya; I just need some time to show ya. We need to arm ourselves with knowledge, your mind can take ya, just let it take ya.
It’s that small ounce of positive that can arm you with the strength to make a difference in your neighborhood.
Here’s a message for you people out there, the ones in the minority who show that they care. Don’t listen to your critics, keep on doing what’s right and then all the naysayers might realize, that they’re really losing fight.
So come together now, even in stormy weather, its always better when we work together, don’t hate lets all demonstrate, we can not settle for less then the best cause we can work it out, we can push through all the negatives, its time to shout it out.
There is a rhythm that is you and a rhythm that is me, its up to you and me to keep this beat together, keep the beat, keep the beat, keep the beat….
On a more sensual note, there is one thing to always remember, there is always time for a little love, and a few times to get loose, footloose, because without love this would not be a wonderful world. I’ve seen trees of green and red roses too, I’ve seen them bloom for me and you, so lets really think to ourselves…what a wonderful we are living in.
But what really saddens me is that there are children out there that live in fear, wouldn’t it be a lonely world if the children were not here. Close your eyes…see their eyes, see their faces; they are from all different places. Let the international anthem be a sound of peace and not war.
Open your eyes. Speaking of war, I was watching the news today; it was showing how so many people struggle to live. We are blessed, we are blessed to be here, right now traveling with Up with People, realize that we have so much to give to the world and every community that we visit. When we visit each community it is an amazing realization that there are people out there who give more then they share. They see that the world can be a better place, so lets raise up the curtain and focus the lights, lets shine the light on them, on those people who sacrifice so much.
I’m starting to believe that there is a new ending, but this new ending depends on you and me. We can make new choices; lets raise our voices…I Can Believe.
I can believe that with one love, with one heart we can change the situation, we can beat the blasphemy and catastrophe, we can push with force. I’m asking you together, that means us, our crew, what are we going to do? We need to make ends come to grips with these reasons we are in. Cause when the dust settles, I will be there, and I hope you will be there too. Cause if we will be there, we can sing that one more song, even if the road is gone, because when tomorrow comes, we will be there.
When we get there, we will see people we have never noticed before, when you are out there on stage we will see faces that we do not recognize, but they will have that special smile. Because if we can impact more people to act for people, then all people out there will have a lot less to worry about and a lot more reasons to care.
So that leads me to one more phrase, a phrase shouted by the same group of men from Togo, West Africa. It is a phrase that is used when they need that inch of motivation to get them moving or when one of them is falling behind or appears weak and scared. That phrase is A mila way lo! This means, “Come on lets get going.” A Mila Way Lo! Can you feel it? Can you feel that charge, that power? Say it with me. A mila way lo! I can’t hear you…louder!
Now…we are ready, A Mila Way Lo, lets get out there and rock the socks off that crowd, this is a historical moment for Up with People, it is the first time we have been to Taiwan. Lets bring the world into their home! Lets give them that sign of Hope, that spirit of Ayiko!
