In 2011 I traveled to the Palestine for the first time with my Hip Hop group Luminaries as part of a sister city delegation with a group called Citizen Diplomacy Initiatives (CDI). They had seen a video for one of our songs "Be The Change" and they wanted to use the song in a documentary they were working on called "When The People Lead" that focused on their sister city program. The program dated back to the height of the Cold War where they were connecting People with sister cites between the United States of America and The then U.S.S.R. Through People-To-People relationships and citizen diplomacy. This led to 200-300 cities that were connected via sister cities. They then took this model to apply it in a three-way relationship between people and cities in America, Palestine and the State of Israel.
When I was asked "How much should we charge to license the song to them?" I said, "I don't know - BUT LET'S GO." People were nonetheless wary. But CDI loved the idea - and after we did some shows in Gainesville, Florida to show them what we got - the next thing we knew we were on a plane to the Middle East!
This is a trailer for the upcoming film "When The People Lead". It has been a labor of Love to say the least. We spent a week in Palestine, in the West Bank, and a week in the State of Israel. A way that I can describe the experience is that my heart was broken - open. The West Bank is under full military occupation by the state of Israel as is shown here in this trailer and in the film - from the massive heaviness of the Separation Wall, to the illegal Israeli settlements, to the checkpoints and the settler roads, to the surveillance state, the crystallization of the occupation in Hebron and so much more - we were shocked and devastated. Going back into the state of Israel after witnessing all of this was jarring, maddening, enraging... to say the least...
That being said - We Came to Rock. And the connections that we made through the Universal language of Music and Hip Hop connected us with People everywhere we went. Music tore down walls of separation and helped us Connect and Communicate with folks whether we spoke the same oral language or not. And I made lasting relationships with friends who I now call Family... Who I call Relative.
Now, with everything happening in Palestine and Gaza - this piece and this film are more relevant than ever. So here it is - documented on the blockchain. For this beautiful project, initiative and statement - #Tez4Pal.
Enjoy.
And as Palestine will be Free -
All Beings Will Be Free.
Everywhere.
For the #Tez4Pal Collection All Sales are providing direct support to the People of Palestine 50% of Sales to INARA - International Network for Aid, Relief, and Assistance 50% of Sales go directly to SkateQilya SkateQilya is a youth empowerment program using skateboarding and art to teach community building and leadership skills to Palestinian girls and boys.
INARA is doing life-saving work, performing specialized specialized life-saving surgeries for children in Gaza, Paletine and chosen as the recipient by the #Tez4Pal team. SkateQilya is doing the greatest work that in Palestine I personally know of empowering Young People through Leadership Skills and Community Building through Skateboarding as well Art, Music, Drama, Meditation and Service. They are literally keeping Children who live under the Occupation Alive. As one Child I spoke to told me "When I skate - I feel Free!"
For More Info visit the sites below: inara.org skateqilya.org
67 Editions Available In Commemoration of the occupation of the West Bank, Palestine in 1967
19.67 TEZ per Edition In Commemoration of the start of the current occupation of the West Bank, Palestine in 1967, or what's known as Occupied Palestine.