A Letter from Gemma
January 11, 2002
Bodh Gaya, India
"What a gift to be part of a gathering of souls that finds a western business person standing next to a
homeland-less refugee,
next to an Israeli soldier,
next to a curious wanderer,
next to a beggar,
next to a 3-year old child.
All of whom have little or no idea of how the other lives,
how the other survives,
how the other finds joy,
how the other dreams....
Yet there is an amazing, palpable, otherworldly connection that these strangers have - PEACE.
They are all praying for PEACE.
They all believe that this is the nature of us humans.
Us privileged humans,
us oppressed humans,
us breathing, living and dying humans.
And with this unwavering faith in outwardly believing that it CAN be achieved,
WE RISE.
In celebrating the purity of our intent,
WE RISE.
In gathering together to unite all that is beautiful in ourselves,
WE RISE.
We are all pilgrims, we.
And we are connected as a single drop of water is part of a vast and powerful ocean.
It takes just one drop of water to start a wave, but it takes all the drops of water to be still.
I, as a simple drop of water in this ocean of peaceful souls,......
am humbled and amazed."
About the Million Voice Choir
In January 2002, after the tragedy of September 11th, in the sacred village of Bodh Gaya, India, half a million peaceful warriors joined with HH Dalai Lama in Prayer for World Peace. It was at this magical gathering that Gemma Bulos envisioned the Million Voice Choir and the WE RISE Mission was born.
The Million Voice Choir is a global peace mission to unite people around water and see this vital element as a source of peace in the 21st Century. This annual global songfest mobilizes voices worldwide to sing WE RISE, a rousing anthem that uses water as a metaphor for ‘unity in action’ and in 2003 declared the “New Human World Anthem at the United Nations”. The Million Voice Choir uses music as a means to gain access to a population that would not otherwise be engaged in the issues surrounding water. The choir serves as the unified voice for water’s cause and WE RISE carries it’s message. This rousing call for peace is an invitation for everyone to see and feel the magnitude of a simple action as it's effects ripple outward.
Like water, Gemma has been traveling around the globe for over 6 years performing, speaking and inviting people to join the ‘Choir’ and encouraging them to take responsibility for the protection and preservation of their water resources. Not only is she raising awareness of water issues, she has expanded her mission by implementing water projects in developing countries to provide safe drinking water to the poorest of the poor with her non-profit organization A Single Drop.
To date, the Million Voice Choir has sung WE RISE in over 100 cities in over 60 countries. Join us on September 21!
Archbishop Desmund Tutu & Gemma, Indonesia
Conerly Road School Peacemakers
United Nations, New York City
Katrina Relief Efforts
Gulf Coast, USA
