one are we

ONE ARE WE 2003 CHAPTER 1

One Are We is an organization of Rasta artists. Some musicians, creative artists, painters, singers and sportsman. The members are from different corners of Kenya – Africa, “hustling” in the city of Nairobi, inspired by the word of Rastafari through, and through works as we know in this world there is poor and rich because they are some working and others not working but as One Are We say, Man without working should not EAT. Having stalls in different places of Nairobi. In these stalls Rasta products are sold (hand made products) all recognizable by a flag “wherever there’s a Rasta there is a sign of a rainbow” “all Rastas walk in heart of oneness”. In these stalls, mainly in the one in Nairobi you will find many Rasta from different places reasoning and playing Binghi and at night you will see a fire that has been lit with a lot of street children around enjoying eating together all a sign of Chanting BAD vibe in society. This was the destination of every Rasta after “hustling” to come and rest because during the day in these stalls you will meet many Rasta’s of every kind some tribal, some religious, some on their own philosophy some Bobo Ashanti that came on mission to Kenya from Jamaica and obviously Kenyans. We tried to take away the doctrines and philosophies which divided us through works till we came to know that every Man is right on his own way only heart one, where we had 18 boys in our base and 4 girls who we were teaching. All in all in this base there has always been unity, it became a universal base not personal anymore where every Artist had the chance to bring their products and sell without having to pay anything following the teachings of Marcus Garvey that said “if spiritually you can’t come together, then bring all your resources together and you shall conquer Babylon the same way”… only small contributions were given to pay the Municipal Council. Children used to come to the base, so we started a class of teaching them how to make different types of hand made products, to become self-reliant, caring for them, feeding them, in those times we called ourselves 45 Rasta International. Some of them used to live with Ras Moray in his own home. The organization was unregistered since the time police started coming to the base with different ways: some in uniform and some in civilian clothes pretending to be customers in order to check what we were doing there and what we were selling. They thought we were selling “herb” as many think and associate to Rasta colours but we wise enough because this is what we couldn’t do.(But it was being done as a sacrament of Man which needed attention so….) After meeting and reasoning before going parting we would tell one another these words “ One are we, Jah guide and protect ‘till we meet again” because this is something after living and working together we came to see ourselves as ONE just having different representations. We became more and more together and we started to create other bases around Nairobi such as Maasai Market, Ongata Rongai, Langata, Embakasi where our headquarters is still now and outside of Nairobi like: Kisumu, Mombasa. After many disturbances from everyone wanting to know about who we were we decided to have a registered organization where we all came together to look for a name to call ourselves. Many of us came up with many names, Ras Johnny who is the vice chairman thought of the name “Uprising Stepping Stones” a powerful name, and it was true we were rising but it was too heavy for the Kenyan government being a strong name from Rasta and for sure they denied it and asked us what we were rising with? So Ras Moray went back to the words used by everyone that sounds like “everyone” and everyone accepted it, even the Kenyan government so….we became “One Are We”. After having the first meeting in Embakasi the same government arrested us as a group of 15 Rasta’s including Warriors and kept us in cell for weeks with terrible interrogations by every kind of CID (criminal investigation department) calling us “Mungiki”. Day and night we never slept and lastly taking we to court and fining us for having an illegal meeting and taking us to captive where I&I saw Jah with I&I eyes how I&I entered in Kenyan jail and come out with I&I locks which have never happened in the Kenyan government not even jailed one day. But we didn’t stop because we knew what we were doing and we had a vision. Even in Nairobi we were chased by city askaris (city council officers) using police who came at one evening and burned everything including the red, gold and green flag we used to hang every morning for a period of three years. But all in all we continued with our bitterness knowing what we are doing is for the head of POWERS the ling Creation, with other bases like Masaai Market in town, the place we used to meet, reason, play and help street children twice a week and in Kenya National Theatre where I&I would have our meetings. Helping the street children was and is I&I job we couldn’t stop feeding them and teaching them no matter what as I&I know what happening in the streets where I&I saw that streets are refused by everyone but all all the time there must be someone to stand up for the streets and ONLY lion cos only LION can face a LION and LIONS are in the streets. So One Are We say together we stand divided we FALL. This is our main mission to see that there are no longer children in the streets by giving them our talents for free as this is the revelation we saw being revelled to I&I to use I&I own ways to finish poverty and cooperating with others who are working for children staring with Government, Local government who has rehabilitation centres like Joseph Kangethe and with Street Family Rehabilitation Trust Fund with whom we have been working with for the past years. As our children were arrested taken to Government Rehabs, we were forced to follow them and so we started a program with them starting with a concert we had in this Joseph Kangethe to open ghetto tour which we plaid live and free Ghetto to Ghetto tour with a mission of rising the underground artist organized by Warriors Band. Having a program with Street Family Rehabilitation Trust Fund in Thunguma ,Nyeri. This was a Government School where after closing it they gave the place to the Organizations planned to keep over 800 children from all over the country and so One Are We got a chance to get a place they can be taking children after street Rehabilitation as we operate down in the streets as Streets Governors. Also Warriors Band which was a part of One Are We, after living, strugling, working and being jailed together, I&I suported them to ghetto to ghetto tour which was plaid on behalf of poor children.Also colaborating with Selassie I Foundation, Zingaro Association and Jah Family. We have been working together and done a lot with a mission of liberating and enlightening the ghetto youth from the life they are living and trying to bring a conservation message to the society through music.One Are We is a Mystic strong Association and positive, spiritually strong and ready to work with everyone as long as you are positive, trying to finish poverty through our own ways coz we know that only works of our hands shall free I’N’I giving work free for those who need it and bringing people together and being non POLITICAL. Right now we are based in Nanyuki Town where we have opened a street base where children come for help of any kind and cooperating with Municipal Council of Nanyuki who gave us the Town Hall to use, where we have opened a recreational centre willing to build a school as this is our main object to have a school of Rastafari School of Arts&creations as Jah have now blessed I&I with a land of as ONE ARE WE knew when children from the streets get a portion that is for I’N’I as we all come from the streets, JAH work will be done and in time you will never see them in the streets coz streets children they are the best to teach in this world as only you understand/overstand them. This is I&I main mission to cooperate with people who working for the children starting with Government who we been volunteering to for the past years with a mission of rising our project and being well known.For what we are doing is for us artist as we have land for the camping of teachers and volunteers, and to have a children’s Rehabilitation Centre where since we started many children are willing to come out of the streets and many have become artists and self reliant and having a way to get them out of this life.We are free for any artist who is willing to volunteer because it’s a volunteering work, to see Africa and in other parts of the world that children aren’t suffering coz the children are the KINGS and QUEENS of tomorrow so we protect them so HIM will protect I&I for Iver. We have a street tour every month going in the streets and giving the children clothes and teachings and courage to live the life they are living. After being given clothes from different donors as we say instead of keeping things in houses people don’t use they are new when they come down in the streets. We also visit centres and homes cooking together and eating together to show them we are all brothers and sisters and we were from one house just little confusion on the way and to see how we can introduce Rastafari education in schools from Primary, Secondary, Universities, to Higherversity. WHAT I&I NEED IS EQUAL RIGHTS AND JUSTICE STARTING FROM THE STREETS. I&I KNOW WHEN THE STREETS SHALL BE FREE, THE WORLD WILL BE FREE RESPECT! ..One Are We has more than 35 members and more friends from various parts of the country and abroad. ONE ARE WE not only the name, but its philosophy of ONE ARE WE is that we are one whatever believes i believe.I&I dont go for symptoms, I&I go direct for PREVENTION as long you are a HUMAN being with HUMANITY ONE LOVE TO ALL!! YOUNG PEOPLE WILL BE YOUNG PEOPLE. LIFE IS LIKE THE THEATRE-ONE MUSTN’T TRY TO UNDERSTAND/OVERSTAND IT ALL AT ONCE AND IMMEDIATELY. IT IS NO LONGER AMUSING…CHILDREN LIVE!! So UNITY is STRENGTH where by if we UNITE, we will make it happen. Joining all what we doing and joining with every kind of CREATION as we all know in every CREATION has something to teach. By joining our works together it will help us to come together more and more and through works we will know more about what we can do of this great Africa which has been destroyed, we give them word through music coz this is I’N’I weapon SPIRITUALY we are from the EAST we are the roots so we chant binghi music coz music has SPIRITUAL ingredient for SPIRITUAL purpose. I’N’I work is a SPIRITUAL motivation of inspiration to I&I people through Divine lines of Jah Rastafari who is the CREATER who was and he is and forever will be SELA!!.For long ever I’N’I making conscious of I’N’I culture and I’N’I roots Couple hundred years till time of slavery where we were forced and we were afraid of speaking our mind but it has come a time where the truth comes naked and they cant stop it no more that’s we say BABYLON Queendom has fallen meaning time is now to take the position and lets do it and stand with I’N’I RIGHTS and of children of the ALMIGHTY. Right now we are focusing on having a Rasta CAMP. ONE ARE WE we say, TOGETHER WE STAND DIVIDED WE FALL!! HAIL HEIGHT OF HEIGHTS EVER!! UNTILL THE PHILOSOPHY WHICH HOLDS ONE RACE SUPERIOR AND ANOTHER INFERIOR IS FINALLY AND PERMANENTRY DISCREDITED AND ABANDONED. IT WILL BE SELF DECEIVING AND A WASTE OF TIME TO ADVOCATE DIALOGUE WITH THOSE WHO ARE NOT READY TO LISTEN, BECAUSE IT IS OBVIOUS THAT THE FREEDOM OF MILLIONS IS NOT A COMMODITY SUBJECT TO BARGHAIL KING SELASSIE I EVER!!EDUCATION A strong nation and a free nation can only base itself upon education. In order to make life worthwhile it is also necessary to acquire other things that can only come about after the acquisition of learning. Learning and technical training must be nurtured by faith in Creator, reverence for the human soul, and respect for the reasoning mind. There is no safer anchorage for our learning, our lives and our actions than that provided by divine teachings coupled with the best in human understanding. The leaders developed here should be guided by the fundamental values and the moral power which have for centuries constituted the essence of our religious teachings. These are crucial times when nations rise against nations, tensions increase and disaster is possible at any moment. Distances are shrinking. Peace and life itself are threatened by misunderstanding and conflict. Now is the time when man's relationship to God must be the foundation for all his efforts toward enlightenment, and learning the basis for understanding cooperation and peace. The existence of a skilled and trained manpower is an absolute necessity for the progress and development of any country. Therefore, it is the sacred duty and responsibility of students and parents to see to it that the mistakes of the past are not repeated and that time which should be devoted to the pursuit of learning is not wasted by students heedlessly, following the instigation of a few misguided troublemakers who have yet to understand the value and the true meaning of education. The salvation of our African Continent, we have repeatedly stated to you, lies primarily in education. As Africa is one, all Africans are also one and education is the only way to maintain the condition. In all countries of the modern world, special competence is required to deal with the advancement of agriculture, industry, commerce and the civil service. That competence can be secured only through the facilities provided in modern universities. We believe that the universities today stand as the most promising hope for constructive solutions to the problems that beset the modern world, problems which prevent the peaceful cooperation of nations and which threaten the world and humanity with death and disaster. From universities must come Man, ideas, knowledge, experience, technical skills and the deep human understanding vital to fruitful relations among nations. Without these, world order for which we have so long strived cannot be established. A well informed public opinion is essential to the growth of political and social awareness. Only he who is informed can comment intelligently on his nation's development and only by such comments can errors be corrected and progress stimulated. We must draw on what is valuable and meaningful in our history and tradition, merging this with the best in modern learning. We expect from you, to whom we have given the opportunity of education in your chosen field great and productive service to our country. If women develop in education, they can overcome the natural weakness and serve their country as men do. It is our wish to assure the spread of education among all African People as much as among our own subjects. A father should bequeath not only wealth but also provide proper education. Education has value when it is established in individuals of good character with respect to Almighty. We wish that your destiny shall be embraced in an education firmly based in good character before men and respect before Almighty. Any who may wish to profit himself alone from the knowledge given him, rather than serve others through the knowledge he has gained from learning, is betraying knowledge and rendering it worthless. A man's happiness is to make his brother happy, and to serve his country. Thus it is possible to justify for knowledge its high and deserved place. For knowledge is power. If it is not applied to its proper purpose, to create, let there be no doubt, it will destroy. If we have made so many sacrifices for the education of our youth, it is because we are convinced that only through intellectual progress and education can Africa come into its own and make its just contribution to the history of the Middle East. We believe that from truth alone is born liberty and only progress an educated people can consider itself as really free and master of its fate. It is only with an educated people that representative and democratic organs of government can exercise their influence for national progress. ONE THING PEOPLE MUST NOTE IS THAT THIS IS NOT A TIME TO PROPHECY, THIS IS TIME TO FULFIL THE PROPHECY OF WHAT HAS BEEN WRITTEN. GIVE THANKS TO QEDAMAWI EMPEROR HAIL SELASSIE I THE FIRST AND HIM EMPRESS MOTHER NATURE QUEEN MENEN!!