I hope all is going well in your life. My journey in Edinburgh as a Rotary International scholar has been incredible. I have learned a tremendous amount about myself as an individual, as a student and as a global citizen and greatly look forward to what the future has in store. I have been challenged academically and personally and my horizons have truly broadened.
I am writing you because of my deep love for music and to share my ideas without and my request for help and support. My love and passion for music has been enhanced greatly whilst living in this city, with its love of the arts and my interests have lead to a potential dissertation topic. Music and Peace have an incredibly interesting and profound relationship with one another. One which I am hoping to learn more about. Music in the international scene, and particularly in areas of conflict, is a topic that I feel is important and worthy of study.
In Kenya, the 2007 elections were followed by massive violence as clashes broke out between two tribal’s groups following President Kibaki’s win, hundreds of thousands of people were displaced and up to 1,500 were massacred. Since late 2007 and early 2008, Kenya has managed to resume a state of peace and the violence has subsided. My interest is the role of music in this realization of peace. Music as a mediating force, as a collective and shared love, as a means by which similarities are expressed and differences are forgotten. Kenyans and International scholars alike have begun to write on the peaceful force of music, with music videos, NGO formations and most importantly, Kenya won the bid for the 2010 International Peace and Music Symposium.
The opportunity is perfect, the topic is novel, the idea is innovative, and this is why I am set on going to Kenya. My plan is to carry out an empirical ethnomusic study, to gain understanding into how exactly music helped in the establishment of peace, to speak to those who lived through the conflict, to hear what their voices say. I am thus, asking for financial support. As a graduate student, my aspirations are large but my funds are limited. With your help, I can do something incredible and hopefully produce a Masters Dissertation that is innovative and written with passion and knowledge. I have set up a paypal account and will happily accept any donations. It is very simple to do and requires just a quick visit to www.paypal.com where you click ‘Send Money’ and then ‘Send to a Friend’ and enter my email wcody08@ymail.com. The site is safe, secure and well trusted. If I happen to receive an excess of what I need to cover my costs, all funds will be donated to a local school, my intention is to help out with a school’s music department.
Living in a time of such insecurity, I believe it is important to learn from all avenues how to achieve peace and tranquility. I believe the lessons learnt can serve as models for mitigating or even ending global conflicts.
“If there is something to be changed in this world, then it can only happen through music.” –Jimi Hendrix
I thank you in advance for your consideration and affording me this opportunity.
Truly,
William G.A. Cody
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