I’m in Delhi right now and in a few hours I board the train for Alwar south to meet up with international film makers, writers and industry leaders. Yes, we were selected to screen our film The Man Behind The White Guitar at the Alwar International Film Festival this weekend!

Why is this location important? This film which has been a collaboration by artists around the world, including Brazil, UK, NY and California, shares the life and music of a Brazilian Guitarist named José Neto who walks the talk with kindness, generosity and humility. Despite the fact he shares global stages with world leading musicians, as he is one himself, most people do not know his name. He has never promoted himself, as many have done these last 40 years. Let’s call it old school method or how Paul Liberatore Music Journalist says about him – “he’s in service to music, not fame or money.” These are good values in our world today and it’s an opportunity to shine the light on what can inspire us.

What’s also significant about this location in India is that Neto jammed with George Harrison in London and we all know the significance Indian music had on The Beatles. The White Album was written in India, not too far from Delhi, as The Beatles were on a spiritual quest themselves.

Yesterday I had the time to visit the Gandhi Smriti to give my respect to India’s legendary leader and I was so moved. His words reminded me of a spirit we can all get in tune with as the year 2020 brings in vast changes, and we must start dreaming big in order to make the positive changes needed for everyone in this dark hour of Australia burning, global war brewing, authoritarian regimes breeding and ocean acidifying. We, the people, must take a collective stand because we have forgotten our power and our responsibility, despite the fact we have had those before us who have lead the way in writings, music and their legendary lives.

Isn’t it our time now?

I have always felt as an outsider in my own country. That division began when I was 13 years old watching politics and life fall apart for my family. Most people don’t understand when I tell the story of my father’s 1981 national strike because they didn’t live it and it’s not in history books – in fact, the strike has nearly been erased from history. And, it was, with reflection, the last act of solidarity in this country, by a group of families who risked everything in order to demand political honesty when President Ronald Reagan had lied to them and gave them false promises in order to be elected. The trauma that strike left on my family and others, as many lost everything, committed suicide, were jailed or fine, taught me something . . . it was a gift, because it’s allowed me to see the truth of these last forty years and to scream them, post President Jimmy Carter who actually tried to stop climate change and the impact of foreign oil. Now, we do not have a second chance with the environmental policies, energy policies and more . . . that the GOP has delivered, along with the submitting Democrats who cashed out. We MUST clean up these last 40 years. Trump is merely the mirror demonstrating who and what this country became. And now we can shatter that mirror into shards and recreate the reflection we want – and that, I will say, includes kindness, generosity and humility.

We can do it. We can do it all over the world. “We, the people.”