Ring the Bells

This initiative draws on music's power to unite, as well as on information and communication technology (ICT) to share images designed to foster understanding. Meant to be a cry for peace and change in a world of war and chaos, Ring the Bells is a duet between United States (US) musician Melissa Etheridge and Salman Ahmad, who is a Pakistani musician, founder of the band Junoon, United Nations (UN) Goodwill Ambassador for HIV/AIDS, and co-founder of the Salman and Samina Global Wellness Initiative. Etheridge and Salman Ahmad met in Norway, where they performed at the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize ceremony. From the talks and musical sessions that followed from their encounter came Ring the Bells, described as a collaboration of rock music and traditional Islamic sufi devotional singing. The song urges unity in the face of racial, cultural, and religious divides and offers a vision of hope. Salman wrote: "When you can see with the heart, all the masks fall down."

The music video, available on YouTube and/or below, uses images from several of the countries where SFCG works. Produced by Participant Media, it is designed to entertain, inform, and move audiences to action.

Ring the Bell's presence on SFCG's TakePart Social Action Network is designed to "help to amplify the bandwidth of compassion, unity and peace" through online discussion.

Conflict.

Melissa Etheridge and Salman Ahmad received a 2009 Common Ground Award for their music collaboration on Ring the Bells.