We are all the same

We are different but at the same time we are all the same. We are all connected by our shared humanity. We all have the same basic needs and desires. We all want to be loved, respected, and valued. We all want to live in a peaceful and just world.

Junior Reid sang it beautifully in his song One Blood. One Blood is a reggae anthem. Junior was bothered by the conflict he saw around the world. He witnessed social inequality and the effects of violence first-hand, which motivated him to use music as a platform for addressing these issues. Music is the universal language. In one of his interviews he said, "I wanted to write a song that would say, 'We're all the same, we're all one blood.'"

We should use our diversity to learn from each other. Diversity is useful but what it should not be used for is to divide us. We are more the same than different. Diversity is the pieces in our mosaic while sameness is the mortar that brings us together. With this understanding, we should approach life being open-minded and curious. Be respectful. Ask questions. Share our own experiences, perspectives and thoughts.

There is no we versus them, there is only we and them. And stands for Amity Not Division. Amity means friendly relations or harmony between people or groups. It is often used to describe the relationship between two nations. Together we stand but divided we fall.