Children have never been very good at listening to adults
but they have never failed to imitate them.
James Baldwin
Let us put our minds together and see what kind of life we can make for our children.
Sitting Bull
YOUNG LIFE DRUMBEAT
Welcome to our YOUNG LIFE DRUMBEAT, in honor of Gregory James Potter, the late brother of Jaiya John. Greg was a phenomenon of love and humor; especially when it came to children. Here in the Drumbeat you will find projects and contests designed to foster personal growth, healing, leadership, and literacy in children and adolescents. Some of these activities are directly facilitated through Soul Water Rising. Others are designed for you to use independently in your own community, schools, and home. A child is born, go get the drum!
ADINKRA SYMBOLS. The symbols used on our Young Life Drumbeat page are known as Adinkra Symbols. They are used particularly by the Akan people of West Africa, in the region now known as the nations of Ghana and Cote d'Ivoire. The symbols, numbering in the hundreds, were originally produced by the Gyaaman clans and are now an integral part of the culture of the Asante people. Adinkra are not just casual symbols. Every aspect of Akan life, from clothing, artwork, and architecture, to furniture, housewares, and ceremony, is infused with Adinkra. These symbols represent a system of unifying human values, philosophies, and narratives intended to nurture, guide, empower, heal, remind, and propel a people forward into their purpose and potential.
The Adinkra symbol used here in this section, is the ADINKRAHENE, known as the chief of the Adinkra symbols. It signifies greatness, charisma, and leadership. It is said to have at least partially inspired the design of the other Adinkra symbols.
Would you like to have Jaiya John speak at your school or in your community? Write us at DRUMBEAT@SOULWATER.ORG and we'll show you how easy it is!
CREATIVE WRITING CONTESTS
Our FREE international creative writing contests encourage youth to exercise their imagination, expression, and sense of purpose and beauty. Check regularly for periodic contests focused on various personal development and social change issues.
This Adinkra symbol is called ANANSE NTONTAN, "the spider's web." It represents wisdom, creativity, and the complexities of life. Ananse is a popular figure in African folktales.
This project will involve youth in recording the life stories of their elders and preserving those stories in various creative formats. Check back soon for details!
This Adinkra symbol is SANKOFA, meaning literally "go back and get it." It speaks to the critical importance of learning from the past, of retrieving one's self knowledge and self love in order to construct a healthy, liberated identity in the present. This symbol urges us to honor our ancestors, their collective journey, and the heritage that lives within us.
CHANGE THE WORLD PROJECT
Letter writing to community and world leaders to advocate for positive social change. Details coming soon.
This Adinkra symbol is SESA WO SUBAN, meaning "to change or transform your character." It is a symbol of personal and collective life transformation. It combines two separate symbols: The "Morning Star" represents the dawn or birth of a new day. Placed inside the wheel, this signifies rotation and independent movement forward. Our Change the World Project encourages youth to believe that through their own personal transformation and independent initiative, they can truly transform the world into a brighter day.
BE A LEADER PROJECT
Youth-directed community projects. Coming soon.
This Adinkra symbol is called NEA OPE SE OBEDI HENE, representing service and leadership. The name comes from the expression, "Nea ope se obedi hene daakye no, firi ase sue som ansa," which means, He who wants to one day be king must first be humbled and learn to serve.
PEACE POWER
Violence prevention, conflict resolution, healing, and inner peace development. Check back soon for details.
This symbol is BI NKA BI, meaning, No one should be the other. It represents peace and harmony, and cautions us against provocation and conflict. It implies the self-destroying nature of violence against others. The design is based on the image of two fish biting each other's tail in a futile cyclical movement.
THE WORD GARDEN
Book reading project. Details to come.
This Adinkra symbol is NEA ONNIM NO SUA A, OHU. It means, She or he who does not know can become aware from learning. This is a symbol of knowledge, the importance of life-long education as a function of a rich life, and the ongoing quest to know the world in which we exist. Our Word Garden project instills in youth not only the capacity to learn through literacy, but just as importantly, the desire to become aware of self, others, and the world.
CORRESPONDENCE: Please understand that while we genuinely value and appreciate your correspondence, we receive an extremely high volume. We do cherish our relationship with you and promise to make our best effort to respond in a timely fashion. Thank you for your understanding.
COPYRIGHT: All material on this website, including text, symbols, graphics, and photos are the copyright and trademark property of Soul Water Rising, except where otherwise indicated.
Soul Water Rising | PO Box 1790 | Silver Spring, MD 20915
