Acknowledgments

PETER YARROW

World renowned singer-songwriter, and member of the iconic group Peter, Paul and Mary. Political Activist, and the Founder of Operation Respect, an organization that promotes tolerance and civility in schools

“If we want to be a movement, we’ve got to sing like a movement”.

So think not of this music in this particular effort as being something written for the bucks and shared to entertain… No… It’s shared to find the vehicle for the unanimity we need to be in each other’s hearts and prevail; so that the world can be repaired and so that we can be freed from the forces that might take us away from the possibilities of building a true peace. We need more people like Manny… we have to do this in each and every generation.

NAILA CHOWDHURY

CEO & Co-Founder Pillars 4 Dignity | Chairman & Co-Founder Alliance 4 Empowerment, Founder and Chairman, Women4Empowerment

“Love and compassion are the reasons for being. When we choose wisely and if we can unite our souls like the seven colours of the spectrum, true harmony awaits us at the end of the rainbow.”

PROFESSOR WILLIAM RILEY

Singer, stage director, minister of music, and consultant to multiple organizations and individuals. Voice trainer to artists including, Celine Dion, Faith Hill, Liza Minnelli, Whitney Houston and Stevie Wonder among others

“Music changes the listener.  People all have opinions; this is good, that is bad, this is right, that is wrong. How can we make ourselves better? How can we make the world better?  Manny works to bring out the best in each person and Manny’s music is that little extra ingredient.

TONY PRENDATT

5x Grammy Nominee and 3x Grammy Recipient (2 for Album of the Year)

“In the early stages of developing Destination Peace into an international agenda, Manny has been heavily involved with the United Nations and its’ diplomatic community. He has already blessed other countries around the world with his spiritual leadership and his message through song”.

DON BECK

Teacher, geopolitical advisor and theorist. Dr. Beck served alongside Nelson Mandela on the creation of deep reconciliation strategies in the post-apartheid South Africa

“Every such great awakening in our history has been signaled and sparked by the arts, the soul, talk and thought.  Those memorable events and experiences are forever an integral part of who we are, what we remember as sacred and what we hold dear.

No more prizes for forecasting the rain, only prizes for building the ark.”

JOHN KIEHL

Co-Founder and Co-Owner of multiple Grammy/Oscar Winning SoundTrack Studios in New York and Boston

“Join us on our journey to Destination Peace. We need thinkers, planners, dreamers, visionaries, provocateurs, skeptics, gurus, coaches, mentors, disciples, fans, street teams, publicists, tweets and beats. All we ask is your undying desire to make a better world.”

REV. DR ALVIN C. HATHAWAY, SR

Senior Pastor, Union Baptist Church in Baltimore

“In music each note is distinctive, but in composition a masterpiece is created. That’s how The Universe works composing a masterpiece from our differences“.

PROFESSOR DIANNE DAVIS

International Council for Caring Communities (ICCC acts as a bridge linking government, civil society organizations, the private sector, universities and the United Nations in enhancing new ways of viewing an integrated society for all ages)

In the “Age of Connectivity” song is known to be a most effective connector. It is a positive tool to enhance the implementation of the 2030 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, foster universal peace building and stimulate new mindsets for caring communities.

ROMA DOWNEY

Multiple Emmy Award and Golden Globe Nominee for Best Actress. Co-producer of the Emmy nominated series The Bible

“If we could all only see the face of God in everything and everyone, all the time, surely the world would be a kinder place.”

FR. ALBERT SCHARBACH

Pastor, Mount Calvary Catholic Church, Baltimore. Priest Associate to Bishop Denis J. Madden, Archdiocese in Baltimore

“One of the most moving experiences that I’ve ever had through music was hearing Manny “cantor” a psalm in Hebrew.  I didn’t understand many of the words, but I could share in the emotion and unite my heart in prayer.

Now Manny has created a prayer language from the many cultures of the world.  He hasn’t given us the meaning of the words, as this enables each of us to pray along with him at our own place of understanding. The same God who revealed himself in Hebrew is making himself known to all nations.  May we lift up our hearts to the God of all creation!”