JM International (JMI)

I’m applying for several reasons. The first is that I feel that JMI as an organization has, for 75 years, been making an incredible impact in the lives of young people globally without much fanfare or attention by the media. The Elevate Prize could lift the visibility of our work and multiply our impact. 

If selected funding would go to support JM International’s work in the following areas: 

• Increase the international mobility of young people into JMI’s programs from disadvantaged backgrounds.

• Outreach, engage and support the development of youth-music structures globally - in particular low-HDI nations - creating access to JMI’s international youth music activities.

• Support the rollout of new initiatives targeting underrepresented, disadvantaged and vulnerable youth groups (eg: “Play it Loud!”, an initiative promoting gender mainstreaming);

• Respond to the COVID19-crisis with ad-hoc initiatives and activities to support young musicians;

• Increase the outreach and impact of JMI’s existing programs and activities.

• Increase the overall financial sustainability of the organization.

On a personal level, I’d look forward to the opportunity to connect with other inspiring leaders, expand my network of changemakers as well as learn and develop personally so that I may increase my impact in JMI and the world.

As a child, I was always drawn to music. At the age of 10, my mother took me to audition for the Durban Boys Choir, not the coolest move at the time, but it intrigued me. I got in and that became my life, well, until my voice broke. Growing up in post-apartheid South Africa, I was fascinated by how music could connect a divided people. At university, I started organizing monthly hip hop jams, bringing together young people from all backgrounds to create and share. There I discovered the power of music to not only transform the individual but society. Moving to Belgium in 2007, I sought to continue this path and found JMI. I applied as an intern and was accepted. Shortly after I was offered a full-time position as a Communications Assistant and have grown to become our Programs and Marketing Director. For the past 15 years I’ve been engaged in this incredible international movement and don’t think there is anywhere else I’d rather be. JMI’s power lies in doing things together and my role is to facilitate and amplify our work, bringing the power of music into the lives of every young person and child globally.

JMI was created in 1945 as a response to the two Great Wars, as a global peace movement to rebuild bridges between a divided world, using music as a powerful tool for social change and cohesion amongst young people. 75 years later and much has changed, but many of the issues we face as humanity have remained. JMI continues to work to empower youth through music beyond all boundaries, enabling them to realize their potential both personally and professionally and spread the message of peace around the world.

As a global pioneer in the youth and music sector, JMI believes in access to music for every child and is committed to supporting and promoting the role of young people and young musicians as leaders in society. 

Working together with member organizations and contacts in over 70 countries, and with a combined 45,000 local musical activities, JMI has established 12 large-scale international youth music programs that connect, empower and enrich young people whilst promoting intercultural dialogue, cultural appreciation, and social good. We see young musicians as powerful ambassadors for peace and role models within their countries and communities that build bridges, promote solidarity, and inspire others with their music.

JMI has always adopted a “what works” with a “what’s new” approach, taking the best of the past to inform the future. By identifying and elevating inclusive, grassroots youth music practices we are able to amplify youth voices globally. Innovation is a core value in JMI, being crucial to respond to the ever-changing environments and challenges young people face. 

All JMI programs promote global citizenship and see young musicians as changemakers within their local communities. Young people are systematically included in all levels of the organization and involved in decision-making and implementing our activities that share an inclusive approach focused on human rights, intercultural dialogue and understanding.

JMI’s uniqueness also dwells in our ability to connect diverse people and thinking from across different continents and cultures through our program committees. JMI has developed an innovative democratic and peer-to-peer music learning approach within our Ethno program and has in recent years adopted a social franchise model to enable the organization to deploy our programs at scale.

A further example of innovation within JMI is the recently created music “startup” called Mubazar (www.mubazar.com), a digital platform to connect young musicians to opportunities that can shape their musical lives.

JMI is today the largest youth music NGO in the world, created with the mission to “enable young people to develop through music across all boundaries”. With activities and members in 70+ countries, JMI reaches 7 million people per year through 45,000+ activities. As a peace-building project, JMI harnesses the power of music to connect young people and do this through several large-scale international musical programs that span several countries. These programs facilitate the international mobility of young musicians so that they get to meet and make new friends, learn new music and skills and perform in front of audiences sharing this spirit with the world.  Each JMI program targets different social and musical objectives so as to address a wide range of issues and genres, with a unique focus on diversity, empowerment and inclusion. We have a dedicated team of passionate professionals working to support, connect and empower young people globally. For 75 years JMI has been “Making a Difference through Music”, using the power of music to bridge social, geographical, racial and economic divides, creating a platform for intercultural dialogue.