David LaMotte is a singer-songwriter and a global peacemaker living in Black Mountain, North Carolina in the U.S. He’s made his living as a musician for many years, but in 2008 he became a Rotary Peace Fellowship which opened up the activist opportunities. As a Rotary Peace Fellow he studied in Australia and worked with a Gandhian development organization in India. He has continued in connection with the network of Rotary Fellows as well as engaging in local peace and justice efforts such as the Moral Monday movement in North Carolina. He has served on the Nobel Peace Prize Nominating Task for the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC received the award in 1947, and each awardee can make a nomination). David also founded a non-profit PEG Partners which supports literacy, critical thought and artistic expression in Guatemala to which he travels frequently.
We’ll celebrate David LaMotte as part of our Peace Music Festival here, but David is also an author and speaker, so besides enjoying his music scroll down to enjoy some of his other contributions to our growth as peacemakers. Check out his website for information, CDs and books: Click here.
David LaMotte is a solo artist with 12 CDs. His music covers a wide range of topics, often addressing the intersection of spirituality and concerns for justice and peace. One of David’s strongest themes is hope that energizes action, such as this song “Hope”:
One of the most powerful songs off his recently-released “The Other Way Around” is “Just One Candle” in which the title phrase is found: “It’s not light that is fragile, it’s the other way ’round.”
David has joined in various collaborations with other musicians, but for this website one of the most interesting is the Abraham Jam. David as a Christian joins with Dawud Wharnsby, a Muslim, and Billy Jonas, a Jew, to make impactful, joyous, and deep music together. (For more about Abraham Jam including videos, click here.) Here is Abraham Jam in concert doing the classic “Get Together”:
A brief documentary about the band gives us a window into what their interfaith community is all about. To view the video, click here.
David speaks about the power of music to help us understand peace and conflict in this TEDx Talk:
Two of David LaMotte’s books speak about peacemaking. His second children’s book, “White Flour,” tells the story of the Coup Clutz Clowns who transformed and defused a Klu Klux Klan rally through humor (featured as part of the clowning story under transforming initiatives).
Worldchanging 101: Challenging the Myth of Powerlessness helps activists move beyond their self-limiting beliefs into the practical actions that can transform our world and conflicts. Full of many stories that ignite hope LaMotte breaks down how change happens so that we can see the practice of how to make a profound difference, one step at a time.