Morris Mburu, also known artistically as Halisi Monray, is a talented, multifaceted African citizen who is well known for his contributions as a musician, a climate activist, an international youth leader, and author. He has been actively involved in environmental advocacy and various humanitarian efforts. Halisi has released award-winning music that often reflects his commitment to social and environmental causes. https://www.linkedin.com/in/morris-mburu-54a6a0322/ All his projects reflect his commitment to leveraging both his artistic talents and leadership skills to make a positive impact on the environment.
Music
Halisi Monray’s music is deeply intertwined with his advocacy for social and environmental causes. His songs often address themes of justice, unity, and the urgent need for climate action. Through his music, he aims to inspire and mobilize listeners to engage in meaningful change. His musical style combines elements of traditional African music with contemporary sounds, creating a distinctive and engaging listening experience. His earlier albums are Art for Earth, and The World, Love and Charms. His most recent album, The Art of Healing, is at https://halisimonraymyusik.com/album/2666764/the-art-of-healing
Some of his notable tracks include:
- “Green War”: This musical video, focusing on heatwaves in Africa 2024, highlights the ongoing battle against environmental degradation and climate change. It was awarded the 2024 Best Climate Song by the 1.5 ALIVE: Climate Song Contest. https://youtu.be/bl7j1tmVvgM?si=5xFlQJfRVfRhAd0A and https://youtu.be/bl7j1tmVvgM?si=HG9tu67J13k_4nX3 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SURR_HkU74 . The song urges listeners to join the fight for a sustainable future, stressing the importance of unity and proactive measures. “Green War” has become an anthem for climate activists. It is often played at environmental rallies and events, helping to galvanize support and raise awareness about climate issues. https://youtu.be/bl7j1tmVvgM?si=HOhUOJ2aJv_k5zBK , https://youtu.be/bl7j1tmVvgM?si=NQ1VExnCWt7o-n4s and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bl7j1tmVvgM&ab_channel=HalisiMonray
- “Earth Cry”: A powerful anthem calling for global awareness and action on climate change.
- “Unity Song”: Focuses on bringing people together to fight for a common cause, emphasizing the importance of community in addressing global issues.
- “Black Waters”: Halisi collaborated with an artist from Japan, on the importance of keeping our rivers and oceans clean https://youtu.be/u-20ZV0694Y?si=DDTZA5zKdTV-xXws
- “Fresh and Clean”: This piece encourages unity of purpose on matters of climate change https://youtu.be/oV6Lpf9gzxo?si=rTCUgKzmkv8iEC07 and was included in Environmental Justice in Tech (https://www.environmentaljustice.tech), an American environment magazine, in 2022 in Glitch, its annual zine:
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/hxwQU5jG1ZwVDL7z/?mibextid=oFDknk
Climate Change Initiatives
Halisi Monray is a prominent figure in climate change advocacy. He has been involved in various initiatives aimed at raising awareness and driving action on environmental issues. Some of his key contributions include:
- Participation in Climate Conferences: Morris served an Africa liaison and board member for a 2022 initiative foundation, fundraising for youths to attend the UN Stockholm +50 in 2022 (https://www.stockholm50.global/). He is on page 86 of the United Nations Environment Assembly of the United Nations Environment Programme https://documents.un.org/doc/undoc/gen/k24/010/34/pdf/k2401034.pdf, listed as Board member of that climate initiative foundation. Here is the organization’s website where you can find him in the team https://www.2022initiative.org.
- Youth Leadership: As an international youth leader, he has organized and participated in numerous workshops and conferences, empowering young people to take action against climate change. He served as the Africa lead for March for Our Planet, an Africa movement fighting climate change; through that, he created workshops in Uganda and Kenya. His youth leadership also included UN climate events through the United Nations’ Major Group for Children And Youth (UNMGCY). Here he is, giving training to grassroot youths in Uganda in 2022 https://www.facebook.com/share/p/8UuQHKeaxuUAgd3H/?mibextid=oFDknk. Here, he is directing a climate change workshop in Tanzania: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/r927YHh1H6qQaAZh/?mibextid=oFDknk During Covid, he continued activities with his youth group: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/Ri61R6uWQoFnY8eL/?mibextid=oFDknk
- Collaborations with NGOs: He works closely with non-governmental organizations to promote sustainable practices and policies. His efforts often focus on educating communities about the impacts of climate change and how they can contribute to mitigation efforts. He is quoted in the Climate Art and Stories Campaign in October 2022: https://stories.climatecentre.org/climate-art-and-story-campaign-2022/index.html
- Public Speaking and Workshops: Halisi Monray frequently speaks at events, using his platform to highlight the urgency of climate action and the role of individuals and communities in driving change. In August 2022, he went to new Delhi, India and performed in 21 workshops working toward non violence, spreading climate Artivism. https://www.facebook.com/share/r/yXSL4gGrWAJcNMDT/?mibextid=oFDknk. Some tangible examples of artivism include the activities at the “Our State, Our Stage” advocacy event that his team hosted last March. Dozens of young advocates from across Texas came to the Capitol and used printmaking, origami, poetry, and songs to make their visions of Texas known. Young Texans have also been using zines to create a counter-narrative that uplifts the power of reading amid ongoing book bans across the state.
- Authorship: Halisi has compiled a series of writings to inspire others to Artivism. His guidebook can be found with his album at: https://halisimonraymyusik.com/album/2666764/the-art-of-healing And you can read it here: https://artistsforclimateawareness.org/artivism-by-morris-mburu/.
His dual role as an artist and activist allows him to reach a broad audience, using the universal language of music to convey critical messages about the environment.
Key Projects and Collaborations
- Climate Action Workshops: Halisi Monray has organized and led numerous workshops aimed at educating youth and communities about climate change. These workshops often include practical steps individuals can take to reduce their carbon footprint.
- Music for Change Initiative: Through this initiative, Halisi Monray uses his music to support environmental causes. Proceeds from his concerts and music sales often go towards funding climate action projects. Here is a climate change concert in Maragua that he did in 2022: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/3ocwgcpEMUFSYeec/?mibextid=oFDknk
- Omoca Art Creation Platform: Halisi is the founder of Omoca, an online platform for artists (https://omoca.co.ke/home/). The website speaks to the crowdfunding gap in Africa, allowing people to fundraise for local solutions via mobile money. Also, artists can sell their art and also get donations for their Artivism activities. A team of website developers maintains the site and Halisi is looking for funding sources to keep it going.
- Community Tree Planting Programs: Halisi Monray has been involved in tree planting initiatives in various communities, promoting reforestation and the benefits of green spaces. He focuses on both rural and urban areas. He organizes events where community members, especially youth, can participate in planting trees, learn about their benefits, and take ownership of their local environment. Alongside the physical act of planting trees, Halisi Monray conducts workshops to educate participants about the importance of native trees in combating climate change, improving air quality, and supporting biodiversity. These workshops often include practical tips on tree care and maintenance. He collaborates with various non-governmental organizations to expand the reach and impact of his tree planting initiatives. These partnerships help in securing resources, such as saplings and tools, and in organizing larger-scale planting events. He advocates for long-term care and monitoring of the planted trees to ensure their survival and growth. He has been able to inspire similar tree planting efforts in other countries, promoting a global movement towards reforestation and environmental stewardship.
- Educational Campaigns: He has worked with schools and universities to integrate climate education into their curricula, ensuring that the next generation is well-informed about environmental issues.
- Collaborations with Other Artists: Halisi Monray often collaborates with other musicians and artists from African countries to create works that highlight environmental themes, using art as a medium to inspire change. In his description of his collaborators, they are first-name friends: “In Kenya, we have Muthoni, Lisa and seven others. In Uganda there is Alex, Nnanjala, Elizabeth and six others. In Liberia, there is Roxxvibes and Oluwa. In Rwanda, there is Ngabire, Felix Mugisha. In Nigeria, there is Cann 8 and Ken Onugu.” (Some names are withheld to protect identities for safety reasons.) In 2021 Halisi did his first collaboration with a female vocalist, Mwieria Ess: https://www.facebook.com/MwangazaT/posts/morris-ngaruiya-the-maragua-youth-president-aka-halisi-monray-has-released-his-f/453229616410227/ In this song, a team member, Larry Dwayne, performs “No More Surprises Please,” about the water crisis: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxUKwwh8Orw&ab_channel=LARRYDWAYNE
Challenges:
Unfortunately, their music gets them in trouble in some countries. In September, he and a fellow musician did a bus-stop performance climate “artivist” tour through Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda. Halisi, wearing a tee shirt with the ACA logo on it, was arrested in Uganda. A friend came to pay to get him out and retrieve his laptop and belongings, but his money had been taken by authorities.