I came across the work of James Morgan via the photographs he shot on child trafficking in Nepal and India. Going through his website I was further drawn to his work partly because of the focus on Asia, but also because of his emphasis on compassion and respect for those whose stories he told. Suitably impressed I…
I was at the British Embassy in Kathmandu a couple of weeks back to attend a gathering on enforced disappearances. The event marked the 6th anniversary of the killing a 15-year-old girl, Maina Sunuwar, in 2004 by the Nepal Army. The main draw was the première of a short film entitled, ‘Awaiting Justice‘ (presented as ‘Nyay Kahile?’ in Nepali,…
I know, I know, its a bit of a headline title but as this article rounds of one year dedicated to looking at the use of photography, video and all that other visual stuff used in social activism I thought it appropriate to end with a grand claim. But to be honest with you I can’t answer…
‘Proxy wars’, do diets work ? and the 2009 Ashes series OK, I am going to be a bit flippant and suggest first-up that the debate about whether participatory photography (PP) represents the greatest thing since sliced bread or is an ineffective use of resources that perpetuates neo-colonial attitudes in development is; 1) a stupid debate on…
‘Are you joking?’ Raghu Rai’s initial response when asked by Greenpeace to go back to the city of Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh, India, and photograph the lives of those affected by the disastrous Union Carbide factory gas leak 18 years’ on is not entirely surprising. Social activism, despite the parallel challenge of Web 2.0 platforms, remains heavily dependent on the main stream…
Although Amnesty International is not renowned for its use of photography their campaign supporting the former sexual slaves of the Japanese Imperial army during World War II is worth looking at. In particular, it is interesting to see how the images were an integral part of a well thought through lobbying strategy, which aimed to mobilize a policy response as much by…
Pilgrimage?My journey to the head office of Drik in Dhaka at times felt like a secular pilgrimage. In part this was due to the convoluted and protracted overland route I opted to take from Kathmandu using train, bus and ferry lasting three days. At one point resembling a rite of passage when as the sun…
Photographic exhibitions of conflict, human rights abuses or poverty can be compelling and powerful tools to educate us on issues we know little about in places we may never set foot. All too often the awareness and empathy these exhibitions produce is left to dissipate, with no outlet or next step for the audience to…
Ever since I came across the website ‘This is Kroo Bay’ last year wanted to learn more about how such a comprehensive and innovative approach came about. Well, thanks to Rachel Palmer, Photography & Film Manager at Save the Children UK I got what I wanted. ‘This is Kroo Bay’ needs to be seen – it is full of…
There may not be any great photography galleries in Kathmandu, or Nepal for that matter, but every so often a set of images surfaces that take you by surprise. ‘Bahini: Life of my sisters’ is one such project. ‘Bahini’ – which means ‘little sister’ in Nepali, is a project shot by two Singaporean photographers, Edwin Koo and Debby…