For the past several weeks, I've spent more time photographing my kids than working on projects of substance, although my family abroad find them much more interesting. With the borders and citizen journalism out of the way, I've been working to get my work based learning elective going. My initial plans fell through when the head of the organization (Arco Iris, Inc.) that I had planned on working with left the country for several months and the second in command left for good. In other words, I'm unable to work there, so I tried several other organizations including World Food Program, World Vision and Health Alliance International.
Health Alliance International, or HAI, and I have agreed to move forward, but it's taking much longer than I expected to actually start. There are more hoops to jump through with an NGO as a free worker than I expected. HAI is an NGO that works to support existing project in the country mostly with HIV/AIDS. They are relatively new and have no communications staff in Mozambique, so I have been dealing with a manager in Seattle. The head or the Mozambique office is preparing to leave for Italy for an extended time, so we're still trying to work out logistics and who my supervisor and contacts will be with him out of the picture.
They are excited to have me and I was drawn to them because of the vision that Emily, the person in Seattle, had. They've never really had photographs before, but had great ideas of what we could do. She sent me a powerful story by Carol Guzy of the Washington Post, but in the end, the country coordinator was a bit scared by its strong content. However, she is organized and has vision. I plan on photographing projects within the country and gathering sound and video as well. I will work in the office here and do some local photography and interviews.
Their biggest concern was whether or not I could travel since all of their projects are upcountry. At this point, I'm waiting for more okay's and budgetary approvals––that's for travel (I'm not being paid as is required). It's been much tougher and frustrating a process than I envisioned, and I haven't even started in my workplace yet. I'm starting to sweat a bit since time is a factor and the clock is ticking.
28.4.09
Citizen Photojournalism
Welcome to the Twitterverse: NPR
Charlie Rose: Print Journalism in the Digital Age
LINKS
Koko the Gorilla Paid $500 for Self Portrait on National Geographic Cover
Koko's National Geographic Cover
Zapruder Film
Abraham Zapruder's Camera in National Archives
Arnold Hardy 1947 Pulitzer Prize Photograph
Arnold Hardy Photo Affected Change in Fire Safety
Oklahoma City Bombing
Charles Porter IV Describes Pulitzer Photograph (audio)
Aftermath of Oklahoma City Bombing
Oklahoma City: Where They Are Today
Rodney King Video
Rodney King Photographer George Holliday's Story
Los Angeles Riot Anniversary
Paul Watson Recalls Pulitzer Photograph
Paul Watson: Witnessing War (NPR Interview)
Steve Ludlum New York Times 911 Citizen Photojournalist
Steve Ludlum
Errol Morris on Abu Graib
Janis Krums: Miracle on the Hudson Tweet Heard Around the World
Low-Lying Plane Frightens New Yorkers (New York TImes)
Low-Lying Plane Photos and Video (Huffington Post)
Michelle McNally on New York Times Photography
Lightstalkers Citizen Journalism Discussion
Spotted: The Sarasota Herald-Tribune Reader Photo Gallery and Upload Page
CNN iReport
iReport Toolkit
MySpace and Fox News Launch Citizen Journalism Venture
F8 and Be There: Weegee
Sebastião Salgado
Paul Martin Lester
Award WInning Photographer Patrick Schneider Fired
Kevin Carter Obituary (New York TImes)
Kevin Carter/Bang Bang Club Film Interview: NPR (audio)
17.4.09
16.4.09
Deadly Borders: Landmines in Mozambique
Landmines make up a sinister physical border where crossing may bring death or maiming. These remnants of war create a barrier to keep military opposition but remain long after conflicts pass. Mozambique fought wars for nearly 30 years, first in a colonial war against the Portuguese and then in a civil war which lasted 16 more years.
After the war ended in 1992, the country left in shambles still held the undignified spot as one of the poorest in the world as it had after independence from the Portuguese in 1975. More than a decade later it still remains near the bottom. Left behind were scattered minefields throughout the country, many of them unmapped or without documentation. With a collapsed economy and dangerous terrain scattered with mines, aid organizations began helping the country.
The HALO Trust came to Mozambique in 1994 to take on the landmine problem and along with other organizations has been largely successful in clearing the northern portion of the country. In 2006 APOPO, a Belgium-backed group started their work using rats to detect landmines in Mozambique.
Men and women who work clearing minefields place themselves within delicate borders daily. Within the zones that are lined with explosives in Mozambique’s heat, they work behind protective masks and armored vests as a barrier between them and a potential detonation. With metal detectors and a few garden tools moving inches at a time inside a box marked with nylon rope and a piece of wood that they push forward gradually as they check for mines and other ordinances. It is a dangerous job and workers are sometimes killed in their mission to make the land inhabitable for Mozambicans.
Over the years thousands of Mozambicans have been killed and injured by landmines, and villagers have learned where minefields are after losing neighbors, loved ones or even livestock. They have been invaluable sources to organizations trying to clear the sites. Living with landmines bordering your village, has led to frustration and even feelings of betrayal after years of promises from organizations and inaction by their government. They know where they are, but simply need somebody to clear them, said Lawrence Timpson of HALO Trust.
Just outside of Maputo, Mozambique’s capital, landmines still remain in Mahlampsene. Although the site is still being cleared and portions have been released, people have already moved in along its border, living literally next to a minefield. Seeing an opportunity, Alex Joaquim, 28, could not pass up purchasing a home next to the former FRELIMO munitions site where he now runs a cantina where one of his main clients are HALO Trust workers.
The land is marked with stakes driven into the ground painted red or white. Red indicates that the land is unsafe, while white sticks means that the area has been cleared but is has not been officially released. These indicators guide villagers walking through where it is safe to step, often narrow spaces. On the land, Joaquim and neighbors are now farming.
In Gaza province, workers from APOPO are using Gambian pouched rats to find mines in the village of Mpilane. During the civil war mines were placed to ward off rebels from taking the railroad or gaining control of the Limpopo River which farmers depended on. However, after the war it took the leg of Francisco Tivane, 60, a farmer who working the land. Although he can no longer work and depends on friends and family, he considers himself lucky. His accident served as a warning to others in the area to stay out of the potentially deadly zone
Landmines are a borders created by man with the sole intention of killing or injuring others. In Mozambique, these deadly barrier are still harming people.
Deadly Borders - Images by Michael Barrientos
After the war ended in 1992, the country left in shambles still held the undignified spot as one of the poorest in the world as it had after independence from the Portuguese in 1975. More than a decade later it still remains near the bottom. Left behind were scattered minefields throughout the country, many of them unmapped or without documentation. With a collapsed economy and dangerous terrain scattered with mines, aid organizations began helping the country.
The HALO Trust came to Mozambique in 1994 to take on the landmine problem and along with other organizations has been largely successful in clearing the northern portion of the country. In 2006 APOPO, a Belgium-backed group started their work using rats to detect landmines in Mozambique.
Men and women who work clearing minefields place themselves within delicate borders daily. Within the zones that are lined with explosives in Mozambique’s heat, they work behind protective masks and armored vests as a barrier between them and a potential detonation. With metal detectors and a few garden tools moving inches at a time inside a box marked with nylon rope and a piece of wood that they push forward gradually as they check for mines and other ordinances. It is a dangerous job and workers are sometimes killed in their mission to make the land inhabitable for Mozambicans.
Over the years thousands of Mozambicans have been killed and injured by landmines, and villagers have learned where minefields are after losing neighbors, loved ones or even livestock. They have been invaluable sources to organizations trying to clear the sites. Living with landmines bordering your village, has led to frustration and even feelings of betrayal after years of promises from organizations and inaction by their government. They know where they are, but simply need somebody to clear them, said Lawrence Timpson of HALO Trust.
Just outside of Maputo, Mozambique’s capital, landmines still remain in Mahlampsene. Although the site is still being cleared and portions have been released, people have already moved in along its border, living literally next to a minefield. Seeing an opportunity, Alex Joaquim, 28, could not pass up purchasing a home next to the former FRELIMO munitions site where he now runs a cantina where one of his main clients are HALO Trust workers.
The land is marked with stakes driven into the ground painted red or white. Red indicates that the land is unsafe, while white sticks means that the area has been cleared but is has not been officially released. These indicators guide villagers walking through where it is safe to step, often narrow spaces. On the land, Joaquim and neighbors are now farming.
In Gaza province, workers from APOPO are using Gambian pouched rats to find mines in the village of Mpilane. During the civil war mines were placed to ward off rebels from taking the railroad or gaining control of the Limpopo River which farmers depended on. However, after the war it took the leg of Francisco Tivane, 60, a farmer who working the land. Although he can no longer work and depends on friends and family, he considers himself lucky. His accident served as a warning to others in the area to stay out of the potentially deadly zone
Landmines are a borders created by man with the sole intention of killing or injuring others. In Mozambique, these deadly barrier are still harming people.
Deadly Borders - Images by Michael Barrientos
9.4.09
Dover, Coffins, Censorship and Citizens
The U.S. military had a ban on photographing coffins since President George H.W. Bush (W's father) put the rule in place. One of the chief reasons sited for this was when a spilt-screen of Bush shown joking with reporters as coffin of a soldier killed during the U.S. war in Panama got the former president in a bit of hot water. It was kept in place through the latter Bush years and pushed onto the plate of Barack Obama which he put up for review in February.
There has been a lot written about the issue since the ban's recent lift and photographs of an American soldier's coffin were permitted for the first time in 18 years. Photographs are allowed by the military if the family consents, and in this case the wife of Phillip Myers, a soldier killed in Afghanistan, gave permission. One of the basic points raised during the debate was the "if a tree falls in the forest and there is nobody there, does it make a sound?" argument.
Poynter
Opinion column
"If a soldier is killed and there is no coffin to see, is he really dead?" was the comparison. Although its slightly off-topic or much broader, one of the aspects of dying newspapers in the U.S. is the fact that so much will not be covered. It is estimated that corruption will skyrocket without less watchdogs around to monitor wrongdoing. Citizen journalists are limited in what they can do. Still, having more press freedom is key.
Photo by Tami Silicio
Maytag Aircraft fired military contractor Tami Silicio for violating the military ban on photographing coffins in 2004 along with the newly wed's husband David Landry. Silicio, a non-professional photographer, was previously the last to have a photograph of American coffins published. She did it without compensation.
There has been a lot written about the issue since the ban's recent lift and photographs of an American soldier's coffin were permitted for the first time in 18 years. Photographs are allowed by the military if the family consents, and in this case the wife of Phillip Myers, a soldier killed in Afghanistan, gave permission. One of the basic points raised during the debate was the "if a tree falls in the forest and there is nobody there, does it make a sound?" argument.
Poynter
Opinion column
"If a soldier is killed and there is no coffin to see, is he really dead?" was the comparison. Although its slightly off-topic or much broader, one of the aspects of dying newspapers in the U.S. is the fact that so much will not be covered. It is estimated that corruption will skyrocket without less watchdogs around to monitor wrongdoing. Citizen journalists are limited in what they can do. Still, having more press freedom is key.
Photo by Tami Silicio
Maytag Aircraft fired military contractor Tami Silicio for violating the military ban on photographing coffins in 2004 along with the newly wed's husband David Landry. Silicio, a non-professional photographer, was previously the last to have a photograph of American coffins published. She did it without compensation.
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