Christians protecting Muslims during their prayers in Tahrir Square, Egypt. Photo by Nevine Zaki

I have had people come up to me or write to me and say something like, “Wow! Visual Peacemaking – that’s so cool…what is it?” It’s as if there is a ring of truth in the term “visual peacemaking” but they can’t quite see how it might work. I’ve got news for you; I think that’s kinda where many of us are so let me help.

Visual Peacemaking is really quite simple in some ways. One of the best examples of it happened this past week in Egypt. Nevine Zaki (@NevineZaki) tweeted a scene she photographed last Wednesday of Christians protecting Muslims during their prayers in Tahrir Square. It is iconic in many ways and a prime example of what we mean when we say visual peacemaking. She could have let that moment slide and only focus on the brutality everyone else was photographing at that moment. But she didn’t. She chose to show something out of the ordinary and amazing that drew people together rather than kindling more hatred and violence. She showed the world, visual people pursuing peace. For this aspect of visual peacemaking, her image should be its poster child! more »

Turkey

Turkey is a country that is filled with amazing beauty. From its lush forests to its azure beaches, from its modern high rises to its ancient mosques. It is full of rich and exciting culture. The food ain’t so bad either, it is a mix of Mediterranean, Middle Eastern and European all rolled in to one fat pita. One of the highlights of this past year was my four days spend in transit in Istanbul. In just four days I fell in love with Turkey, or at least the idea of Turkey. So when Mario Mattei, of IGVP asked if I wanted to co-lead two workshops in Turkey with Matt Powell I was doubly excited. Not because it was two workshops, but because it was Turkey AND Matt Powell. So, I jumped on it. Matt is a extremely talented photographer from the United States that has worked for eight years as a staff photographer and multimedia producer for the humanitarian Christian relief organization Samaritan’s Purse. If you Google “Humanitarian Photographer” Matt’s name is at the top of the list. These trips have been priced very reasonably and are kept to a length, around one week, that gives you no excuse not to attend. In fact, they are back to back, so if one week is not long enough for you then you have the opportunity to attend both workshops.

So here is the scoop. The first workshop is in Trabzon, Turkey, May 14-20th. Trabzon is situated on the Black Sea on the North Eastern coast of Turkey. Here is something that I was surprised to find, it is actually considered a part of the Silk Road. For centuries it has been a trade gateway to Iran in the southeast, Russia and the Caucasus to the northeast. This city has it all, rich culture, fascinating people, old ruins and ancient fortress walls and mosques. It is definitely a visual feast.

If you are interested in the Trabzon tour you can get more info HERE or by clicking the photo above.

Then, without a rest, we begin the next workshop in Sanliurfa, Turkey also known as “Urfa”, May 21-27. This city is has a rich Biblical heritage. Abraham, as in “Father Abraham”, the daddy of the Big Three faiths, Judaism, Christianity and Islam is said to have been born here (apparently Urfa is thought to be Ur, as in “of the Chaldees”). Names like Jethro, Job, Elijah all are said to have lived in this city. That’s cool, but not why we are going to Urfa. We are going there to photograph the people and culture. Urfa is a mix of Turkish, Arab and Kurdish culture, and they all come from the countryside to haggle and shop in its traditional bazaars. These bazaars date back to Ottoman times at least. Join us as we walk the back alley ways of bazaars that date back to 1562. Inside these bazaars you’ll find such goods as carpet, kilims and felt, not to mention food!

If you are interested in the Urfa tour you can get more info HERE or by clicking the photo below.

So as you can see, between theses two cities there is a lot to discover and photograph. Way too much to go over in this short post. So, lets just say this trip is going to be very, very cool indeed! Oh, and each participant get 15% off any new f-stop Gear!

Many of my readers know that I am a member of a professional guild that is all about about peace. It’s called, the International Guild of Visual Peacemakers. It exists to help combat the misinformation, prejudice and ethnocentrism that exists in the world today, with the goal of bringing cultures closer together with a better understanding of each other.

This short, three-minute photographic essay developed into what is here almost without my control. I went into the mosque at Leh, Ladakh actually not knowing what I would be taking a photo of. In fact, I wasn’t even sure I would be allowed to take pictures within the mosque. In seconds of arriving Faisal, the young man who is featured in this photo essay approaches me and started to befriend me. He was eager to tell me about his faith and his people. I wanted to focus more on the actual mosque itself, but Faisal had my attention. He was a energetic young man that felt his faith was being misunderstood by most of us in the West.

This is not the most important photo essay I’ve ever done. It’s not one of the more dramatic ones. It’s just one that just seemed to developed, and if it helps to humanize and de-vilify my Muslim friends to the Western world, then great.

If you are a Muslim and you view this and you find it in error or misleading I apologize. As I said, it just sort of evolved over time and I’m not projecting myself to be an expert on Islam. These are simply the words from my new friend Faisal.

On a more technical note. I opted to show the captions, but some are quite long for the speed slide show. You can always go back and read them by clicking the gallery view button (the four small squares) on the control bar. You can also view each photo individually by clicking the left or right arrow buttons also on the control bar.

I hope you enjoy it.

A photo essay by John Stanmeyer about Tom Little and NOOR.

(Click the photo to go to the story at VII)

This post is a little out of the ordinary for me. But I think my readers will still be interested in the photos and the plea associated with it is important. By now, you’ve heard of the killings in northern Afghanistan. The Taliban executed 10 Christian aid workers for no apparent reason other than the fact they were Christians that might be sharing their faith. The leader of the 10 was an eye surgeon named Tom Little, who had given 30 years of service to the people of Afghanistan. This is a real shame. It’s an insult to Islam and goes a long way at damaging any relationships that are being built between the two faiths. This hits home because I know several employees with this NGO. I did not have the privileged to meet Tom Little, but I wish I had. Yes, it was no secret, they were Christians. The fact is, it was their faith that motivated them to spend years helping the blind see in Afghanistan.

All these doctors and workers were associated with the National Organization of Ophthalmic Rehabilitation (NOOR) Eye Care, a program of IAM. NOOR does nothing but good for the people of Afghanistan in northern Pakistan. Their doctors and workers preform cataract surgeries, make glasses and help people see. According to Wikipedia:

In 2009, NOOR treated 179 000 patients and performed 11,000 surgeries. In addition, Ministry of Public Health eye hospitals supported by NOOR saw 157 000 patients and performed nearly 7,000 surgeries. It dispensed over 17,000 pairs of glasses, and 359,000 bottles of eyedrops. NOOR has a particular emphasis on training and it runs a three-year ophthalmology residency programme. Almost all ophthalmologists and all ophthalmic technicians in Afghanistan have been trained by NOOR.

There are reports that people who had been blind from birth and in their 50s given their site back by these doctors. Yet, the Taliban for some reason fear them enough to kill them.

This is exactly the reason why I am a part of the International Guild of Visual Peacemakers. Our goal is to draws photographers from all cultures, ethnicity and beliefs and to help breakdown religious hate and cultural stereotypes and biases that divide us. We want to see the type of hate that killed these 10 people and so many others every day, destroyed and replaced with compassion and appreciation. Maybe this is too big a job and can never be done. Probably so. But it shouldn’t stop us from trying and at least making a positive mark on the world. I am thrilled that John Stanmeyer of VII was able to document Tom Little’s work before he was murdered. It needed to be told.

If you agree with me and feel this madness has to stop, please join me and support IGVP. If you are a photographer, consider joining and being apart of this important community. IGVP is days away from going live. Simply click this link HERE and sign up to be notified when the site is online and then you can be apart of something very important.

This month’s wallpaper is courtesy of the International Guild of Visual Peacemakers. I am a member of several guilds and organizations, but there is none that I feel more proud to be a part of than the IGVP. Not only because I share membership with noted photographers like Ami Vitale, David duChemin, Gavin Gough and others, but because of what it stands for. To quote from the IGVP about page:

IGVP is a membership-based network of visual communicators and staff united around one purpose: Visual Peacemaking. We are an international community composed of multiple ethnic and religious backgrounds. IGVP visual communicators use their craft to breakdown stereotypes of the “other,” to display the dignity of cultures, and to show the common humanity amongst peoples of the world.

This month is the run up for the official start to the guild in all it’s glory. On April 15st membership will begin for community members and the new, very cool, website will be release around the same time. Downoad this month’s “Give Peace a Shot” desktop wallpaper and join me and other of the IGVP community as we Shoot for Peace.

March Wallpaper-1280x1024.jpg   |  March Wallpaper-1280x1024 Dark

March Wallpaper-1440x900.jpg  |  March Wallpaper-1440x900 Dark

March Wallpaper-1920x1200.jpg  |  March Wallpaper-1920x1200 Dark

iPhone Versions

March Wallpaper-iPhone   |  March Wallpaper- iPhone Dark