Peace in Focus recrée du lien grâce à la photographie

Peace in Focus vise à construire des liens solides et des compétences pour affronter la vie parmi des jeunes issus de communautés affectées par la violence et l’inégalité. L’ONG passe par des programmes de formation au leadership et à la photographie collaborative afin de donner des outils innovants à ces jeunes. Ces derniers peuvent ainsi devenir des acteurs de changement dans leurs communautés. La photographie présente l’avantage de s’affranchir de la barrière de la langue. Pour Peace in Focus : 

 “Photography is instant, relatively inexpensive, simple to learn, and easy to share; it reveals details about the subject and its creator that bring into focus a framework to better understand and communicate the human condition. Photographs can serve as a catalyst for dialogue and discussion.” 

Créée en 2006 à Boston, l’association qui est basée est notamment soutenue par la Clinton Global Initiative University, le Harvard Kennedy School Woman and Public Policy Program, Mass IMPACT et l’United Nations Peacebuilding Fund – Liberia Peacebuilding Office. 

Ses co-fondateurs sont Kyle Dietrich et Kate Fedosova, qui sont tous les deux diplômés dans le domaine de la résolution des conflits.

Les oeuvres des bénéficiaires sont régulièrement exposés. 

La vidéo suivante est tirée d’une série produite lors d’un atelier organisé par Jamaa et Peace in Focus, qui eut lieu en 2008 au Burundi. Les témoins sont d’anciens enfants soldats, des orphelins dont les parents sont morts du HIV/AIDS ou dans le conflit, des réfugiés, etc. De nombreuses autres vidéos appartenant à la même série sont consultables sur YouTube. 

"The philosophy of the school room in one generation will be the philosophy of government in the next."- Abraham Lincoln 

Pour aller plus loin : 

Peace in Focus Boston | 2008 Behind the Scenes 
http://www.peaceinfocus.org/galleries/boston08b/index.html 

What is Grassroots Peace Photojournalism? 

The field of photojournalism is not new. However, like many fields, it has largely been developed and defined by Westerners and elites. In order to enable all people to play a part in defining their social history, they must have a variety of tools to document and shape their lives, their stories, and their vision. As such, Peace in Focus is committed to developing Grassroots Peace Photojournalism in the communities where we work. 

Our approach is "Grassroots" in the sense that we partner with local organizations, photographers, and educators to ensure that workshops are conducted in conjunction with local community development and peacebuilding efforts. We believe it's essential that participants represent the diversity of the local community so that an indigenous narrative can emerge from our workshops. This approach runs counter to traditional photojournalism in which most photographers have been outsiders in the communities they cover. While their work has been incredibly valuable in shedding light on world events, too often the page is turned before locals take ownership of the images and stories that define their society. The time has arrived for the tools to be transferred and the responsibilities shared so that an organic and "Grassroots" process of creation can emerge. 

"Peace Photojournalism" implies that photography is not a passive art form and therefore needs a guiding principle. Our guiding principle is peace. We believe photography has the potential to both document reality and to shape it. In order for this to happen, we must begin to change the way we perceive our surroundings and ourselves. Only then will our reality also begin to change. 

Grassroots Peace Photojournalism Helps Young People Find their Voices. 24.01.2012 http://news.yourolivebranch.org/2012/01/24/grassroots-peace-photojournalism-helps-young-people-find-their-voices/ 

ONG et photojournalisme. Juin 2012 
http://ong-entreprise.blogspot.fr/2012/06/ong-et-photojournalistes-entretiennent.html

« J’aime la photographie car elle me permet de vivre libre, d’aller vers tous les hommes, sans aucun préjugé» Olivier Föllmi