Cameras Without Borders

Recurrent racism, tribalism and fundamentalist ideology are tearing apart the human fabric. Over the past seven years I have worked with marginalized and traumatized populations in Africa to help communities working to address the psychological consequences of war and tribal violence. Currently I focus on issues in eastern Congo, Uganda and Kenya. I bring to the task a combination of hands-on clinical experiences, artistic passion and teaching skills.

Photography can transcend personal and cultural layers of reference and help rekindle the struggle of giving birth to one’s future. A victim of sexual violence in Eastern Congo participating in a Cameras without Borders workshop said, “The picture in the camera is like a pregnancy,” and curiously imagined what might be gestating in her camera. This camera work gives child and adult survivors of trauma a path to regain a creative voice and allows us to witness the plight and resilience of these communities.

I was led to the insight that without attention to the emotional injuries of survivors of war and violence humanitarian assistance does not provide sufficient context for reconciliation and lasting peace. By responding to psychological injuries Cameras without Borders addresses this social problem.