One of the narrower parts of the trail

The altitude, terrain and number of participants made for a hike that was fairly strenuous.  As I was walking I found it interesting and encouraging that the majority of the participants were men since this was an event to bring about awareness to and reduce domestic violence.

Above the clouds

After about 4 hours I made it to the top where people were waiting for the announcement to create the human chain.  There were plenty of reporters and helicopters with film crews to document the event.  Spread out across the crater was a gigantic piece of nylon with a huge heart printed in the middle of it.  Everyone gathered around, picked up the canvas and began to wave it up and down.

Preparations to form the heart in the center of the crater.

At the heart of the crater

Further down the volcano thousands of people lined up to pass a flag up the mountain to the crater.  The trip down with thousands of people trying to negotiate a mostly one lane path, in addition to the dust they created made for a very long and uncomfortable descent.  Once we were back in Santa Maria the number of people that took part in this event overwhelmed the busses that were designated to take them back to Antigua.  I understand that some people waited about 3 hours for a bus.

The dusty trail

The masses waiting for a bus to return to Antigua

On a whole I commend the organizers – while there were many things that could have been done much better, the idea and the amount of work and organization to pull off something like this was still impressive. This event was organized by Ensena Amor: No Violencia (Teaches Love)

Volcano de Agua outside of Antigua

It just so happens that tomorrow, Jan 21st, a huge event will be taking place right outside of Antigua on the Volcano de Agua which has an elevation of 12,336 feet.  8000 Guatemalans are scheduled to participate in a human chain up the slopes of the summit of the volcano  – 1500 people will actually form a heart in the crater of the crater. This event was organized by Ensena Amor: No Violencia (Teaches Love)

The purpose of this event?  To inspire a generation change in attitude against domestic violence, ultimately to reduce levels of violence in Guatemala and to raise funds to help victims of domestic violence. Each participant paid to participate and a charity will be chosen through a democratic vote on their Facebook page.

I understand that the event is sold out but I will be trying to join them.  If I am able, I will be sure to share more photos after the event.

Maria - Intern for Abriendo Oportunidades.

I am excited that next month I will be returning to Antigua to teach the workflow I use while making social documentaries for print and film. This workshop will explore the process of building a photographic project from initial conception, to production, and then distribution through exhibits, books, magazines, and electronic media. I will be sharing my experience in developing the initial and final concept, then finding partners to help finance and distribute the final product.

Girl leader in participatory video workshop.

For the workshop participants who want to do a project around a social theme we will be working with local non-profit organizations like Abriendo to facilitate a real world experience. To learn more about the workshop go to http://juliadean.com/

Participants in video workshop for Population Council which supports Abriendo Oportunidades. .

At the same time I had formed a non-profit organization (Bridges to Understanding) whose mission was to give students in remote communities a voice by teaching digital storytelling.  Bridges worked with middle and high school students in India Peru, Guatemala, Kenya, South Africa and Cambodia and gave them a voice by showing them how to upload their stories on the web and share their lives with students in the U.S.   As part of the process we would have the indigenous students present their finished multimedia story to their own community.  For me it was the highlight of the trip.  In Takaungu, Kenya we got a generator and held an outdoor movie night so the students could show their movie to their village.  The crowd went wild and cheered for the film to be shown over and over again.

I just became aware of the organization Tostan’s efforts to address the issue of female genital cutting in Senagal by helping the locals create a film intended for their local community.  Check out Walking the Path of Unity—

As I continue to work with media in the developing world I am planning to go in this direction.  I hope to take two to three photojournalism/ film students with me on trips as we help communities in the developing world create their own media for public awareness campaigns targeting social and economic gender issues.

Ted Talk by Kavita N. Ramdas, president and CEO of the Global Fund for Women

Kavita tells the stories of three amazing women that have taken part in the global movement to empower women and girls by embracing and integrating their tradition and culture into their efforts. 

Global Fund for Women

The Global Fund for Women is a nonprofit grantmaking foundation that advances women’s human rights worldwide. We are a network of women and men who believe that ensuring women’s full equality and participation in society is one of the most effective ways to build a just, peaceful and sustainable world. We raise funds from a variety of sources and make grants to women-led organizations that promote the economic security, health, safety, education and leadership of women and girls.

Mt. Nyiru, Kenya                                                                                     Sukulen, 37

As a social documentary photographer and filmmaker I typically have to suggest marketing ideas to the nonprofit organizations I work with. I find it important to get to know what the PR or marketing staff of the organizations are trying to accomplish and then brainstorm with them on projects that could accomplish their goals. For example in talking with Helen Garrett, the marketing director of Amnesty International, I learned that they wanted to conduct a multicity campaign in North America and Europe to celebrate the 50^th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. They wanted to collect 10,000,000 signatures of people rededicating themselves to the UDHR. In our conversations I suggested the signatures be collected in museums and galleries so there could be a backdrop of images at the events they staged. Of course it was my suggestion that I could supply the images and book that traveled with the events. As a result they accomplished their goal and I was able to create my Enduring Spirit series.

Willoq, Peru                                               Lourdes 9, Benigno 18 mos.

Today many corporations are looking for ways to align their marketing efforts around social issues. ‘ Green marketing’ is a fast growing multimillion dollar business. This trend presents opportunities for the university student, retired baby boomer or documentary photographer who is passionate about an issue to find support. It just takes a little ambition and creativity to forge your own path.

Jinka, Ethiopia                                                                 Buzayan 6

Suzy consulting with Tarahumara mothers

Alisun’s findings prepared the way for Suzy Messer another university student who is currently pursuing her Master’s in Public Health with a concentration in Maternal  Health through Boston University’s School of Public Health.  Suzy is now the Field Coordinator for the rollout of One Heart’s pilot program in Chihhuahua, Mexico and is using her work there to complete the requirements for her master’s in Public Health.

Suzy visiting villages in the Tarahumara

As I’ve been speaking around the country on women’s issues for the last few years, many university students have come up to me and asked how they could get involved.  Like most students they didn’t have money to donate but they wanted to do something.  One of the most exciting parts of the Stirring the Fire website is the call to action that offers a myriad of ways — like working with organizations like One HEART — to support women and girls around the world.

When you get a chance check out Take Action on our website with its searchable database of organizations.

Teresa, local Partera

Ninety percent of the women who die in childbirth do so because of postpartum hemorrhage.  Administering drugs like Oxytocin to women who are having postpartum bleeding causes the uterus to contract and very effectively stops the bleeding.  Unfortunately, Oxytocin has to be kept refrigerated.  Another very effective drug for post partum hemorrhage, Misoprostol, does not need refrigeration and is very inexpensive—therefore an ideal drug for the Parteras to have on hand.  Unfortunately, because ‘Miso’ can also be used to induce an abortion, it has not been allowed to be used in the heavily Catholic Tarahumara Sierra. 

Arlene Samen the executive director of One HEART traveled to Mexico City to see if she could get the ban on ‘Miso’ lifted in the Tarahumara Sierra if proper precautions against misuse were taken.  The Mexican authorities who have been extremely welcoming to One HEART are taking Arlene’s request into consideration.  If approved it will be a huge victory for the Tarahumara women and their families.

The Rarámuri are best known for their tradition of long distance running up and down the steep canyon trails.  Some of their races, which they run in sandals or barefoot, last for days.  In fact the Rarámuri are hosting their annual Ultra Marathon on March 7th.  I was told that they hunt deer by chasing the animal until it drops from exhaustion.

The One HEART team was welcomed by the Rarámuri with one of their special ritual Yumaré fiestas which lasted all night.  Two goats were sacrificed and the women brought ceramic jars filled with tesguino (corn-based beer) that is consumed in many Rarámuri rituals.

Around 4 am I managed to get an hour of sleep before it began to get light.  Although the women did drink a little it was the men who really let their hair down. 

The music and dancing went on all night and as dawn broke it was mainly the women who were left standing. 

I have found that preconceived story lines almost always take an unexpected turn and this one certainly has.  If you have seen previous post on One HEART you are aware that I started working with them in Tibet.  This documentary which I originally thought would portray a successful approach to maternal mortality on the Tibetan Plateau now looks like it will be about the political and cultural hurdles one faces when trying to address issues like maternal and infant mortality in the developing world.  The Mexican Government is very receptive to One HEART’s work, however, the drug wars in Northern Mexico and cultural issues with the Rarámuri may pose special problems as One HEART tries to establish its program.  For cross-cultural global health programs it’s critical to ensure that there is compatibility between the values of the program and the recipient culture.  I hope to document the process One HEART goes through to become aware of and bridge the Rarámuri cultural beliefs and values with our western medical traditions.  I will continue to post more about the One HEART story as it unfolds.

By 2000, UNICEF reported that only 4 to 5% of Afghan children were being educated at the primary school level. Fewer still had access to secondary and university-level education.

According to the World Bank, “Since 2002, more than 6 million students and teachers have returned to school.” 

The organization, Ayni Education International, has certainly had a hand in the increasing education, especially for girls, in Afghanistan.  Featured this week in the Seattle Times, Ayni was founded by Seattle based Julia Bolz.

From Ayni’s website, “Our main project, called “Journey with an Afghan School,” began just months after 9-11 and the Taliban were removed from power in Afghanistan. It is a grassroots project to build and supply schools for Afghan children. 

With funds raised by communities across the country, we have defied all odds by building and supplying 19 new schools and repairing over a dozen others, serving about 25,000 Afghan students. We also have provided wells; distributed text-books, school supplies and athletic equipment; provided teacher trainings; and set up libraries, computer centers and PTAs. Most recently, we set up two teacher training centers, training several hundred teachers.”

As I continue to add to the “Call to Action” portion of a new website to be launched soon (www.stirringthefire.org) I am continually amazed by the extraordinary people like Julia Bolz that are making a difference.  Thanks Julia for your wonderful work!