Most of my human rights work in the developing world has been focused on creating media (exhibits, books, and multimedia) for audiences in developing countries.  Typically I would create media for NGOs that would put it to use for building awareness and fund raising campaigns in North America and Europe.

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.