Ten (10) photo essays by young, aspiring photographers from around the world will be on display this November 7 and 8 at the first-ever Ministerial to End Violence Against Children in Bogota, Colombia. Restless Development’s powershifting efforts towards young people has allowed a new generation of photographers to shift their own lens towards pressing societal issues.
In partnership with WHO
These photo essays are the result of an initiative by Restless Development to organise the Safe Photography Project for the global campaign to end violence against children led by the World Health Organization. “It has been a pleasure for the World Health Organization to support such a visually moving photography project, through which young people have expressed – each in their own very personal way – their notion of what it means to be safe. In doing so, these young talents have offered a vision of a world without violence, which often counters their experiences of everyday life,” shares Dr. Etienne Krug, Director of the WHO Department of the Social Determinants of Health.
“What does ‘Safe’ mean to you?”
Over 600 young people from all over the world sent in their answers to this question during the initial call for applications. To enable a truly inclusive, youth-led project to develop, as well as a dazzling diversity of ideas, styles and visual identities, experts were asked to assess the pitches solely on their vision and idea alone, without requirement of any evidence of photographic skill, equipment, or experience.
A panel of professional and globally known photographers and judges were tasked with selecting the best entries: Derrick Ofosu Boateng (Ghana), Angela Jimu (Zimbabwe & Malawi), Erika Piñeros (Colombia and Cambodia), Fabeha Monir (Bangladesh), Joshua Irwandi (Indonesia), and Lydia Goldblatt (United Kingdom).
Upon going through the photos and essays, Monir, photographer, ‘Safe’ project judge, and mentor, reflects on how the ‘Safe’ project is “a reflection of their creative bravery and dedication that these powerful narratives will now stand before global leaders in Bogotá, compelling us to rethink and reimagine a world free from violence for every child.”
Over the summer, the selected photographers (aged 18-25) received training, funding, and support from an appointed mentor on the Judging Panel to produce a photo essay exploring what ‘Safe’ means to them or to children within their community.
The resulting essays are striking, warm and highly diverse; considering family history, war and conflict, intimate moments of comfort, creative responses to surviving trauma, and journalistic documentation of the challenges facing children worldwide.
Topics range from tackling domestic corporal punishment in the Philippines, to safety as solitude and the struggle to carve out personal space in the overcrowded homes of Nepal, to celebrating nature as a ‘Safe haven’ for gay and lesbian young people in an African country where same sex relationships are under legal scrutiny. The project also includes a submission from a young photographer based in Gaza.
From the photographers
The Safe photographers also talk about how the program has allowed them to capture the strength of young people who face violence. “As a young refugee, I know what it feels like to be vulnerable, and I want these images to be a powerful call for global action, showing the world why every child deserves a life free from violence, fear, and loss,” shares Denis Taban Okeny, a 23-year-old photographer who lives in Kakuma Refugee Camp, Kenya.
Another Safe photographer aims to shed light on what could provide hope for those going through these challenges. For Marrio Jones Ikirezi (Cameroon) who was born to Rwandan refugees who fled the 1994 genocide, the answer was interpersonal connection. “Having experienced violence and insecurity myself I know how essential it is for children and young people to feel supported and valued. Through my photo essay ‘Friendship’ I want to highlight the power of human connection as a source of safety and hope.”
Meanwhile, Albert C. Reyes, a self-taught street photographer from the Philippines, highlighted how the action of young people speaking up was vital to their work. “Each photography essay would not have been possible if not for the people who willingly share their personal stories to speak up on violence against children. I enjoyed conversing with people and witnessing their everyday lives.”
Alex Kent, co-CEO of Restless Development, highlights how the project becomes proof. When young people are provided sufficient resources, they are able to showcase the power and creativity of young people. She declares that “this is what youth power looks like when it has the funds, support and platform to shine. Young people are in every household, in every community of the world; and stand at a unique vantage point between child and adulthood.”
The full photo essays can be accessed via the ‘Safe’ Photography Project website.
