FOTO8

Pleas Note: This opening event is by invitation only.
The exhibition is open to the public from December 7th-16th 2009 at Host Gallery.

National Geographic and International Medical Corps are proud to present an exhibition of photographs taken by Iraqi and Palestinian children living in Jordan.

In the summer of 2009 a group of young Iraqis and Palestinians who had fled to the safety of Jordan, as well as local Jordanian youth whose lives have been affected by the influx of new arrivals into their country, were given the opportunity to document their lives and experiences with internationally acclaimed photographers Reza and Ed Kashi as part of the renowned National Geographic Photo Camp project. The Photo Camp was run in partnership with International Medical Corps, through a grant from Australian Aid.

More than sixty teenagers aged 12-19 took part, creating stories of their experiences of displacement, resettlement and other life disruptions using photographs and writing exercises under the guidance of the Photo Camp staff. There are around one million Palestinians and hundreds of thousands of Iraqis living in Jordan. The strain of this population influx is profound and the children who took part in Photo Camp have all witnessed violence and many have lost one or both parents.

Reza and Kashi, along with Jordanian photographers Nasser Majali and Mohammad Hannon, taught the students how to describe their personal world and create self-portraits by exploring the world through the lens of a camera. Individual sessions with International Medical Corps mental health staff will allow the children to unlock painful experiences and help in addressing their emotional needs. By using photography as a catalyst for discussion, the Photo Camp will encourage self-expression and awareness among the participants, all of whom have felt the strain of the displacement on their communities.

This is the second collaboration between National Geographic and International Medical Corps. In November 2006 they implemented Photo Camp Uganda for child refugees from Rwanda, Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, with subsequent exhibits of their photographs in cities around the world, including London, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and Atlanta.