I have been to war torn nations including Kosovo, Eritrea, Macedonia, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and Nepal as well as disaster-stricken areas such as Turkey, Taiwan, India, Indonesia, and Pakistan.
In disaster-stricken areas everybody confronts their problems head on, dealing with the loss of family or friends or their home and belongings. All the victims go through a range of emotions and even the strongest person reveals their weaknesses. We also see glimpses of different complicated situations depending on the locality.
Within these extreme conditions, I was particularly struck by the conduct of the women; the way their smiles would soothe those around them and their strength that would protect their families. At a time when even securing water is difficult, I saw that the women were the strong ones who supported the people in disaster areas. Because these images of them are so common in day-to-day life, they are often scenes that are forgotten. As I watched these women steadfastly find a sense of energy and try to recover, I began to feel strong empathy toward them within my own life.
Between war-torn areas and disaster-stricken areas the relationship between the politics and the conflicts is fundamentally different, but in terms of the victims all trying to procure the bare minimum necessities of life, I’ve come to realize that these are common amongst all people, regardless of borders or race.
In this series, we put the spotlight on the “power of human life”, seeing things from the perspective of minorities, who tend to be weaker, and women who are trying to overcome their difficult situations. |
