As we continue to talk about EPIC’s new project, PHOTOVOICE IRAQ: Picturing Change, we thought it would be a good idea to discuss why photography is such a powerful and important medium.  To explore this, we called a professional.

Henry Arvidsson is a professional photographer based out of the Netherlands.  Part of the United Nations Special Commission envoy, Henry first went to Iraq in the early/mid 90′s to document the dismantling of WMD’s.  His work there formed an intimate portrait of Iraq not often seen in Western media.  Fifteen years after this first trip, he returned to Baghdad in 2011 to see how the situation had changed.

I was fortunate enough to catch up with Henry via e-mail, and got to hear the stories behind some of my favorites of his pictures, as well as get insight into what he sees as the importance and value of photography.  Here’s our conversation, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Read more

Everyone loves a census, from the obvious politicians and policy makers, to builders, educators, geographers, and business people.  Napoleon was famous for them.  Everyone can gain something from the information conveyed in a census which is often referred to as the bedrock of government.  To sum it up: how can you govern a country and plan for the future, if you don’t know how many citizens you have and where they are?

A census acts like a snapshot of a country.  From age to occupation, religion to income, it gauges trends and tabulates numbers to provide a model for statisticians.  Based on a census, resources can be allocated, voting districts can be drawn up, and problems can be addressed.   Other studies have also pointed out that participation in a census builds a sense of civil engagement, the idea that there is an exchange between yourself and your government in which you are an active participant with inherent importance.  This idea of civic engagement is often seen as a key to empowerment in communities.

Iraq hasn’t conducted an official national census in 25 years.

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August 13th is International Youth Day, a day to celebrate young people and their contributions to making the world a better place.  It is also a day to remember the importance of investing in the next generation.

This Youth Day, consider a charitable contribution to our new project on Indiegogo!

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It has been difficult to find bright spots in recent news coming out of Iraq.  For an organization like EPIC the most current news on Iraq is key, and the last month has been particularly bleak.  July saw reports of 436 civilian casualties, violence which has continued into August.[1]

It is clear that conflict in Iraq is far from over.  The road to democracy and peace was never going to be easy, but recent stumbling blocks have challenged even the strongest of convictions.  It can be easy to lose hope.

But as Iraq seems to falter, we must remember that this grim narrative is not complete.  A city like Baghdad, Basra, or Mosul is home to a million stories.  Though far too many of these are touched by violence, others are filled with joy, love, and dreams for the future.  These stories remind us that as long as people persevere there will still be hope. Read more