We are over 75% of the way there! Haven’t donated yet? Want to tell a friend but are not sure what to say?

Here are our Top Ten Reasons you should help us reach our goal by midnight tonight!

Top Ten Reasons to Donate to Photovoice:

#10: The photos from PICTURING CHANGE will help us understand the needs of young people in Iraq.

#9: Everytime you donate, the EPIC HQ wildly rejoices! 

#8: Because 60% of Iraqis are under the age of 25 and will be impacted tremendously, with your help.

#7: Supporting this project will help EPIC reach its long term goal of bringing a summer youth leadership institution to Iraq.

#6: Because “The answer is in the asking”– Photovoice expert and education professor Kristien Zenkhov

#5: Because this is an EPIC project, pun intended.

#4: Today is the International Day of Peace! Support youth and peacebuilding programs. In the words of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon “”I urge everyone, between now and 21 September, to think about how they can contribute.”

#3: After we reach our goal EPIC’s exhausted director Erik Gustafson will finally be able to sleep for the first time in a week.

#2:  Over 170 people have already donated.  It’s the hip thing to do.

#1: Your donations go directly towards helping young people in Iraq find their voices through photography and writing.  You will be part of picturing change in Iraq.

Last night we had the opportunity to bring together some of EPIC’s friends and supporters for a reception kicking off the last 48 hours of fundraising for PHOTOVOICE IRAQ:Picturing Change. The event brought together educators, scholars, advocates, and practitioners to support EPIC’s mission.

The same sentiments were repeated throughout the night: student-centered projects like this are what the youth of Iraq need now, small-scale development can have the greatest impact, and that photovoice has the power to teach a range of much-needed skills. Over twenty passionate support were in attendance at this intimate spontaneous reception to rally support for PHOTOVOICE IRAQ:Picturing Change. People at the event were excited and engaged about the project, and conversation went late into the night.

Some highlights from the evening:

Kristien Zenkov, professor of literacy education and a member of EPIC’s board of advisors, touched on the power of photovoice. “The answer is in the asking”, he explained in reference to what can be learned through students’ photographs.

Phebe Marr, a prominent modern Iraq historian, touched on the importance of investing in Iraq’s current youth because of the lose of past generations due to war and conflict.

Michael Albin, former chief of Anglo-American acquisitions at the Library of Congress and Iraq expert, was also in attendance to show his support for the project.

You can view more photos from the event here.

It is impossible to underscore the importance of donating to PHOTOVOICE IRAQ: Picturing Change today.  We have less than 48 hours to meet our fundraising goal, and we only receive the funds if our goal is met by Friday evening.  For those of you who have already donated, we cannot thank you enough.  Show your continued support for the project by passing on the link to friends and families. We need you to make PHOTOVOICE IRAQ: Picturing Change a reality!

Today in the office we decided to try an activity.  We practiced photovoice for ourselves to see what impact it can have on both the photographer and an audience.  Photovoice, when done correctly, is a multi-step process involving discussions, skills training in photography technique, practice writing captions, and debriefing at the end of the exercise. The method takes at least eight weeks and leaves students with skills in photography, writing, and communication.

Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to go through this entire process so we are practicing an abbreviated mini-photovoice exercise.

Everyone in the office was asked this question: What makes you feel empowered?  Here was how we responded:

Erik Gustafson

While visiting the National Aquarium in Baltimore, I snapped this photo of my son’s first encounter with jellies. When I am with my son, I often feel an exhilarating sense of purpose and connectedness to the universe. For a moment, I forget my mortality and live in the moment. His youthful exuberance seems to say: “Is there any other way to live?” For me and for all who are close to him, my toddler rekindles a sense of wonder about the beauty and magic of the natural world. Through his eyes, we rediscover a world of incredible diversity and endless possibilities. Like this snapshot of time standing still, my son empowers me to live more fully, to touch the world, and to hear the universe sing.

When I’m reading a good book, there are moments when it feels as though doorways are opening in my mind. Doors that open up to broader horizons, new information, and revelatory ideas. There are moments when I find myself connecting ideas from different readings, or between the interior life of the mind and human experience. With reading, the world not only opens up, but becomes infinitely more interesting when its unveiled by good writing, studious research, and keen insights. Whether I’m on a darkly comic hunt for an inscrutable, unknowable whale or drifting through the great reed forests of Iraq’s southern marshes with Wilfred and the Maʻdān people, what makes me feel empowered is reading a good book and acquiring new knowledge.

Joanna Fisher

This is a photograph of my bicycle.  According to its computer this bike and I have traveled over 5,200 miles.  My bike has made me feel empowered for a variety of reasons, and those reasons continue to evolve.  I rode this bike across the United States to raise money and awareness for affordable housing. I rode it up and down the mountains of New Hampshire with students.  Today I ride this bike around the streets of Washington, DC between EPIC’s offices and American University.  I will admit, the breaks are lose, the tires are low, and the chain is dirty.  I can’t imagine a more empowering way to travel, though.

Daniel Young

Each day on the way to work when I exit the Metro at Union Station and look to my right, I see the Capitol above the trees. I came to Washington to join EPIC and make a difference in the lives of Iraqi youths. Each morning, when I see this symbol of my country’s government, I am personally empowered. I know I am in the right place to make change happen.

Christian Chung

Studying at Georgetown opens doors to the world in an unparalleled way.

Our responses demonstrated the range of ways people feel empowered.  After seeing the photos and thoughts this exercise generated I wondered what amazing thoughts could be generated from a full-scale photovoice project.  In the coming months we’ll have the chance to see that done in Iraq, and I can’t wait to see the responses.

We still need your help to make sure these young people have the chance to share their photos and thoughts.  We are nearing the final 48 hours of fundraising, and now is the time to donate more than ever.  Think about what makes you feel empowered, and help give that same sense to another person.

Donate today: www.Indiegogo.com/PicturingChange

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has”

-Margaret Mead

This quote has been adopted and shared by organizations of nearly every kind.  I once lived in a house where it was scrawled on a napkin and taped above the sink as a plea  to do the dishes.  When I was teaching high school history I kept it written on the board for weeks, egging on my students to ask for examples of when a small group of people had actually changed the world.  (For the record I had no trouble answering this question, but more importantly, nor did my students after a few weeks). It is a somewhat overused quote because it is true.

At EPIC we are a “small group of thoughtful committed citizens”.  We are optimists who truly believe we can change the world, and  we know other thoughtful committed people will want to share in this goal.  That is why we are using Crowdfunding for our project PHOTOVOICE IRAQ: Picturing Change.

More than 140 people have already contributed to the project; over 100 people have already demonstrated their commitment to peace and empowerment for young people in Iraq.  We know that  another 100 of you will help us reach our goal in the next four days.

The surprising thing about this quote  when it was taped above the sink in my old house is that it actually made me do the dishes.  When I wrote it on my classroom’s whiteboard it made my students ask more questions about when people had changed the world.  This quote changed behaviors because it appeals to something in our consciences.  We want to make the world a better place, and we know we have the power to do so.

I’ll pose the same question I asked my students: when have you seen a small group of people change the world? At EPIC I see it happen everyday, and with your donation to PHOTOVOICE IRAQ: Picturing Change you can be part of that process.

Demonstrate your commitment to promoting peace in Iraq today.  We have only four more days to meet our goal, but we know we can do it with your help.

Growing up in the New York metro area the events of 9/11 certainly shaped my generation. Less than two years after 9/11 I was finishing high school and preparing to start college unsure of what to study. In the middle of all these events, the United States began the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

My name is Daniel Young, a fall EPIC  intern. Starting college just as the war began, combined with a heated presidential election, hooked me on politics. My studies have continued into graduate school with coursework  focused on development, conflict, and democratization during the Arab Spring. It was in these classes that I began to fully appreciate the need for an organization like EPIC and the great work it does for Iraqis.

Like many developing countries, Iraq has a large youth population. Young Iraqis carry with them both the burden of growing up in war and the future of their country. It is well known fact that a strong educational foundation for young people can lead to a robust economic growth in the future. EPIC is working hard to bring educational opportunities to the future leaders of Iraq.

When young Iraqis think of their country, what comes to mind? Is it the violence? Is it military convoys and checkpoints? The destroyed remnants of an old regime? Or  is it something else? What do the young people of Iraq see as their future?

I had the pleasure of  joining the EPIC team during a new project called PHOTOVOICE IRAQ: Picturing Change. This project empowers a group of young people ages 10-25 to craft a narrative for their own communities through photography and social action. Photographs will be tied to questions about what change they hope to see in their local communities. This photography can turn into social action,  so  they can be part of that positive change.

I was excited to join the EPIC team during this project because it reminded me of the work I did during my service with Americorps in my hometown of Paterson, New Jersey. Paterson was once a major industrial center for early America. Silk looms and locomotive factories, powered by the Great Falls, created a vibrant city. Over the decades, the city’s industry left and Paterson faded. I was able to work with an organization called YouthBuild that focused on education and self-empowerment for young people. YouthBuild not only focuses on helping students graduate high school and find jobs, they teach these young people to take pride in Paterson again through community action and historical perspective.

Picturing Change will be helping the young people of Iraq also see their communities in a better light. I remember seeing the faces of students in YouthBuild light up when they saw the Great Falls for the first time. Many did not know this national landmark was in the heart of their city. I am intrigued to learn how Iraqis see their country with its fascinating history and beautiful natural wonders. Through their photographic journey, young people will be able to see how their actions can truly make a change. By strengthening their communities, and with the power of education, they can become the foundations for a bright Iraqi future.

What does it mean to empower youth?  What effect can great teaching have on a young person?  How are communities improved when young people feel as though they are making an impact?

These are questions that go to the heard of EPIC’s mission, and in recent years, an important part of my life.  As a high school history teacher I constantly questioned how my classes could help my students understand their communities, but more importantly, how my students could help improve their communities.  I developed and implemented student-centered curriculum focused on current events, sustainability, and the actions young people could take to improve their worlds.

EPIC shares these same goals for education.  Through programs such as the Iraqi Youth Hike and PHOTOVOICE IRAQ:Picturing Change EPIC is working to implement creative, innovative, student-centered programs where the young people of Iraq feel empowered.

I’m Joanna Fisher, the newest member of the EPIC team. Feel free to find out more about me here.  I’m thrilled to be working with an organization that combines my two passions of education and development.  I look forward to applying my experience as an educator, while supplementing my graduate studies focus on youth and development.

Having the space to be creative is an incredibly important part of any young person’s development.  Practicing the arts and being creative help young people learn how to problem solve, express themselves, and can be immensely therapeutic.  For the huge youth population of Iraq there is little space for creativity in education. PHOTOVOICE IRAQ:Picturing Change will bring a creative grassroots program to this population through which they can express themselves and hopes for their communities.  These photos will eventually raise public awareness about the issues facing this huge youth population.

The PHOTOVOICE IRAQ:Picturing Change project is one of the things that drew me to EPIC.   I had heard about Photovoice’s successes in the United States and China.  In my own teaching career I have used similar projects that foster students’ creativity and help them find their own voices.  When a young person must answer specific questions about their hopes and concerns for the future it forces them to reflect on how they imagine their futures playing out.  This reflection is imperative in  a young person’s growth as it allows them to not only realize how they want their future to look, but also to acknowledge the barriers to this future.  By imagining these barriers young people can actively work to overcome them.  The overcoming of barriers leaves students empowered and confident.

I have seen these same outcomes with my students, and am excited to see the positive impacts Photovoice can have on the youth of Iraq.  As a huge youth population in a rapidly changing country, young Iraqis need a project like Photovoice now more than ever.

It’s one thing to talk about peace in Iraq, but achieving any kind of meaningful and tangible on-the-ground impact can be difficult to organize and execute (and even harder to fund). Yet since joining the EPIC team in August, I’ve had the privilege of joining an effort that aims to showcase the true peacebuilding power of Iraq’s youth as the country goes through a fragile transition in the post-American withdrawal period.

My name is Christian Chung, and I’m proud to serve as the Conflict Resolution Intern, and newest member of EPIC, for the fall semester! I’m excited to be a part of this dynamic organization as we go forward in achieving our vision of empowering young people across Iraq to build peace and a stronger future for their country. If you’d like to find out more about me, feel free to check out my bio here.

Though much of the American public consciousness regarding Iraq has all but faded since the final deployed soldier came home last December, there is a vital story about this often misunderstood country that is going unnoticed. It’s the story of millions of Iraq’s youth who are bridging the gap between ethnicities, religions, sects, tribes, and political parties, in order to realize the full potential of peaceful social and economic development that is well within Iraq’s grasp.

I saw this play out in a real fashion this past summer, when I lived in northern Iraq and worked as a reporter, giving me a rare look at a variety of challenges that Iraqi civil society faces. But more importantly, I saw the determination with which most every young person I met and talked with approached their future, with many vowing to go abroad and get the highest education they could obtain in order to better serve their fellow Iraqis.

I spent most of my time in the northern city of Erbil, the capital of the semiautonomous Kurdistan Region, as well as in Kirkuk, the ancient and still deeply divided oil-rich city in the country’s northeast. Both experiences transformed both my understanding of Iraq’s people as well as the complexity of the social and political issues the country faces. My job as a reporter left me chasing after answers to questions all over Iraq, and I was fortunate enough to be able to travel widely and interact with many Iraqis, from Yazidis, Muslims, Christians, and Kurds, Turkmen, and Sunni and Shia Arabs alike. Some of the fondest memories I have of my short two-and-a-half months in Iraq include visiting places that one here in America might find counterintuitive from the common perception of what Iraq is and isn’t; places like the ancient Yazidi temple in Lalish, or the ruins of the Saint Hormiz Monastery in Alqosh, home to one of the oldest Christian settlements in the Middle East.

Amazingly, and sadly, Iraq’s rich diversity is too often hidden from public view, and the narrative that so many young Iraqis try to get out to the world is trumped by horrific stories of the challenges the state still faces in combating terror and civil conflict. That’s why projects like Photovoice: Iraq, Picturing Change are so critical in both broadening the image of Iraq and its people, as well as helping the youth (which form more than half of Iraq’s population) seize the future to establish a stable and lasting peace free from the horrors of the past. And it’s why I’m so motivated to join EPIC in making this project come to fruition.

Together, we can make a real difference in the lives of young Iraqis and, by extension, for the future prosperity of Iraq; let’s get started!