Photography, Truth and Constructed Narrative

My last post focused on the works of Rebecca Belmore, while one of my first posts was on Lily Yeh Both artists recognize the the power of art to create the foundations toward social change. Social change can begin merely by the simple awareness of oppression, prejudices, barriers and hierarchies. Raising our consciouness is the beginning and the hope is that once we are more cognizant of the need for change, we will be moved to action. Taryn Simon, provides another example in the ways in which women are acting as activists advocating for social change of many kinds. She brings into question if what we see, what we are told is real and, if it isn't real, if it is constructed or a fabrication, then what do we do?

An American photographer, she has exhibited at the Tate Modern in London, at the Venice Biennale and at the Museum of Modern Art in New York to name a few. Through her images and narratives, she awakens our curiosity about what is real in photography and narrative; what is fact and what is constructed fiction. In the following TED talk she shares two projects: one documents otherworldly locations typically kept secret from the public, the other involves haunting portraits of men convicted for crimes they did not commit.

Community

I just left Umoja and Unity, two women-only villages in the Samburu district of Kenya. The average temperature in this arid part of the country during the past five days ranged from 41 - 47 degrees celsius. Although hot, it was not highly oppressive, as the humidity is low and, when standing along the edge of the Ewasa Nyiere river, a breeze cools your skin. However, the heat does make the lives of these women more difficult as their huts are structures made of wood and mud or newspaper. The interiors consist of three rooms. One is for sitting and eating together, another larger rooms is where the children sleep and, next to where the cooking is done, is a goat-hide upon which the mother sleeps.

Unlike most Kenyans, the Samburu and Maasai have maintained the old way of life, choosing to come together in villages rather than purchasing their own "shamba" - a plot of about an acre of personally owned land that they farm individually. The importance to people living within the villages in working together is palpable. The Samburu also have large families of 7 to 15 children making it difficult to gather enough money for food, clothing and education.

The reason why this is important to the notion of community is when people stop working together, toward the benefit of all, life can be much harder. Most of these women have come to these villages to escape arranged marriages, female genital mutilation (FGM), or they have been sent away form their husbands because they have been raped. Although performing FGM is viewed internationally as a violation of human rights, shifting cultural practice is something completely different. The grandmothers still push for female circumcision as they fear the young women who are not circumcised will not be able to marry.

 
In these villages women are truly working together and the collaboration is what is making all of their lives easier. It appears to me that they heal their community and re-story their lives through collectively working towards financial independence and building new lives for their children, other women in nearby villages, and for themselves.

Kenya

Happy 2013!

In a couple of days I will be heading to Kenya to begin work with women exploring community healing, ritual and the role women play in the process. My hope is to undertake a project that is arts-based and will focus on the personal narratives of internally displaced women.

I'd like to explain a bit of my thinking . . . . Why Kenya? Why now?

Between 1963 and 2007, Kenyans suffered gross human rights violations. Whether victims or perpetrators, the majority of the population suffered. In 2008, the newly formed Kenyan government, passed the Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Act to begin to investigate and address these violations with the objective of promoting peace, national unity, healing and reconciliation. One of the processes undertaken, was to travel throughout the country and hear from individuals to get an idea of what happened. What kinds of violations occurred and how were people impacted by the experience.

In Truth Commissions, it is important to ensure that both genders are included in a dialogue in order to gain a clear understanding of the root causes of violence and how it effected men and women. Women require special consideration as they see peace differently that men. Men view peace when the weapons and put down, and the violence stops. Women see peace when community life returns, schools re-open and people get back to work.

In 2010 a new constitution was introduced in Kenya with changes that aim to accommodate socio-economic diversity and ethnicity, and to promote gender equality, equity and democracy. Many women are unaware of the new rights that benefit them. In addition, the upcoming election in March has raised some concern over whether there will be a repeat of the post-election violence of 2007. 

Perhaps this is a good time - a period between the past and the future - in which to engage in a process of re-imagining a desired future. As Jean Paul Lederach says - relationships are at the center of social change.

I will arrive in Nairobi on Friday and will take a few days to settle in. Stay tuned . . .