Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2003/03/02
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]>It came home to me on a trip to the Gambia. I was there on a 'holiday' >with my wife, but I was also shooting stock for my travel library. The >country is so poor it is unbelievable in our eyes. I became as friendly >as one gets on a holiday with the beach bar man and we talked about >money etc. I realised that in my camera bag I had equipment worth more >than he would earn in THREE lifetimes. He worked a 12 hour day for 6 >days a week, and walked an hour each way to the job. >We can never equalise our lives a times like this but I vowed then that >half of anything I sold those images for would go to a charity working >in that area, and I also made sure that everyone I photographed or who >worked with me benefited directly financially from the experience as >well as I could. There was little more I could do at that time. >All I can say to Faneuil is that I let my camera do as much good as I >can as I go through my working life. I often do work for charities at >cost or even less, and where ever I travel in the third world I am sure <to put as much money into the local economy as I possibly can. Gerry I share your feelings from my young years. Main problem now is of course the wrong wealth distribution over the world. This is something that only institutions, politic men and corporations men can help changing the rules which regulate the production and distribution of wealth over the earth. We can, of course, do something. Privately helping anybody close to us, educating our kids, now the kids of our kids, in the idea that the wealth of this world has to be more efficiently distributed, and, too, collaborating with some private groups helping others or, very important, pushing people to realize how much injustice there is here. For instance through our parish. I have to confess that I've done some of that and, after, just after I've collected some Leica gear as not everything in life is work or duties but you need just some fun. So no, I don't feel guilty however I know my efforts is social improvements are not going to change things very much. Though scarcely my family can be considered a poor one, my ideas are on the side many people would consider "strong left". This could be a paradox but many of my acts do confirm that. By the way I think this list is as interesting if not more when dealing with OT than with Leica gear. And by far is the most interesting photographic list of the several, many, I daily read. Kind regards Felix - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html