Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/04/07
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Walt - Thanks for answering. I appreciate your opinion and can understand your attitude based on your experience. The mission trips that I have been on have all had more positive outcomes than the one you relate. One example - a child who had been abandoned in a cornfield was brought to our clinic in Guatemala. She was 3 months old and weighed 2 pounds. Nobody thought she would survive. We arranged for her to be taken to the nearest hospital - 3 hours away. The Guatemalan Presbyterian church arranged for her to be cared for there and we helped pay the bills. She not only lived but she is a beautiful, smart, loving 8-year-old now. She was adopted by the Guatemalan nurse that we had given a scholarship to in the village where she had been abandoned. Probably the most lasting differences we have made in both Honduras and Guatemala are the training courses in first aid and health that we give to the health promoters from rural villages with the support of Heifer Project International and the scholarships for nursing that we have given in both countries. We also pay the salary of a Guatemalan doctor who travels to remote village where no one else will go. All of the money for the scholarships and HPI work is raised in our Dimes for Hunger campaign: http://www.pbase.com/tinamanley/dimes_for_hunger Some of the greatest changes have been in the people who have gone on the trips. In spite of everything I tell them ahead of time, many of them go with the idea of "taking the Word to the heathens and saving souls" and come back realizing that they are the ones who have learned about love and priorities. I've never taken anybody (over 200 people in 18 years) who has not volunteered to go back another year. Want to go with me next year? I promise you'll come back with different view of mission work ;-) Tina At 11:15 AM 4/7/2006, you wrote: >Tina: > >Your work is beautiful. I know you would not be >making the sacrifices you are called on to make >for any other reasons than the right ones. >Resnick's write up makes several strong points >which I certainly agree with. He also makes >several I'd argue about till hell freezes over. >Young idealists may well lose a lot of verve >over the years but even the most humanitarian >soul can develop callouses. To attribute that to >a strictly financial cause seems superficial. > >To speak of "hidden stories" as he did really >begs the question. Who, in even the most >backwoods area of Earth, doesn't know the scale >of human suffering which has always existed? I >was on an island off the coast of Haiti with a >group of missionaries who set up a makeshift >clinic. One child was ill from lack of good >nutrition and died. Later that same day another >came in who appeared as if he might follow >suite. The nearest decent medical service was >hours away by trail but much closer by boat. > >A neighbor of the sick child's family had a boat >but haggled relentlessly over money for the >trip. Very mercenary but hardly unusual. This >kind of thing can be witnessed more often than >not in these situations and it certainly can >tinge our humanity with cynicism. Yet, a >numberer of good people, such as yourself, >continue the effort and that is commendable. You >all do make a difference and even if it is only >in one families well-being, that makes it worthwhile. > >Walt > >p.s. The Baughman Pulitzer story can be made >short and sweet and if I recall it had to do >with setting up images. Of course time does have >a tendency to flavor our impressions...Good >Morning America (I believe) set us straight on >one misconception, making Judas Iscariot a nice >guy. :-P Well hell, why not? Da Vinci turned out >to be a secret agent for the Pope, didn't he? >The next big multi-million dollar flavor of the >day story might go something like this; Hitler >was really a nice guy and liked Jews and communists. > > >Tina Manley wrote: > >>At 07:03 PM 4/6/2006, you wrote: >> >>>Remembering what some of those people had to >>>live as their chance at life still bothers me. >>>After two trips I decided never to go back. >>>I've come to believe no matter what is >>>photographed, published or prominent in the news, it helps little if at >>>all. >>> >>>Walt >> >> >>Walt - I hope that's not true. Maybe not in the >>news but published photos in some venues can >>raise awareness and result in real changes. I >>know for a fact that the money that we have >>raised in our Dimes for Hunger campaign has >>made real changes in the lives of people in >>Central America and here in our presbytery. I >>know the people and I've photographed the >>changes for almost 20 years. Here is an article >>about making changes with photography that explains it better than I could: >> >> >>Rambling With Resnick >> >>Changing the World with a Camera >> >>Can photography make the world a better place? I certainly hope so. >> >>By Mason Resnick >> >>I recently had the privilege to put together an >>on-line exhibit for my employer, >>PhotoHighway.com, featuring the work of Tina >>Manley, a photojournalist who has spent years >>photographing desperately poor children and >>families throughout the world. She will live >>with a family for a week at a time, becoming >>part of their daily routine and giving her >>unprecedented access into their lives. When I >>showed some friends the work, many of their >>comments were along the lines of ?oh, how >>ironic, there she is with photo equipment >>that?s worth more than what her subjects will make in a lifetime.? >> >>Manley?s response to this is telling: ?I think >>the reason the families let me photograph them >>is they really believe I can make a difference >>in their lives.? She speaks of how one of the >>groups that sponsors her photographic treks >>will donate livestock to families as part of a >>program to encourage self-sufficiency in >>Central America. Imagine a family that lives on >>beans and Tortillas suddenly getting a dairy >>Cow that they can use for milk and cheese. And >>it comes to them because someone in the US saw >>their photos and was moved to action. >> >>I think the true irony is that the >>photographers who go to poor countries on >>behalf of news magazines (which run on the >>ideal of helping the world by publicizing >>hidden stories) and similar organizations don?t >>have quite as direct a positive effect on their >>subjects, while photographers sponsored by >>missionary and aid groups are actually making a difference. >> >>Many of today?s photographers start off >>idealistically, but this idealism is tempered >>by the need to make a buck. That?s why you see >>so many photographers going in ?packs? to get >>the news. Look at the hordes of photographers >>covering presidential campaigns. There is very >>little original, visually interesting content >>any more in presidential campaigns, but the >>issues are still rich in photographic >>possibilities. Not enough photographers are >>going after these stories, and the reason is >>that they haven?t been given sufficient >>financial incentive to do so. Too much risk >>involved, while George W. is always going to be there. >> >>Once upon a time a photojournalist named J. >>Ross Baughmann (who once won and then had taken >>away a Pulitzer Prize?it?s a long story) said >>that the best photojournalists don?t run with >>the pack?they run away from it. And when they >>rejoin the pack, they have the more interesting photos. >> >>We need to encourage more photojournalists to >>run away from the pack, like Tina Manley did. >>Maybe some poor family in Nicaragua will get a >>goat or two as a result?and that can make a difference. >> >> >>About the author: Mason Resnick is the editor >>and publisher of Black & White World and the >>community webmaster of PhotoHighway.Com. You >>can reach him at <mailto:bwworld@mindspring.com>bwworld@mindspring.com. >> >> >> >> >>_______________________________________________ >>Leica Users Group. >>See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >> > > >_______________________________________________ >Leica Users Group. >See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information