Webster University refugee simulation

For three days and two nights in October, nine students from Webster University Geneva discovered how it feels to be a refugee. The Webster Humanitarian Association (WHA), in collaboration with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which supplied the tents and equipment, created the refugee simulation on campus. 

Breakfast

Keeping the tent tidy

Keeping dry

After a long night

Some rest

The camp site

‪#‎genocide‬ ‪#‎neveragain‬ ‪#‎photography‬ ‪#‎nikon‬ ‪#‎d810‬ ‪#‎documentary‬‪ #‎photojournalism‬ ‪#‎reportage‬ ‪#‎d4‬ ‪#‎webster‬ ‪#‎nikonpro‬ ‪#‎fifdh‬ ‪#‎norge‬‪ #‎fotograf‬ ‪#‎keystone‬ ‪#refugee #refugeesimulation #wha #unhcr

Musée de l'Elysée, Screening

Here is a quick note; I will be showing part of my project on Srebrenica and Bosnia Herzegovina on Thursday October 3rd, at 18:30 at the Musée de l'Elysée in Lausanne.

Twice a year, after  portfolio review sessions, the Musée Elysée, selects some of the works and arranges an evening of slide shows. I am, of course, very pleased that this project was selected for this event! Here are more details about the project.

Teenagers taking part in the Mars Mira, 2012

Details can be found on the Musée de l'Elysée website. 

Barcelona Tapas..

Coming back from Perpignan has an added bonus, you sort of have to go through Barcelona...
And Tapas is also a great bonus.

Hungry, Barcelona September 2013

Visa pour l'image 2013- International festival of Photojournalism

Visa pour l'image 2013

This year, right now, is the 25th anniversary of Visa pour l'image in Perpignan. It was my first time visiting. To put shortly, it is a massive boost of inspiration with lots of amazing photography to be watched in a very small town. The bonus, it is right by the Spanish border in the south of France. The drawback this year- lots of rain!

Lots of rain, lots of coffee...

Baby carried inside and protected from the rain

Kids in the evening

"Behind the scene" with world champion swimmer, James Magnussen!

Australian World Champion 100 metre freestyle swimmer, James Magnussen.

On this occasion, I was primeraly filming the behind the scene for an advertising editorial. It was great fun and I am looking forward to share the video later!

Locations where executions took place during July 1995 in and around Srebrenica

So, continuing on the previous few posts, I'll show you additional images from locations where the mass executions happened during the 1995 genocide in the Srebrenica region. I visited several of the locations where the executions took place during the first half of July 1995. Hasan Hasanovic, who I have mentioned before on this blog and survived the genocide (He lost his twin brother and father while walking for safety from Srebrenica to Tuzla after Srebrenica fell) showed me around.

Kozluk. This landfill location right on the Drina riverbank, no less then 340 bodies were found. 83 of the bodies had been killed with a single shot to the head, while blind folded and hands tied to the back. 

Inside the culture centre in Pilica where about 500 men were killed by Serb soldiers firing through the windows of the cinema auditorium on July 16th 1995.

The Nova Kasaba football field is the locations where more then 1000 men were held prisoners and then later killed. 

Kravitca executions

If you visit Srebrenica and want to understand what happened there during the very fatal week of July 1995, then have a look at the left, a few kilometres before you arrive in Bratunac and turn left towards Potocari and Srebrenica. You will see the warehouses of Kravitca. The details of what happened there can be read in this wikipidia link.  The short version is that roughly 1000 men and boys was locked in for two days. After the two days, soldiers working for Ratko Mladić threw hand grenades as well as using other weapons at their prisoners and killed all but 3 people. The 3 people pretended to be dead and waited until dark before managing to escape. Today, local farmers uses the warehouses to store equipment and hay for their animals, as seen in the top photograph. It appears surreal given the amount of bullet and shell marks that are still present on the buildings.

The facade of the warehouse with goats eating grass just in front

Interior of the warehouse

Saliha Osmanovic

Saliha Osmanovic at her house. I met her and at her house last week.
She is an amazingly strong woman.

"Saliha Osmanovic spent the war in Srebrenica with her husband and two sons. Osmanovic's youngest son was 17 years old when he was killed on 6 July 1995 in an artillery attack on the town. As Mladic's troops got closer to Srebrenica the exodus from the town began. The women, children and elderly sought shelter in the UN compound in Potocari. Men of military age took to the woods hoping to reach the liberated territory. On 11 July 1995, the witness went to Potocari with her father-in-law. The witness's elder son, 18-year old Nermin, and her husband Ramo headed out through the woods towards Tuzla. Nermin and Ramo were captured by the Serbs en route and executed. Their remains were identified in 2009. In the footage taken on 13 July 1995, Ramo Osmanovic is seen calling his son Nermin and other Bosniaks to surrender; he had been ordered to do that by the Serb soldiers." (You see it about 3 minutes into the linked movie "A Cry from the Grave").
(http://www.sense-agency.com/icty/mothers-from-srebrenica-tell-their-story.29.html?news_id=14958)
#bosnia #srebrenica #genocide #storytelling #marsmira #humanrights #photojournalism #documentary #potocari #july11 #20years #nikon #d4 #reportage #salihaosmanovic #lifeaftergenocide

Sarajevo July 2013.

I am back in Bosnia and Herzegovina for a different sort of a trip this time. More to come, here are some observations from Sarajevo.

Ramadan in Sarajevo- people waiting in line to buy bread as it is getting darker during this years Ramadan in Sarajevo

Stray dogs relaxing at the main square (Baščaršija square) in the old town.

The refurbished library looks fantastic. The interior still needs to be done.

July 11th is coming up- Anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide.

July 11th marks the anniversary of the worst genocide that took place in Europe after the second world war. This year again, walkers will follow the foot steps of the people who tried to escape to safety by walking from Srebrenica to Tuzla (120 km), the next "UN safe area" during July 1995. Around 8000 men and boys got killed during a few summer weeks. 

 A woman prays over the coffins that was buried during last years burial at
Potocari memorial cemetery on July 11th. 

Walkers that took part in last years Mars Mira or Peace March, the 120 km
 trail between between Nezuk and Potocari.

Me photographing the event. Potocari Memorial funeral, July 11th 2012. 

London's Southbank

In 1977, the Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth II marked the 25th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's accession to the throne. For that, the southbank of the river Thames was made more accessible for walkers. Access to lots of cultural venues like the National Film Theatre, the Hayward gallery and, later, Tate Modern is made simple. Also later, the Millennium Bridge, which despite its name, only partially opened for the millennium... and the London Eye became part of the Southbank landscape. Near the National Film Theatre, there is also a skating area which currently is facing difficulties from the authorities. It would be a shame to move it though...!

The Millennium Bridge with St. Paul's Cathedral in the background.

The South Bank skate board area.

Presentation of projects at the Aga Khan Award for Architecture, June 2013

Presenters or technical reviewers describes after visiting the projects the strengths and weaknesses of each project.

Here, the project  Nahr el-Bared Refugee Camp in Lebanon.

#mali #zoo #agakhan #africa #photography #nikon #d810 #documentary #photojournalism #reportage #d4 #akdn #nikonpro #elephant #bamako #street #architecture #architectureaward #development

The Aga Khan Award for Architecture 2013

Every 3 years, the Aga Khan Award for Architecture is awarded- this year the ceremony will be held in Lisbon in September and the award is 1 million dollars!
In June, a Master Jury meets in order to decide on who should be the winners of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture- I was there to document the meetings...

Mahmood Mamdani, the leader of the Master Jury getting ready for the first day of viewing the short listed nominees.

Dr. Howayda Al-Harithy, at the meetings, assessing this years short listed candidates. 

David Adjaye is an award winning architect based in London.

The reconstruction of the Nahr el-Bared Refugee Camp in Lebanon is one of the short listed projects.

The jury members using the breaks to continue the discussions. Mahmood Mamdani in the centre and Shahzia Sikander to the left. 

Technical reviewers visited all the short listed projects. 

#mali #zoo #agakhan #africa #photography #nikon #d810 #documentary #photojournalism #reportage #d4 #akdn #nikonpro #elephant #bamako #street #architecture #architectureaward #development

Primrose Hill

If you visit London, you may want to drop by Primrose Hill. The spectacular view of the city beets any other- it shows a panoramic view of the whole London skyline. Have a look!

Little girl running. The view up here is simply amazing!

This guy was enjoying the view as the young kids were playing

Dogs- Primrose Hill is simply known for the dogs- plenty of people constantly walk their dogs in the park.

The Blues Kitchen just south of Camden is a great place for lunch....

And where else would you put on your make up... than the tube!

Almost back at the hotel in Kensington. 

The view from Chris' & Paco's flat!

Camden Market

Camden Market obviously have a strong reference to the punk period from 30 years back- but it has a very contemporary feel and fun factor to it. On my last weekend's workshop, we visited Camden- Have a look!

getting the weekend sales started- the marked starts around 9am, not too early..

The new arcade has been rebuilt since the fire that took place a couple of years ago (2008).

Food from all parts of the world, including British food is served at the market. 

Should you want to visit, you may want to go early- it gets busy by  noon!

Brixton Market

So, this weekend was spent in London and Brixton market was one of the locations visited. Brixton market is mostly known for its African and Caribbean food. Great place, nice people and if you are interested, it is also the home of Photofusion!

The butcher

Food delivery

The Reliance Arcade is part of what is known as Brixton village

The surrounding stores complements the market stalls

The marked is open every Saturday