Author Archive for Susannah Sizemore
Small Moves: Who Do You Want to Become?
I remember it well. The brisk air howled as it whipped across the black pavement between the drab brick brown apartment buildings identified by their big block numbers. The snapping chill of the wind accentuated the rhythm reverberating from the parking lot. The smell of cigarette smoke wafted from beneath the stairs and dark hallways of the buildings, floating on the cold air. A boom-box played, and a group of girls on the sidewalk choreographed dances to the beat of “What’s Love” by Ashanti and Fat Joe. Real life sound effects backed the track. The sounds from the playground — cedar chips crunching beneath little feet, the squeak and clang of metal chains mixed with the laughter of dizzy kids spinning on the tires — filled the air.
When I stepped out of my car and into this new world, it seemed the whole place was swaying, moving to the beat of a song I had never heard before. To me this world was magical because it existed outside the realm of my own reality, outside the bounds of my imagination. To the cynic, I was just looking at the projects, just the place where the “poor people” are. It’s where we white folk know the drug dealers and baby mommas and delinquents live, whether we know any individual there or not. This is where the kids with the “challenges” grow up and thus, I found myself there to help them. In my mind, it will always be the place where I first saw the world, even though it was a mere 15-minute drive from my front doorstep.
When I first visited the projects I knew nothing about poverty or welfare or modern day racism or social inequality. A sixteen-year old white girl from a respectable, middle class family, I knew little of life outside my door, outside my circle of friends. When it all started, I was not looking for extracurricular activities to fill a college application, or trying to find a place to complete volunteer requirements. No, it was part conviction and part dumb luck that led me to the projects, or “apartments,” as we came to call them. Somehow, in spite of my adolescent naiveté, I had this sense that the world was not always a good and safe place and that something I had been given in life was not meant for me to keep, but to disperse freely.
Anyway, I ended up with a group of students about my age, with about my same sense of themselves in relation to the world, totally out of place and out of our comfort zones in the said magical parking lot. Together, we began a tutoring program for elementary students at a little community center. One afternoon a week, we entered this unknown world and helped with homework, and played with the kids that we met. We were saddened by the stories we heard, and the kids who cried, and the distress we saw on the faces of children marked by a life of instability and frustration. But we were also enlightened about this vibrant community and the inspiring features of the individuals who lived there. As my relationship with two kids in particular developed, I was invited, and then welcomed, into the home as a regular member of the family. We went to football games, rented paddle boats at the park, swam in the pool at my home, listened to trumpet practice, attended special church presentations and more.
The more involved I became in this particular community, the more evident it was that I could not necessarily change the things that I wanted to change about it. I saw that change happens over a long period of time and my most sincere efforts were really just a drop in the bucket in the big scheme of things. BUT (and there’s always a but in these things) I learned one thing to do in the face of a challenging climate for change: I could help with homework and help design science fair projects and, ultimately, help a disadvantaged child stand up with dignity next to the other kids in school.
I could write an anthology on the lessons I learned in the years following my immersion into life at the apartments. These lessons are foundational to my history throughout high school, college, and now post college as a “young professional.” But what I want to say to you, high school or college student that you may be, seeker that you most certainly are, is simply that these are the days that shape you. Yes your friends are important, all your homework should be done and playing a sport is a valuable experience. But chances are, you will never be a pro soccer player.
However, you will always live in a complex society, plagued by conflict, poverty, and inequality. The sooner you dive in head-first, the more equipped you will be to maneuver competently and effectively through this society. Don’t hide from what happens outside your door. Don’t wait until you have the money to go see Africa. Begin now and the whole world is that much more attainable, that much closer to your fingertips. The contribution you make to your own community and the lessons you learn as a result will be of great consequence to your identity and enrich whatever path you choose to take.
Just like you, I had a sense that I was meant to be a part of something more than my own little world. I ventured into my community with uncertainty, burdened by my stereotypes and preconceptions. But one step out of my own comfortable world and into another and I found a million things I never expected, both inspiring and formative in nature.
Who do you really want to become? What would you do with your time if you weren’t afraid or busy or distracted? Go ahead and get started now. These are the days that shape you.
This is a repost of an article that we felt was worth repeating.
Photo: Ale Paiva
Interview with Filmmaker, Brad LaBriola
I recently had the opportunity to talk to filmmaker Brad LaBriola of Women In War Zones. Brad graduated from Temple University in 2005 and has since directed and produced three justice-related films. One of these, “Women in War Zones,” explores the sexual violence crisis currently unfolding in DR Congo. The film follows two women through the process of recovery. You can read my review of the film here.
Give us a little background on yourself and your organization.
BL: In March of 2006, Scott and I (Brad) decided to direct and produce Women In War Zones. After witnessing injustices first hand in DR Congo and establishing friendships with survivors of sexual violence, Scott and I returned home and started Made Known Pictures. Our mission is now to produce films about injustices that are hidden, in order that those who suffer might be made known. Since starting the company, we have produced justice-related documentaries on four continents in five languages, mainly in DR Congo, Peru, India, and the USA.
What is the “Women in War Zones” story and why does it need to be told?
BL: This is the story of Helene Wamuzila (22) & Bijoux Mateso (13), two fistula patients at Panzi Hospital who survived sexual violence. They become like sisters as they try to reclaim their lives and come to grips with their violent and tragic past.
We believe that this is not just an important story of human perseverance over injustice, but it’s also seated in the great tragedy of Congo’s wars which deserve more international attention.
What advice would you give to anyone looking to start a similar project?
BL: In regards to an international filmmaking project – jump in, that would be my first piece of advice. Secondly, spend a lot of time researching and developing your story. One of our biggest regrets is the non-existent development for our actual story before our arrival. We started out with an issue, but no personal story. It turned out great because we did find a story on arrival, but it so easily could have turned out horribly.
The sexual violence crisis in Eastern Congo has actually received some press over the past few years but when you initially went in 2006, much less was known. In fact, many NGOs had not yet returned to the area following the war. How did you initially find out about the crisis in Congo?
BL: In 2005, Melanie Blanding was on a photojournalism research trip that took her to several nations in central Africa. She received a grant to return in 2006 and told Scott that he should go and make a film. Scott sent me Melanie’s grant proposal, which had won her the grant, and I remember opening that document and staring at my computer screen in complete shock, reading, for the first time, accounts of sexual violence against women in Congo. About three months later we were all in Congo.
Give us a little bit of history on the film’s setting, Panzi hospital, founded by the now renowned Dr. Denis Mukwege.
“Panzi Hospital was established in 1999 in response to the atrocities being committed on the population of Bukavu during the “war of liberation” of 1996. As a result of the war many people were displaced. There was little access to medical care and the death rate among the population, specifically the maternal death rate rose sharply.
During the inauguration of the hospital there were ten healthy deliveries and the first patient was operated on, who was a victim of sexual violence and had sustained a gunshot wound to the lower extremity. Since then the hospital has received multiple victims of sexual violence. It is these victims, who we shall heretofore refer to as survivors, who make up the bulk of patients being cared for at this institution. Of 350 patients received, 250 (71%) are survivors. Some are still awaiting treatment. Panzi Hospital has become the main referral center of South Kivu and North Katanga (Kalemie), occasionally receiving patients from other parts of the Congo.”
(from www.panzihospitalbukavu.org)
Working with these women who have experienced so much violence — sensitive issue. How do you balance the efficiency, professionalism of the project and the very real lives of the girls with whom you work?
This is an important question and something we discussed and thought a lot about prior to the project. We always made it a point, before the camera was ever out of its case, to develop relationships with potential participants. We explained our vision, our goals, and the difficult questions we would like to ask. Lastly, we ensured that the each woman was 100% sure that she wanted to be a part of the project and share her stories. So the photography and film that you see was built on a foundation of mutual understanding and great respect. And once established, we felt a responsibility to conduct our work with the importance of sharing the women’s stories in mind.
What were some of the greatest technical challenges you faced while shooting the film? How did you combat/cope with them?
The only major technical issue we had was in relation to lighting and, after failing multiple times, we decided to use natural light only.
What are you hoping to accomplish through the film and how have you seen it impact others so far?
Our goal has been to contribute to the media that has been exposing the effects of the war in Congo, so that people and government (mainly the in US) will place a higher level of importance on helping the Congolese. Also, Scott is currently in Congo doing the foundational research for a literacy program that will be a part of Panzi Hospital.
What thoughts do you have for filmmakers who create awareness and then seek to effect change via nonprofit “action” efforts?
Scott, Melanie, and I have all struggled with this. There is a part of us that wants to stop what we’re doing and devote ourselves to relief and aid efforts. But we can have such a greater impact by cultivating and committing ourselves to telling the stories. We have realized that we are a production company and not an NGO. That being said, we always want to work in partnership with NGOs and for our film to be used to support the work of NGOs on the ground.
To learn more about Made Known Pictures, Women in War Zones, and how you can help, visit www.womeninwarzones.org.
Women In War Zones: Sexual Violence in the Congo
This month at GlobalShift, we’re talking about documentaries, the sociopolitical issues surrounding them, and the filmmakers who make them. I’m thrilled because I believe that unlike any other medium, film has a unique and indisputable power to bring even the most distant realities to the forefront of our minds. Documentaries move even the most apathetic among us to action. I’m also especially excited because I have the distinct opportunity to highlight one of the most pressing global issues on my mind, as well as some of the activists moving mountains to bring awareness and effect change.
In 2007 I had the privilege of traveling to Democratic Republic of Congo with Melanie Blanding, cultural anthropologist and photographer. For Melanie, the trip was a homecoming. In 2006, she and her then somewhat green crew made up of filmmaker brother Scott, along with Brad LaBriola, lived in Bukavu on the Eastern border of DR Congo. There they filmed what has become an award-winning documentary, “Women In War Zones.”
I recently sat down to watch the film once again and was moved by the striking paradoxes of a world so beautiful and yet so broken by poverty, conflict, and victimization. Currently, Eastern Congo is home to the greatest sexual violence crisis in the world. I’ve written briefly on the topic in the past and in the last couple of years mainstream media outlets have also profiled the atrocities occurring there in detail.
In the lush mountains of Bukavu, DR Congo sits Panzi Hospital, the setting in which the story unfolds. Panzi Hospital leads the way in gynecological medicine in the region, specifically surgical interventions related to sexual violence injuries.
The “Women in War Zones” story follows two women among the thousands who have sought medical care as a result of violent rape at the hands of rebel groups who terrorize the area. Bijoux, a girl of 13, has come to the hospital alone from her remote village following a brutal attack which has left health problems reparable only by surgery. Another hospital resident, Helene, 22, has already received 8 surgeries following her attacks and stint as a sex slave of the Mai Mai, another rebel group. In spite of her past, Helene remains a leader and bearer of hope among the hospital’s patients and takes Bijoux under her wing.
Throughout the film, the crew silently follows the journey of these two women as they undergo surgery, cope with the past, face a drought, care for one another and vote in Congo’s first multiparty election in 46 years. “Women In War Zones” offers a rare glimpse of Congo through the eyes of women as they face daily life and grasp at hope by clinging to ideals such as education, politics, and human goodness in their fellow patients and the hospital staff.
The colorful and picturesque elements that naturally make up the backdrop of the film offer a stark contrast to the devastation terrorizing the rural population. But none of it is manufactured, and as someone who has been there, I can speak to the reality of the depiction; it’s no feat of photography but rather an unadulterated reflection of the breathtaking visuals which enshroud the devastating reality of victimization. The film doesn’t subtract from the bleak situation in which the women find themselves by playing to viewer emotions. As artists and storytellers, the “Women In War Zones” crew allow the landscape and people who inhabit it to speak for themselves. And it is enough. The women are empowered to present exactly as they are and the viewer absorbs the reality of life rather than an emotional veneer of it. The heartbreak of the situation in eastern Congo is expressed through film just as the women express it in reality. It is this true expression which renders “Women In War Zones” such a powerful presentation of a story of injustice that must be told.
***
Since the film’s release, the “Women In War Zones” crew continues to host screenings at venues across the country promoting awareness of the ongoing conflict in DR Congo. This summer, Scott Blanding is once again in Congo developing library and literacy programs for women seeking to advance their education as they endure the recovery process at hospitals in the area.
You can help by attending a screening in your area or contacting “Women in War Zones” to host a screening. For more information, check out www.womeninwarzones.org. Tomorrow, we’ll bring you an interview with Brad LaBriola, one of the film’s directors.
Women In War Zones: Sexual Violence in the Congo, 2008 (clip) from Brad LaBriola on Vimeo.
Become a Whistleblower for Peace in Congo
The Democratic Republic of Congo is home to the world’s deadliest war since World War II and chances are, you don’t know much about it. In fact, the relative obscurity of the ongoing violence that has caused 10 million deaths and led to millions displaced has become almost as dumbfounding as the conflict itself. The shocking nature of atrocities occurring in DR Congo make it occasionally newsworthy and the story has certainly landed in a few notable publications over the years. However, in spite of the press surrounding true stories so gruesome they nearly inspire incredulity, and even a visit from US secretary of State Hilary Clinton, the international community has failed to contribute a significant solution which brings an end to the problem. I use the understated term “problem” here to denote the highest incidence of sexual violence in the world today, widespread poverty and disease, and the ongoing kidnap and recruit of child soldiers.
The devastation playing out in DR Congo today is as complex as it is overwhelming and thus renders easy answers irrelevant. Though it may sound too generous, I’ll even go so far as to say that the inability of the international community to take decisive, conflict-abating action thus far is indeed rooted in more than just brazen indifference. Regardless, the obstacles to change in DR Congo haven’t stopped young activists at Falling Whistles from addressing the conflict at hand and blowing the whistle for peace.
When Sean Carosso set out to Africa in 2007 to help with a Tom’s Shoes drop, he never dreamed his journey would lead him to Congo where he discovered former child soldiers living in the most horrific conditions imaginable. You can read the story of what he found here. Upon Carosso’s return to the U.S., a friend handed him a whistle as a reminder of the plight of child soldiers who are often sent into conflict armed with little more than a whistle. Needless to say, Carosso never forgot and today Falling Whistles is making every effort to make it impossible for others to overlook the reality of the human rights abuses in Congo.
Carosso’s encounter with child soldiers in Congo led him to establish Falling Whistles, an advocacy effort working towards peace in Congo. In addition to raising awareness about the war in Congo, Falling Whistles supports the rehabilitation of 270 war affected children. Operated almost entirely by volunteers comprised of students and young activists, the Falling Whistles crew ultimately strives to bring about an end to the war. Falling Whistles serves as a hopeful reminder that individuals willing to stand against great injustice in the world can make a difference and ultimately, as time will tell, turn the tide.
What can you do? Become a whistleblower for peace—wear your protest around your neck. All proceeds from whistle sales go to rehabilitate child soldiers in Eastern Congo. For the truly determined activist, Falling Whistles also offers a hands on summer internship experience. Join the campaign for peace in Congo!
Want to learn more about Congo? The New York Times is a great source of stories, pictures, and video blogs related to Congo. For a recent story, click here. Or check out the Falling Whistles site to learn about the history of Congo and the current situtation.
Africans reap climate change effects sown by others.
African witnesses will testify to the impact of climate change at the UN Climate Summit in Copenhagen this year (link). Although the continent has contributed only negligibly in the whole scheme of global emissions (some estimate a mere three percent–and I’ll take that with a grain of salt after five weeks wading through the black fog that is Kinshasa, D.R. Congo), Africa is expected to be especially pounded by the actual effects of said emissions. Pre-Summit hearings taking place now in 17 countries shed light on the reality of the climate change effects which we often sequester to the distant nebulous future. Stories of real crises facing real people are expected to bring the discussion to an alarming, tangible present. As Mary Robinson, honorary president of Oxfam has said, “The testimony of women and men who are already struggling to cope with a changing climate is a powerful reminder of what is at stake in the international climate negotiations.”
One example of this struggle is currently playing out in Kenya where the onset of drought is already threatening the most valuable commodity of herders who depend on livestock for survival.
American Dream Walk Raises $85,000
Jimmy Kimmel for Habitat!
Our sister site StudentStuff.com just finished a big weekend in L.A. County as a co-sponsor for Habitat for Humanity’s American Dream Walk fundraiser. The day was packed with celebrities, groundbreakings, and hundreds of volunteers all for a great cause! You can read the story here!
Check back for events of similar magnitude, coming soon to GlobalShift!
Bottle Power!
What happens when you combine a Kentucky classic (Ale-8-1), a community need (a covered bus stop), and an innovative designer (Aaron Scales)?
You get the Bottlestop, a solar powered bus stop that now promotes public transportation in the community of Lexington, Kentucky. The Bottlestop addresses both human need and environmental preservation in a gloriously green marriage conceived in the mind of recent graduate Aaron Scales. Incidentally, many commuters utilizing the Bottlestop are uninsured patients of the community clinic by which the stop is located.
The Bottlestop ultimately serves as a solar powered beacon of light exposing the false dichotomy between the good of humanity and the environment. It reminds us that with a little innovation and conscientious creativity, people and environment actually compliment one another, rather than compete.
And it looks AMAZING too!
A Whole New World: Confronting the Reality Outside Your Front Door
I remember it well. The brisk air howling as it whipped across the black pavement between the drab brick brown apartment buildings identified by their big block numbers. The snapping chill of the wind accentuated the rhythm reverberating from the parking lot. The smell of cigarette smoke wafting from beneath the stairs and dark hallways of the buildings floated on the cold air. As a boombox played, a group of girls on the sidewalk choreographed dances to the beat of “What’s Love” by Ashanti and Fat Joe while real life sound effects backed the track. The sounds from the playground–cedar chips crunching beneath little feet, the squeak and clang of metal chains mixed with the laughter of dizzy kids spinning on the tires filled the air.
When I stepped out of my car and into this new world, it seemed the whole place was swaying, moving to the beat of a song I had never heard before. To me this world was magical because it existed outside the realm of my own reality, outside the bounds of my imagination. To the cynic, I was just looking at the projects, just the place where the “poor people” are. It’s where we white folk know the drug dealers and baby mommas and delinquents live, whether we know any individual there or not. This is where the kids with the “challenges” grow up and thus, I found myself there to help them. In my mind, it will always be the place where I first saw the world even though it was a mere 15 minute drive from my front doorstep.
Another Look at Human Trafficking in the U.S.
In a recent post, Rosaleen O’Sullivan discussed the reality of human trafficking in the United States and her experience with a young student who ended up in jail as a result of victimization.
When I Die They Will Send Me Home – Youth Behind Bars, a video sponsored by Human Rights Watch tells the story of a girl who experienced the full effects of human trafficking beginning at age 13. Unlike Rosaleen’s student “Stacey”, Sara was sent to jail after years of forced prostitution. With no one to intervene on her behalf, Sara ultimately killed her pimp.
Unlike Stacey in Rosaleen’s story, Sara will never have the chance to leave prison, pursue higher education and succeed in the real world.
Check out the report on Human Rights Watch to learn more about the issues and what you can do to help stop human rights abuses.
