The current flood disaster of Pakistan has been so great that all superlatives of language have already been used. Therefore I am choosing the photo medium here as it may be better than writing thousand more words. As with other natural disasters, flood affected children in Pakistan are especially vulnerable and need our attention.
(1)
Nowshera, Pakistan.
(2)
Sharing food in a flood relief camp.
(3)
Transporting flood affectees to the camps.
(4)
Following photo is from Chakra Goth which is a camp for flood affectees outside Karachi. It was published in today’s Jang newspaper.
In an earlier post here Adil Najam and our readers have mentioned several good ways of helping the flood victims of Pakistan. I want to add worldvision.org to the list – as they especially work for child welfare besides general humanitarian work.
These kids are our future. They will grow up survivors.
Ever since the image itself was named “the most recognized photograph” in the history of the magazine, every photographer in the world has been trying to capture the next big moment.
The 1984 “Afghan Girl” was photographed by National Geographic’s Steve McCurry at the Nasir Bagh refugee camp in Pakistan. We all know the image, it is the young girl, looking at camera with both apprehension and a question. It has been suggested, that the image brought back National Geographic from the brink of bankruptcy and oblivion.
And then we have standards of our very own, F. E. “Chacha” Chaudhry, covered extensively at ATP. When you look at the images of Chacha, there are no props, not staged photography. He simply blends into the story and weaves an image out of it. There is not “making” of a story; no debasement of the persons in the story. Just a moment in time, captured to tell it all.
Sadly, we do not have photo “journalists” who follow the footsteps of F. E. Chaudhry. Nor keep his tradition of covering a news worthy event and not debase the subject.
Combine this with the desire of capturing the next “Afghan Girl” moment, you have a repulsive trend. A trend that must be called out for it’s lack of dignity; lack of conscious; lack of decency.
I abhor at this gutter photo journalism. It is repulsive to stage a child in the worst possible ways, to create a story out of another story.
I have now quoted enough times, “Morally a parent cannot give a photographer permission to take a photograph that degrades their child”. Source: adevelopingstory dot org
The BBC guidelines read as follows:
We must ensure that the physical and emotional welfare and the dignity of people under the age of eighteen, and in particular children under fifteen, are protected during the making and broadcast of programmes and online content, irrespective of any consent given by them or by a parent, guardian or other person in loco parentis.
ATP, we must resist the urge to get into images that are taken at the expense of children; poor children. This kind of photo journalism will not happen in Boston, Chicago, Princeton or Berkley. The reporter would simply lose his credentials.
BTW, I find nothing wrong in #1. It tells a story. But #2, 3 and 4 are staged. Children used as props. I reject them.
The standard of common sense is very simple, if you do not want your son in that picture; you do not want someone else’s son in the same picture.
Let us protect our children, our future.
Let us respect our children, our own people, so that others may learn to respect us.
Calamity of unimaginable proportion.
May all humanity get united to help the poor masses.
The sympathy of all the people of the world is with the poor helpless and hapless victims.
May God help Pakistani people
Very touching.
May God be with people of Pakistan in these difficult time.
My prayers are with them.
These floods are much more than death and destruction. If we have to survive, the plundered wealth will have to be coughed up. Read more at: http://fmeducation.wordpress.com/2010/08/22/it-is- much-more-than-death-and-destruction/