Jan 28, 2018
From Rwanda to the U.S.: How One Photographer Uses His Camera For Change
We Are One Voice
Rwanda
Séamus Conlan is not new to using his camera as a means for change. As a photographer and an activist, he wields his camera like a powerful instrument to bring about change. In 1994 he saw first-hand the devastating legacy of war as a result of the Rwandan genocide which brought misery and devastation. As Hutu and Tutsi of Rwanda were fiercely fighting and killing each other for almost 100 days, about 800,000 were left dead and families torn apart leaving behind thousands of orphans. Séamus felt a moral imperative to lead an effort to try and resolve the orphan crisis so he did what he knew best and picked up his camera.
As a photographer he was used to telling the stories of people through eye of the lens. Using a camera as his vehicle to do good work in Rwanda and to help those innocent children left behind, Séamus grabbed his camera and began to take pictures of the orphans and help resettle them with their remaining family members. An astonishing 21,000 children were photographed.
The humanitarian effort took the form of him as photographer capturing the faces of thousands of orphans. With the help of Kodak digitizing and printing the images, they categorized the images according to their geographic area and placed the images inside a huge white medical tent with transparent sides. The traveling tent then made stops at refugee camps. As Séamus describes the grandiose physical structure standing under the tent, he also describes the feeling of standing among the thousands of images as hopeful. Hope of reuniting children with their families or closest relative.
Their hope and work photographing the orphans paid off and resulted in a remarkable 80% of the orphaned children reuniting with their families.
U.S.A
After giving hope to thousands of orphans through the power of the camera in Rwanda, Séamus returned home to the United States and has not put down his camera. Today he is fighting for another great cause: showcasing diversity.
Séamus explains that here in the U.S., the American people are “dangerously divided” so once again we wields his camera in an effort toward unity but this time with the “We Are One Voice” project.
“We Are One Voice” is a 501c3 with a mission to identify what diversity means to each person it photographs and to help embrace differences we don’t readily see. Not one to see individuals placed into boxes or spending time focusing on what divides us, Séamus put a call out one weekend in Venice, California that simply read: “come as you are.”
Hundreds of folks responded to the call and showed up from all walks of life. They were given the red carpet treatment and were asked to stand in front of Séamus’ camera. The photographer and the model talked for a bit and as they chatted about what diversity meant to them he started clicking away. His ability to listen to them and find their story while he clicked his camera is why he says “you don’t take the picture with the camera, you take it with your soul.”
After the images were taken, they were blown up and printed. They are then showcased along with their diversity statement “It wouldn’t be our world if there wasn’t diversity” or “It wouldn’t be a world worth living in if there were no diversity.” The final project, a powerful collection of personal images and emotion, was displayed for the all to see.
Those photographed were welcome to wait and Séamus got a chance to watch their reactions to how they were captured by his camera. Some were moved to tears looking at their images. What Séamus realized was that his camera caught the beauty that they themselves hadn’t seen in a long time. He knew he had helped them find themselves and their story. A story of beauty deep inside hidden by adversity. Whether they were homeless, differently-abled, businessmen or moms with their children, he was able to use his camera to capture their raw emotion and some who shared their painful experiences. Through the eyes of the lens he was able to provide a different look inside of them, one the world one doesn’t always see past. One that needs to be seen in order to move forward.
Perhaps it’s his calling; a champion for helping reunite and for capturing the essence of individuals and their stories. An advocate using the power of his lens to help end what seems to separates humans.
Whatever it is, Séamus is moved to showcase diversity with the “We Are One Voice” project. With a purpose of using photography to support people in delivering their story and spreading awareness about how powerfully photography can showcase diversity in the world, Séamus realizes the significance of the lens from his work in Rwanda to today with his work with “We Are One Voice.”
Road trip
Venice, CA was just the start of the tour of 25 cities in around 60 days with a purpose of attaining diverse conversations, stories, and tales. “At We Are One Voice, we want to bring diverse people together because bringing the voice of large amounts of people will make their diverse voice louder and louder.”
Séamus, his powerful images and “We Are One Voice,” are agents for change that will go all over the U.S. having conversations and raising awareness. People will then be able to view, add their voice to this project and help facilitate workshops where people can meet one another.
Over the plan tour that’ll run over 10k miles, “our one voice will get louder and louder. The evidence is overwhelming: we need to embrace diversity.”
One of his goals is to “help our country and the world. We need this right now. I shutter at what can happen if we don’t come together as a tapestry. These images and conversation need to be told.”
He reminds us: “that one voice can have a ripple effect.”
What story do you want to tell? What does diversity mean to you?
We Are One Voice, a 501c3
Goals:
· Going city to city people getting involved asking who people are
· Looking at diversity in a different way
· Shift in perspective
· Show the world it can come together at a common ground.
· Take a moment to look at things slightly different; to see a new perspective
Vision:
· Use of camera to educate for social change and unity.
What to support?
· They are looking for community partners to provide support to secure inclusive spaces for the event component.
· They are looking for local heroes in each community help create stories, open up dialogue and learn about the cities they go into.
· They need educators as they would like to prepare a toolkit to help create workshops using the material from the events.
Contact:
To get involved in the project visit:
