What I’m Reading
May 5, 2020
While the photographic post I promised for last week has been delayed (it is now done and will be published on Thursday), I begin this week with two more recommendations from the What I’m Reading series.
While I wish we could have only positive stories, especially these days, the unfortunate truth is that there are stories that need our attention. The Rohingya issue is one of them.
As a bit of a counterweight, the second recommendation brings us to South Africa and the “Born Free.” It is a visual reminder of hope and beauty in the world.
Reminder: Migration is Still an Issue
While the current pandemic occupies a good chunk of the news coverage these days, here’s an issue we must not forget. Migration is one of the big stories of our time and while a pandemic might bring most of the world to a standstill, the needs of refugees and their dire circumstances don’t simply go away.
Ever since starting to look into Burma/Myanmar myself, I’ve absorbed every story about the country I could find, including those about (but not exclusively about) the Rohingya.
Hundreds of Rohingya Refugees Stuck at Sea With ‘Zero Hope’ is a reminder of the latest stage of this humanitarian issue that keeps evolving regardless of a pandemic troubling the globe.
The article offers both a solid update on the current situation and valuable context that reminds us of the recent history. I urge you to spend a few minutes on this article to keep this issue in your thoughts.
The basics at the moment are that at least three boats, packed with hundreds of refugees each, departed Bangladesh some 10 weeks ago. They are not wanted in Bangladesh (a country that says they’ve taken more than their fair share of refugees already) and they’re not wanted in Malaysia (a country in pandemic lockdown and a country where xenophobic voices have become louder). Now, the advocacy groups that kept track of the boats say they’ve lost contact. The UN speaks of a “game of human ping-pong.”
There is little hope for the refugees on board those ships as the conditions on a boat that was rescued earlier in April have demonstrated. The boats are typically overcrowded (including children), there is a lack of food and water, and traffickers don’t shy away from physical abuse. The article states that those ships are being labeled “modern day slave ships.”
We need happy news these days, and I don’t want to be a buzzkill, but stories like this need our attention. Now more than ever. Give it a few minutes of your time.
A Look at the Born Free
A few months back I bought a wonderful photo book called “Born Free.” It’s the culmination of Dutch photojournalist’s Ilvy Njiokiktjien’s work surrounding South Africa’s youth.
There’s also a website dedicated to the story that I recently discovered in connection with the Webby Awards (an award “honoring the best of the Internet”).
Without many words, I’d like to send you to the site of Ilvy’s story. It’s a story dedicated to the young South Africans born in the first years after the end of apartheid. The “born-frees” were born into a new South Africa, one with equal rights for everyone. “Born Free” documents the many advances made as well as the challenges that remain. The pictures are a beautiful historical document that shows the importance of journalism and documentary work.
I’ve enjoyed reading and viewing the book (and still pick it up frequently to revisit). The website is a wonderful digital cousin to the book. It is packed with background reading, video interviews, and pictures. You won’t regret visiting it for yourself (and maybe consider peeking at the Webby Awards, where the Born Free website is in the running for Best Individual Editorial Feature (voting is open until May 7, 2020).
That’s a wrap for this week’s What I’m Reading post. Later this week, I’ll share a photographic post about testing and evaluating something new. And more reading recommendations continue next week. Until then, happy reading.
