This looks like to me this could be a snapshot from the early to mid 1900's depicting a city full old abandoned farms that some kids were rough-housing around in. The picture is actually from 1997; I was nine years old. I am not exactly sure on how God decides to who and what circumstance we are all born in, but I very easily could have been another blended in bare-foot trampling along in this picture. Their village, with many more just like it, was destroyed by the fighting between the Turkish Army and seperatist group known as the PKK. With much of their neighboring villages left in the same situation, finding solace is difficult. A very limited few are getting any kind of support form the Turkish government. The village destruction is constant as the fighting continues to this day in the Turkish area. The government has promised to rebuild the villages, but have yet to make significant action. With the recent earthquake in Haiti, many of the people there are in the same situation. Their city is destroyed, resources are limited and there is nowhere to go. However, they are getting tons of media actions, will likely be getting a lot of support to help rebuild, and better preperations for future earthquakes can be made.
Salgado, Sebastiao. Photograph. Migrations: Humanity in Transition. Aperture. New York, 2000. 105
I too wonder what makes one disaster stand above another. I know that the earthquake in Haiti was bad and will never downplay the need of its victims for help. But is it that much worse than what is going on in this picture? Why are the celebrities, Red Cross, and other organizations not flocking to help these devastated people just as much as those in Haiti? Things like this truly make me wonder how many people there really are in the world suffering from dire conditions that we have no idea even exist. I hope this project opens our eyes to the fact that this destruction and devastation is happening worldwide. We need to help everywhere!
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