So Close, But So Far

These images are from a detention camp in Pabrade, Lithuania (Wikipedia). Many of the people of people in the photographs are Kurds from Iraq, but why are they here? Like the women in my post two weeks ago, many of these Kurds were being persecuted by Saddam Hussein and his campaign of fear. They chose to flee the country in search of protection from the new terror that had been unleashed in their homeland of Iraq. Unfortunately, none of these Kurds authorized to be in the country of Lithuania and so their journey was halted and the freedom they thought they were getting was snatched right from under their feet (Salgado 109). The bottom picture shows an entire family that is being held in this camp with nowhere to go. They cannot go back for fear of being killed, and because of the laws against them, they also cannot go forward. These Kurds were so close, but yet so far.

Photograph by Sebastiao Salgado

Works Cited

1. Salgado, Sebastiao. Photograph. Migrations: Humanity in Transition. Aperture Foundation. New York. 2000. 109.

2. ---. Pamphlet. “The Refugees' Drama in Former Yugoslavia”.Migrations: Humanity in Transition. New York, Aperture. 2000. 109. Pdf.

3. "Lithuania". Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. 2/24/2010. 2/24/2010.

Nowhere to Go

Photograph by Sebastiao Salgado

Who are these people you might ask? They are gypsies from the territory of Kosovo, which is in the Balkans near Bosnia. During the time that this photograph was taken, 1998, there was a war going on these gypsies country of Kosovo. Many peoples that were being persecuted and killed during the war, like the gypsies, attempted to flee their homeland in search of a better life (Salgado 150). Many of them attempted to flee to Italy by way of smugglers. In this case, it did not turn out to be successful. Italian authorities have caught these gypsies and they are praying that they will not be sent back to their war ravaged country. What disappointment and thoughts of hopelessness these people must be feeling. They have been forced out of their homeland by war and now they are not wanted by the new home these gypsies are trying to create. They have nowhere to go.

Works Cited

1. Sebastiao Salgado. Photograph. "Migrations: Humanity in Transition [The Human Family Around the World]". Legends Online. PDN and Kodak Professional. Web. ND. 11 Feb. 2010.

2. ---. Pamphlet. “The Refugees' Drama in Former Yugoslavia”. Migrations: Humanity in Transition. New York, Aperture. 2000. 150. Pdf.

Missing Faces of Iraq

Photograph by Sebastiao Salgado

When Saddam Hussein came into power in Iraq he did a lot of awful things. He killed and persecuted millions of people, even some of his closest friends and allies. All of this was done so he could have ultimate power over the country. Out of all the inhuman things Saddam did, what is shown in this picture above is one of the worst. These people in the picture are Kurds. They live in the north of Iraq in what is called Iraqi Kurdistan. Saddam ordered all of his troops to attack the Kurds in 1983(Salgado). The troops came in the night and took all of the men, most likely to kill them, leaving the women widows. To make matters worse, by Muslim law, these women were not allowed to re-marry until they were completely sure of their husband’s death (Salgado). Many of them, to this day, are still waiting hopelessly for their husbands, fathers, and sons to return to them.

Works Cited

1. Sebastiao Salgado. Photograph. "Migrations: Humanity in Transition [The Human Family Around the World]". Legends Online. PDN and Kodak Professional. Web. ND. 11 Feb. 2010.

2 ---. Pamphlet. “The Agony of the Kurds”. Migrations: Humanity in Transition. New York, Aperture. 2000. 108. Pdf.

Rwandans in Ruin

Photograph by Sebastiao Salgado

I thought that I would stay on the subject of the Rwandan genocide of 1994, considering how tragic and devastating the event was. This photograph depicts a Rwandan refugee camp in the country of Tanzania (Salgado). These people were trying to escape the social and ethnic violence of their home country.

Unfortunately, this is not just a problem in Rwanda. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimates, as of 2006, that there are a total of 20 million refugees in camps all around the world (Sluzki 1). The UNHCR lists these locations: Africa, the Middle East, the Balkans, Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Timor, Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia and Colombia.

It is hard to think that so many people have been displaced from their homes because of the problems in their respective countries. I think of how hard it would be to raise a child or to grow up in that kind of environment. We have really been so privileged to live in the United States and to have so many more comforts than the millions of others who do not, and are suffering.

Works Cited

1. Sebastiao Salgado. Photograph. "Migrations: Humanity in Transition [The Human Family Around the World]". Legends Online. PDN and Kodak Professional. Web. ND. 4 Feb. 2010.

2. Sluzki, Carlos. "Short Term Heavan, Long Term Limbo". Global Studies Review. UNHCR. Article. 2006. 2010.