Let's be mindful of why we're visual peacemakers and envision the level we can achieve.

The momentous challenge for us as visual peacemakers is to communicate fresh perspectives where harmful stereotypes exist.

Stereotypes lead to social distance which leads to "othering" which leads to negative attitudes and behavior. These can manifest as a passive apathy toward the "other," slandering, or outright hatred and violence.

Where do stereotypes come from? Don't be surprised. Stereotypes don't arrive out of no where. Events happen. People do things to create them. There's often--not always--some truth to stereotypes. It's what we do with them that matters.

Some generalizations that can lead to stereotypes: The French love food. Italians are romantic. Monks are near nirvana. Germans are good designers. Americans are pioneering. Indians are the best computer programmers. The British are witty.  Chinese are math geniuses.

These statements are all positive. But when you meet a French person, don't suppose he or she cooks exquisite cuisine. They might enjoy cold hotdogs doused in mayonnaise, sprinkled with crumbled potato chips. To further the point, one of my favorite Indian poets, Vikram Seth, isn't a code master.

Some harmful stereotypes: All politicians are crooks. The rich are greedy. The homeless are lazy. Spiritual leaders use religion to control people. Mexicans steal. Jews control everything and are involved in multiples conspiracies. Palestinians hate Americans and would bomb the U.S. if they could. Christians are homosexual-hating hypocrites. Muslims seek to take over the world and detest all Western culture. Baggy-pants-wearing African Americans are aggressive and dangerous. Immigrants act like parasites in "our" society. The list goes on. Ouch!

Much "awareness raising" media rightfully cover tragic stories. Unfortunately, many of them indirectly reinforce the above stereotypes and oversimply the complexities behind them. The images and stories put a magnifying glass up to negativity and can't practically tell the full story. What results is a sort of indirect slander. The stereotype gets reinforced and the masses who don't fit it get wrongly categorized.

Why does IGVP exist then? More "awareness raising?" No, not necessarily. Unless we're raising awareness about the need for Visual Peace, which is what the Charter aims to do. We are to be peacemakers and break down stereotypes by displaying the beauty and dignity of various cultures around the world. This includes millions of sub-cultures as well.

We know that stereotypes ultimately cause division. They deteriorate our potential for peace, shalom, salaam! Though case examples can be found to support each stereotype, the application of the stereotype in sweeping strokes becomes dangerous. This is where the need for Visual Peacemakers comes into play.

IGVP members are here to tell a different story. One of hope, of common humanity, of the uniqueness of those individuals who surprise a stereotype by contradicting it.

Show me the baggy-pants-wearing African-American who volunteers at a shelter serving homeless caucasians. Show me the "filthy" rich person who gives one-third of their income to charity. Show me the Muslim leader seeking peace with local communities in Europe. Show me the Palestinian who says with gusto, "I know there are many Israelis who don't hate me, and who want the best for me. And I desire the same for them."

Showing the beauty and dignity of people and culture is a strong step in the right direction--and it always will be. Displaying stories of hope and resolve bring us closer together as humans. But we can also focus more sharply on breaking down some of stereotypes--both the negative and the positive!

What are some stereotypes in your own culture? How can you challenge them journalistically and photographically? How are you positioned to be a visual peacemaker?

Guild member, Matt Powell, said to me once, "A paradigm shift is needed." He was referring to himself as a photographer. I too have been immensely challenged by our new category: visual peacemaking. Over the coming years it is my aim to model this (God help me!). And it is our hope and commitment to draw attention to your work as you create content that excels in highlighting our shared "humanness" and in bringing new perspectives where harmful stereotypes exist.

You can do this... We can do this...
 

photo: Mario Mattei

By way of example, this portrait is of Pastor Michel Kouliga Nikiema of Burkina Faso in Africa. He has spent the last many years mobilizing and leading a love movement that serves people with HIV Aids, both physically and psychologically. "You are NOT dirty. You are NOT cursed by God," he tells them. Kouliga serves Christians, Animists, and Muslims without making distinctions. People of African heritage have been on the recieving end of much racism, injustice, and stereotyping. So have Christians. Kouliga's life challenges the stereotypes. When I look at this photograph of him, I remember my time with him and get chills. The purity and magnitude of his faith and motives will forever inspire me.

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Have you ever felt a tension between your body, mind, & conscience like this: “I want that new piece of gear so bad it hurts; but my mind is telling me I don’t have the finances; plus my conscience is simply saying, ‘no.’”

This represents a lack of Shalom, Salaam, or Shlomo. The fabric of Self is at odds with itself. The fabric of humanity can similarly be at odds with itself. Our world lacks Shalom.

These words—from Hebrew, Arabic, & Syriac-Assyrian, respectively—translate as “peace” in English. Any speaker of these Semitic languages will tell you that “peace” in English fails to grasp the full concept of Shalom.

You can find definitions in English dictionaries like the Merriam-Webster. But even there they define it simply as “a Jewish greeting, peace be to you.” I found the full definition of Shalom in Strong’s Hebrew Lexicon. There it’s defined as peace, welfare, prosperity, health, favor, friendly, & rest. These can be further unpacked as wholeness, reconciled relationships, peace of mind, flourishing of self & society.

photo: Kerry Lammi

So now the real question: Does “peace” in visual peacemakers align with the English definition or a more Semitic understanding? Getting to the root of our name can give us a deeper sense of what we’re seeking to do with our photographic vision & visual peace movement.

“Peace” defined in English is the freedom from war or violence, or any disturbance; quiet & calm. Sounds more like a vacation during cessation to me. So, fellow “visual salaam-makers,” let’s uphold visual peace efforts as efforts toward the shalom of humanity!

Consider the web of all human relationships, societies, nations, & systems as an intricately woven fabric. Now imagine the opposite of visual peace: “images everywhere focused on tension & polarity, stereotypes used to distance some as ‘other’, & difference regarded as ugly & dangerous. And by no means is someone granted dignity just for being human—they could be a terrorist, a capitalist, a commie, a right-winger, a tree-hugger, a homosexual, a pro-lifer, an infidel, too poor, too rich, too fundy or too flighty…” you get the point.

The fabric of a humanity woven together on those realities would be a tattered rag, fraying, & useless for anything practical or decorative.

On the flip side, imagine a humanity where visual peace has made some impact, where visual communicators have “shown common humanity, broken down stereotypes of the ‘other,’ & displayed the beauty & dignity of peoples around the world,” and where millions have subscribed to being socially conscious image-viewers. The fabric of humanity would be more whole, restful, friendly, & able to flourish.

Let me be soberly clear: The visual peacemakers movement & Charter for Visual Peace is only one thread among millions. We are NOT the answer to a whole humanity. Nonetheless, when synergized around a vision like this, we have a chance at weaving one strong thread—something that is just about impossible to do as individuals, but that we can do together. Does anyone else out there also have the grit to believe this?

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I'm excited to introduce our first guest blog post from co-writer of IGVP's Ethical Code, Dr. Howard Zehr. More biographical info is below. Whenever Zehr writes on photography and/or justice, sit down and be prepared to think deeply--because he has been for the past 25+ years. Here it is:

“Artists are supposed to be on the cutting edge.  I want to be at the healing edge.” – unknown artist.

I am honored to have been invited to participate in this blog.  In this first entry I will say a bit about my own involvements and introduce several themes that I will develop further in later entries.  Hopefully they will be of interest as we begin this journey together in the IGVP. 

Two important passions in my life are sometimes in tension but also intersect in important ways. 

One part of me is a photographer. I’ve worked internationally as an NGO photojournalist. I’ve done marketing and magazine stories.  I love landscapes and portraiture (see www.howardzehr.com ).  But what I like most is doing documentary work.  In my experience, documentary photography can help bridge the chasms that separate people.  If done respectfully and collaboratively, it can also provide a way for people to share of themselves.   My vision, like that of the IGVP, is to use photography as a way to work on the healing edge.

The other passion, and much of my career, has been in the criminal justice field, and specifically a field that I helped found called restorative justice.  Unlike criminal justice that tends to divide, restorative justice is essentially a peacemaking approach to justice. Restorative justice is justice on the healing edge.

One way in which these two passions come together is that both of them – like the IGVP – aim to reduce “social distance.”  The distance we feel from other people affects how we perceive and treat others as well as what we expect of them.  Social distance allows us to turn other people into objects, and then we can do all kinds of awful things to them.  They become the “other.”  Researcher Michelle Fine argues that much research and journalism – and we might add, photojournalism - has been “a colonizing discourse of the other.”

image: Mario Mattei

Social distance is what makes it possible for the US to have the world’s highest incarceration rate. As Norwegian criminologist Nils Christie has pointed out, it is harder to be punitive when you know people well, in all the complexities and nuances of their real human lives. 

Social distance is also what makes it possible to neglect crime victims so profoundly.  We turn them into abstractions and stereotypes and symbols instead of real people. 

Interestingly, it’s through social distance that offenders do what they do as well.  They can victimize others because they do not empathize with them.

This effort to reduce social distance has guided a number of my photo book projects. Doing Life:  Reflections of Men and Women Serving Life Sentences encourages us to see and listen to life-sentenced prisoners as real people rather than stereotypes.  Transcending:  Reflections of Crime Victims does the same for victims of severe crime.  To be released shortly, What is Going to Happen to Me? shares the perspectives of some of the 2.4 million children in the U.S. who have a parent in prison.

The goal in much of my photography and in restorative justice is to find a way to reduce social distance.  This is also IGVP’s goal and that is why I am encouraged by their commitment.

Another intersection between “healing photography” and peace/justice work is the cluster of values that underlie both.  I often identify a number that are central:  respect, responsibility, relationships, humility, wonder.  These values also underlie IGVP’s Charter and Ethical Code.

Albert Renger-Patzsch, an early 20^th century photographer, said that “photography seems to me to be better suited for doing justice to an object than for expressing artistic individuality.”   That’s my goal:  to “do justice” to my subject, and to do so on the healing edge.

 

Howard Zehr is Professor of Restorative Justice at the Center for Justice & Peacebuilding, Eastern Mennonite University (www.emu.edu/cjp), Virginia.  His other blog, on restorative justice, photography and art-based research, may be found at http://emu.edu/blog/restorative-justice/. 

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What do you believe about your own potential... as a photographer, a visual peacemaker, a person?

1. "I am what I am. I was born this way. I can't really change too much. I have certain dispositions and tendencies that'll never change. It's in my blood. My intelligence and talent will always have a certain limit."

2. "I can change myself for better. A personal rut is something I can climb out of with dedication and hardwork. My personality, brains, and talent can all be altered through intentionality on my part."

Yes, you are reading the right blog. This is not Psychology Today. What you believe about your own potential will determine whether or not you simply document your talents or advance them. The progress of your photographic vision, or lack thereof, is at stake.

Your brain is a muscle. Psychologist Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D,. one of the world’s leading researchers in the field of motivation and success, has conducted numerous studies showing how mindset #2 leads to growth. In one study children of average math ability were put into two different classrooms. One class was taught and tested as normal. The second class was told their brain was a muscle, capable of growing with proper exercise. Students in class two scored higher on tests. Their mindset altered their intelligence.

Isn't this wonderful news! We've known that we can exercise our craft, practicing at the level where our vision and technical abilities intersect. But if our brain is a muscle, this means our vision itself can grow deeper and wider. You are NOT stuck artistically.

Confession: I've struggled with how much I grasp what visual peacemaking is and can be. It's a new category. At times my vision is palpably inspired by a simple statement like this: "Bring new perspectives where harmful stereotypes exist." At other times, I feel there's more I should be seeing and understanding about visual peacemaking. Learning and finding inspiration in community is a good, humble approach to growth. I find it helps me to look both outside myself as well as deep within.

I believe mindset #2. My vision will expand, because my vision is a muscle. Dweck writes, "People with a growth mindset understand that no one has ever accomplished great things—not Mozart, Darwin, or Michael Jordan—without years of passionate practice and learning." Your vision is a muscle. Exercise it. What you can accomplish as a visual peacemaker is not static, but dynamic. Be intentional about growing your ability to impact the world with your camera and ideas.

So which mindset are you? Take the test on Dweck's website for the book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. http://mindsetonline.com/testyourmindset

How hard or easy is it for you to believe and maintain mindset #2?

Hey, and don't forget to subscribe to this RSS feed as well as the RSS feed from our "Buzz." We want you to be up to date on the goodies and to hang out on this blog with the rest of us!

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One our co-founders, Jim Mullins, recently forwarded me a 50 minute documentary that unveils how Hollywood has slandered Arabs, using them as caricatures and stock villains. I was deeply disturbed when watching this. The need for visual peacemaking in our world screamed at me. So loud was the call to bring new perspectives where harmful stereotypes exist. This reality gave me cause to reflect, to value all of you, and write this blog post.

You cannot compete with Hollywood on their grounds or their terms. They are an Ocean but WE are many Streams! You can use social media, your blog, commenting online, and this website community to influence thousands, and someday possibly millions. Take your camera, your vision, and be intentional. It starts with you. However, going at this alone is inefficient and ineffective.

Currently, I see two major ways that you as an individual can use the strength of numbers to combat cultural stereotypes being reinforced daily in visual media. You can

1. Upload your best, most relevant cultural photography & documentaries here, and then use your communication channels to invite others to view this website and your work.
2. Get people you know to think about what it means to view images responsibly by inviting them to sign our Charter for Visual Peace.

We start here. Over time we will measure and evaluate, make necessary adjustments, and initiate other innovative ways to be Visual Peacemakers!

Now, I recommend you watch this documentary and perhaps not alone, but with others. And then talk about it. It will surely reveal to you just how important you are as someone who will take a camera and tell a different story--one of beauty, dignity, and complexity.

image: Antoine Reveau

Here's the synopsis of the film:

"The Arab is a one-dimensional caricature, a cartoon cutout used by film makers as stock villains and as comic relief. And so, over and over, we see Arabs in movies portrayed as buffoons, their only purpose being to deliver cheap laughs. This groundbreaking documentary dissects a slanderous aspect of cinematic history that has run virtually unchallenged from the earliest days of silent film to today’s biggest Hollywood blockbusters. Featuring acclaimed author Dr. Jack Shaheen, the film explores a long line of degrading images of Arabs–from Bedouin bandits and submissive maidens to sinister sheikhs and gun-wielding “terrorists”–along the way offering devastating insights into the origin of these stereotypic images, their development at key points in US history, and why they matter so much today."

Does anyone have a gallery here yet of Arabs? I'd love to see it and draw everyone's attention to it. Tell us about it in a comment below.

Put your camera in your hands. Hold it like the gift that it is. Ask yourself,  "How can I serve humanity with this device?"

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Cheers, Şerefe, Budmo, Shukram, Oogy wawa, Sanda bashi, Mabuhay! (English, Turkish, Ukrainian, Arabic, Zulu, Urdu, Filipino)

Happy Launch Day! Let’s SHOOT FOR PEACE!

What if humans consistently got exposed to “other” cultures through photography and media presentations themed on beauty and our common humanity instead of conflicts and hatred? Would the world be a less divided place? We believe so. We call this visual peacemaking.

Now imagine that a company formed to create tools and a platform for photographers to do this collectively—as a community. Imagine this company also seeking creative ways to bring exposure to the community’s peace-building images. Now imagine that a Guild of unique photographers stepped up to lead and share their experiences. Imagine this Guild striving to help equip other visual peacemakers with resources and opportunities.

There's no need to imagine this? It’s ALL HAPPENING. Today!  

The company is IGVP, LLC brought to you by my team of co-founders and myself. The Guild can be viewed here. The community, the Visual Peacemakers… well that’s YOU, my friend.

Stand on this platform--this website--use it for good and know that our Guild is worthy to look to and learn from, know that we founders will faithfully operate this site and movement for the cause of Visual Peace.

image: Matt Powell

Many have been anticipating this day for months. Others are just finding us. Visual peacemaking is a journey we will discover and further define together as a Community. I mean that! Part of staying connected means subscribing to this RSS feed, commenting, tweeting, etc.

Much thought, energy, and time has been dedicated in creating this website to

1. equip, resource, and inspire you,
2. connect you to opportunities and others around the world, and
3. MOST IMPORTANTLY to emower you to be a "humanitarian" by making an impact through visual peacemaking!

Click around. Discover the benefits of the tools we’ve created for you, the resources offered to you by our world-class Guild members, and the Ethical Code you subscribe to when you register. If you’re new to IGVP and visual peacemaking, explore the About section and our welcome newcomer page. And you'll want to follow us on twitter @IGVP, and follow each other @IGVP/vpc. As a cultural photographer myself, I’m also excited to be a part of this community, to have these tools and resources, and to use it all for good.

So, Get Involved. Your (Free, Standard, or Premium) Peacemaker Profile is designed to be the central location for your do-gooder photographer presence or as a secondary location that leads back into your personal blog and brand. Once you feel acquainted with what we're doing here, begin uploading your work. Please consider two factors when contributing your visual content 1) Is it RELEVANT to the vision statement? 2) Is it my BEST work?

When you stand with us here, you become a key player in the larger movement of peacemaking and breaking down stereotypes by displaying the beauty and dignity of cultures around the world!

Also, by standing with us, you have the opportunity to advance your career by being awarded an impressive grant from our beloved partner, Focus for Humanity. Why? Because we want photographers like you, VISUAL PEACEMAKERS, to be successful and influential in the world.

Check out the IGVP Buzz to learn more about receiving a free ebook from Craft&Vision when you register with us in the first 76 hours of launching, and about the portfolio contest we’re running during these first two weeks, which will result in being awarded a one-to-one mentoring program from independent, freelance travel photographer, Gavin Gough.

Thanks to Guild members David DuChemin, Gavin Gough, Jeffrey Chapman, Ami Vitale, Matt Powell, Kerry Lammi, Nicole Gibson, Matt Brandon and his Depth of Field Podcast, we launch with a long list of photographers eager to get involved today!

In these first few weeks do bear with us as we may still find some tweaking needing to be done with the website. Our developer is standing by to make any necessary fixes.

What's next? Register for FREE or for upgraded options See Plans & Pricing. And don't forget to follow us on twitter @IGVP, and follow each other @IGVP/vpc.

But many of you new comers may still be asking the initial questions:

What is visual peacemaking? Am I a visual peacemaker? Is this a community for me? To help you, please click here to our welcome newcomer page.

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