I can't stop thinking about the Kony 2012 video and of the movement it will hopefully create.  This is such a heart wrenching catastrophe that, has so far, had no end in sight.  This experimental outreach method targets the immense power of the networking/social communities currently conquering our world - smart move! By the influential power of public voice, the charity aims at capturing the war criminal, Joseph Kony - a man responsible for converting 66,000 children into LRA soldiers and displacing over two million people in his reign of terror.

Despite the photo of the founders of Invisible Children posing with bazookas alongside the Washington Post article that blatantly slams the charity, I feel there is definitely more good to be done than harm.   As Joe Turteltaub gets angry in the article Movie Director Gives Thoughtful Response, I can agree, it's more than sand paper rough to belittle such humanitarian efforts.  Although I can not necessarily agree with their concept of Kony as an icon, I realize with the emphasis of tools in modern media, there is potential to create the notorious figure as recognizable as a household name.  One thing that does bother me, but not regarding the charity - I just can't help but feel disappointed it takes celebrities to put their name to such an issue to get the majority of general public interested or involved...However, in the end all that matters is that more and more people are being informed of the ongoing horrors occurring and the horrible injustice of LRA victims.

Upon watching the video, I was reminded of the VII photographer Marcus Bleasdale and his amazingly powerful work on the subject.  I feel that these next two videos are more moving and informative than Kony 2012, although I completely understand and appreciate the intention of Koby 2012 - these next videos utilize a different approach and are worth watching as well.  

Marcus Bleasdale has been documenting the effects of the LRA since 1999 and has recently been working with the Pulitzer Center, The Lord's Resistance Army: The Hunt For Africa's Most Wanted.   I had the honor of meeting Marcus while attending the Congo Women exhibition ( and the pleasure of a little involvement in this campaign while assisting at VII ) in Paris last year where his work was displayed amongst other VII photographers in the fight for awareness - in this case aimed directly at the women in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This quote taken from a statement about the exhibition says it all.  
"....The essays that accompany the photographs provide a deeper background with which to understand their context. They address a human-made humanitarian crisis. This is not a natural disaster; it is our disaster as a global community.....Through the arts we create possibilities, identify necessities and shape our realities. In recognizing this phenomenon, we acknowledge a profound and far-reaching fact: art can encourage our greatest human capacity and can be the vehicle for the deepest of human expressions and actions." (Congo Women)

while on the subject of polaroids......

Being away from both America and my family has made me miss and appreciate both more than I ever thought possible.  
Another thing I miss, my polaroid camera! 
It got to be an expensive habit but the love was too strong and I stayed loyal to the end!  
This personal series is a pretty accurate description of my 'American Family'.