Notes on a project pt.1

Travelling through South America gave me a lot to think. I saw much poverty and hardship of life, witnessed some very harsh realities. Often unimaginable to a well established European or American, who closes his eyes on the problems and opens them for the sights. There are big problems everywhere, wherever you go. The western world is no less troubled and ridden with problems, but often of a different nature. And what good it would be if the developing countries would go the same way? Most of them are aware of that and don't want it.

But there are solutions. On board of a shaky bus, somewhere in northern Peru, I thought this : some of us are lucky. We travel, we buy plasma TV's, eat fruit from the other side of the world, we blame our troubles on our governments. We have a lot more then we really need. We succumb by circles of wanting, craving and attachment that makes our life more stressful, hectic and materialstic. But compassion and stepping out of this circle, realizing our privileged state, our power to change and using all this to help those in need, gives us something that fills us innerly more surely then things like pleasure, power or money. This how I think people can help each other. Money is just a resource and although it's an important part of this project it is not the most important one. People need to share their knowledge, compassion, fill each other with courage and joy of life, and prepare children for life, prepare them for something that we all are responsible for.

This, más o menos is the philosophy behind what I'm doing, as much for others as for myself.

I'm still thinking about the form of the exhibitions - the concept for now is to combine photography and information about San Roque de Cumbaza, the region of San Martin in Peru and what the people there went through in last decades - something that I was completely ignorant of before my trip. That is of course not the point - there is much suffering in the world that we can't be aware of. The point is - when you see it, and you can do something about it - do it.

The first steps that I'm taking are legalizing it all, as I would like this to be just the start for such projects. So, instead of rambling away here I'm off to do some research and start giving this project some momentum !

Ciao!:)