VII photographers make Contact

Doctors without Borders photo exhibit raises awareness about war-stricken Congo

Doctors without Borders/Medecins sans Frontieres (MSF) has teamed up with some of the world’s top-notch photographers to create the exhibit, The Democratic Republic of Congo: The Forgotten War, which documents the devastatingly war-torn country through a series of compelling photo artwork.

It’s on display as part of Toronto’s annual Contact Photography Festival at the Scotia Plaza, ironically situated right in the middle of the city’s economical core.

Ben Chapman, interim general director of MSF Canada, says the photos are not meant to generate pity from the public, but to show dignity for the Congolese.

“What I like about these photos is that if you see all these infomercials for other organizations, it’s always about despair,” he said.

“And these photos show [the Congolese’s] strength. If you look you can really see the strength and power in their faces … I think it’s about understanding these people almost as individuals.”

Five members of the distinguished VII photo agency in the United States traveled to the poverty-stricken country, particularly in the province of Ituri where MSF’s Bon Marché hospital is located.

Ituri has been the epicentre of violence, with people fighting for power over the country’s resources which includes an abundance of gold and diamonds. In a study done by the U.S.-based International Rescue Committee, Congo’s death toll due to internal conflict was the highest, more than Bosnia, Rwanda, Kosovo and Darfur.

Ron Haviv, one of the five VII photographers who traveled to the DRC during the summer of 2005 and an acclaimed photojournalist, said the attention being placed on DRC has been scarce over the years.

“By becoming aware of the staggering human toll in the DRC, it was obvious for us at VII to try and help change that,” he said. “We hope that through this work we can raise the awareness of what is happening and that all who see the work will want to help change an ever worsening situation.”

VII, the name derived from the number of photographers who began the organization, was formed in September 2001 and has been the hub for some of the world’s finest photojournalism. It added two more members by 2004.

The exhibition debuted in New York last September and subsequently traveled to Japan, Switzerland, Denmark and Hong Kong before being entered in the Contact Festival.

Alongside violence, VII founder and photographer Antonin Kratochvil traveled to the South Kivu province in Congo to focus on the increased cases of HIV/AIDS where nearly 500 people are infected by the disease.

Meanwhile, Joachim Ladefoged, the most recent addition to VII, spent his time in Congo’s capital, Kinshasa, documenting the commercial sex worker industry.

More prominently, the numbers of sexually violent acts have been increasing immensely, causing the MSF’s clinic to overflow with raped women, some having been gang raped. Over 3,500 rape victims were reported since June 2003. Chapman believes that the number is much higher, with Bon Marché only serving a small fraction of the Ituri province.

“Things have broken down and there’s no more protection for people,” he said. “You’re just preyed upon by militias, warlords or extorted for everything you have, or get killed, or get enlisted as a child soldier or get gang raped -- whatever. It’s just an unbelievable existence.”

The Forgotten War exhibit will be on display in the Scotia Plaza Banking Hall until May 31. It contributes to the Contact Photography Festival’s 10th anniversary theme of Imaging a Global Culture and is also featured in a new book published by de.MO.

The exhibition will continue to tour Europe, the DRC and the U.S. for the rest of this year and next.

Medecins sans Frontieres' next awareness campaign is an expo entitled The Access to Essential Medicines, which features diseases that are less focused on like Chagas Disease and tuberculosis.

The diseases, five in total, will be presented in a 48-foot tractor trailer through a series of photographs, audiovisuals and testimonials and includes the opportunity to speak with former MSF field workers. The tractor will stop in Hamilton in early June and Toronto in early August.

For more information on The Access to Essential Medicines Expo or to see some photos from The Forgotten War exhibit, please visit www.msf.ca

Photography: VII photo agency

Source: Scene and Heard.ca (www.sceneandheard.ca), May 2006 issue