Alternatives International

Reversing Stereotypes

Salima Punjani — 2011-03-15T15:52:47Z

December saw the end of the incredibly successful first annual Addis Ababa Foto Festival (AFF), but the creative momentum sparked by the festival is omnipresent. AFF was organized by Ethiopian curator and photographer Aida Muluneh and brought together photographers from all over Africa and the diaspora for 5 days full of diverse and unique events. From portfolio reviews for emerging African photographers, to panel discussions to photo-video projections AFF set a high precedent for future arts and culture events in Addis.

The festival was launched with a photography-music projection produced by a workshop on street photography led by Paris based photographer Yo-Yo Gonthier. The projection depicted images taken in Addis Ababa and was accompanied with live music put on by local Ethio-jazz funk band Nubian Ark. It was Gonthier's first experience mixing photography and live music and he gave some insight into the development of the project.

“The process was to try to play live in front of the image, when I made the images I was thinking of the fact it will have music on it. With Nubian Ark, the idea was to pose the same questions in photography and music. For instance, when talking about Arrat Kilo where the houses are being destroyed to build big commercial buildings, it was like the blues because I know people who live there will have to leave, so we played blues, it is simple like that, we tried to make a discussion between something common in music and photography.”

Gonthier's performance was followed by a photo-audio project presented by an Ethiopian artist Meheret (second name and affiliation?). The projection photographically and aurally tracked the artist's journey around Addis Ababa while she asked people to trade their old shoelaces for new ones. The crowd was bursting with laughter as they listened to and watched the confusion of pedestrians trying to process Meheret's strange request as well as found commonality with the yells of Addis city sector names like “Kasanches” “Bole” and “Arrat Kilo” coming from taxi drivers calling out their destinations. The excellent reception of Meheret's and Yo Yo Gonthier's work is an example of how AFF served as an amazing opportunity for both local and international photographer's to gain recognition and exposure.

Throughout the duration of the festival, there were a series of closed portfolio reviews of the work of 16 young emerging photographers from across Africa. The portfolio review was initiated by the Goethe Institute in Mapulto, Mozambique where 32 photographers from 16 different countries were invited to present their work to curators. There was a follow up at the Bamako Encounters festival in Mali where 16 photographers took part in the reviews. Monique Pelser, a photographer from South Africa was one of the artists selected to take part in the portfolio review sessions. Pelser appreciated the opportunity to meet with curators from various places ranging from Germany to Lagos and the chance to see how her and fellow participants' work has improved and developed over the past few years.

“One of the most amazing things about these portfolio reviews is the networking between photographers, we have really started to develop relationships and start a dialogue across the continent … this network supports a shift which gives people, especially young emerging people, a sense of possibility and community to function in.”

When asked about she feels about how the coming together of the emerging photographers has helped to change the image of and challenge the market for sensationalized images of Africa, Pelser felt the portfolio reviews have good intentions and provide a strong support for the photographers.

“One of the most positive things about the support for young African photographers is that there is an underlying intention of not exoticizing Africa though photography and the photographers. Rather than choosing the most cliché or most iconic images, we are being encouraged to interrogate our environment in a self-reflective fashion. I think (the market for less sensational images) will be a gradual change, it is gradually gaining momentum, but it will take a couple of generations to shift. Once people, they use the phrase ‘graduate' from the program, it opens up space for others. Disseminating this way of looking, this philosophy of looking, spreads the intention, and through that network and in a couple of generations, people will start questioning the authority of what they saw before and (work on) shifting and remaking it. ”

Elise Atangana, a Cameroonian-French curator who participated in the festival explained how often in international photography festivals, Africa is underrepresented and emphasized the importance of the AAF in helping to showcase and promote photographers and photography that aren't typically seen in the stereotypical representations of Africa.

“I think the first edition in Addis Ababa is professional and interesting, I feel it is modern and a really good start….In France there is a concentration of power on a photographic level, so it is difficult for an African artist to emerge.”

Atangana along with two other professionals presented a photographic compilation from 12 different African artists on subjects ranging from dance and music to polygamy and adoption. The presentation aimed to showcase new practices and genres of African photography.

The success of the AFF shows that there is a demand for high-quality artistic and cultural events in Addis Ababa. The overall ambiance of the festival was very positive, the festival did not only cater to photography enthusiasts, but had a very accessible, welcoming atmosphere which attracted a diverse range of people. AAF continues to act as a resource for emerging artists via its website, Facebook page and blog. To read more about the events and exhibitions that took place during the festival as well as to learn more about the participants please visit www.addisfotofest.com.

Salima Punjani is an intern with Oxfam Canada in Ethiopia.

Photo: "Addis Chromes" by Eritrean artist Dawit L. Petros

Teach a Man to Fish

Salima Punjani — 2010-10-02T03:58:17Z

At first I was skeptical about why we had a 3-week training program, I was nervous about the reintroduction of development buzzwords into my life, I was dreading being a part of conversations that are completely inaccessible to the world outside of academia, but I was wrong. The three weeks I spent at the Coady were incredibly enriching.

How would you describe community without using the word itself? Imagine people from all over Africa, the Caribbean, Canada, India and Central America coming together and attempting to define what community means to them. This is only one of the many activities I had the chance to take part in at the Nova Scotia-based Coady International Institute for my internship with Oxfam Canada in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The institute's methodology is based on adult education principles that Rev. Moses Coady and Rev. Jimmy Thompkins promoted to economically and socially marginalized Nova Scotians in the 1930's. The pair brought together fishermen, farmers and miners to work and study collectively to understand their socio-economic situation and find ways to better it. With the help of Coady and Thompkins, communities were encouraged to identify and utilize their assets instead of focusing on what they lacked. Rather than imposing their beliefs, the reverends created study groups to allow people to discuss and share their knowledge and opinions on how their communities could become more economically self-sustaining.

As a result, many communities were able to pool their resources to create institutions such as cooperatives and credit unions to successfully pull themselves out of poverty. The Coady institute actively promotes the tools and practices promoted by the two reverends as the Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) approach. Using lessons learned from Coady and Thompkins, the Coady International Institute is currently training young Canadians participating in the Canadian International Development Agency-funded International Youth Internship Program as well as over 50 experienced professionals from various development organizations in leadership skills and community self-reliance.

One of the aspects of my training was participating in seminars and interacting with professionals from all over the world who are participating in a 19-week Diploma in Development Leadership. From a soldier from Sierra Lionne, to Fathers working with street kids in India to a Guatemalan human rights activist, I had the opportunity to meet and hear stories from an array of talented, dedicated individuals. These exchanges and perspectives have been a real asset to me in my internship working with Oxfam-Canada Ethiopia.

All of the workshops I participated in were based on popular education principles, which was incredibly refreshing. There was no teacher-student hierarchy, and there was a focus on group discussion and sharing experiences. I was curious to see what the participants thought of this approach to learning, as it is quite different than the typical educational environment. I spoke to Lensa Simesso, a participant representing the Professional Alliance for Development in Ethiopia.

“As we are learning leadership it seems it (a participatory approach to learning) is the right approach. The best thing which I see in the Coady is the bringing of people from different countries together to share their experience. This a great opportunity for all of us because we learn from each other with trained professionals acting as facilitators. This is helpful in adult education because someone with personal experience on an issue may not take in new ideas very easily.”

I also spoke to another participant, Pascal Sundi, who is the Secretary General for the Forum of Congolese Organisations in South Africa. He explains how the methodology used by the Coady is innovative because it helps to build individual self-esteem, hence contributing to the creation of a safe space for people to share experiences and engage in dialogue.

“I feel the popular education approach is useful in a development learning context because, to use an expression from Paulo Freire's book ‘Pedagogy of the Oppressed' Liberating education is the opposite of oppressive education, it is an education where all actors play all roles in an interchangeable manner. The teacher can become a student and the student can become a teacher. It is more an education which pushes to reflect on the present situation and find alternatives to make it better. Hence, it is fundamental in the context of development.”

In addition to learning from the participants, I also benefited from faculty who had a diverse range of interests and specializations. From a gender workshop, to an introduction to livelihoods to an emotional but useful power and privilege session, I had an intense overview of many topics and issues relating to development. Even though I previously studied topics related to international development in theory, being exposed to the practical experience and knowledge the Coady faculty offer has been a real asset.

It was stimulating to be in an institution that not only promotes proactive development methodologies and tools such as ABCD, but also ensures that they work on the ground. The field research component to the Development Leadership program consists of Coady staff visiting partners to see the practicality and efficiency of the tools and approaches used in the learning process. Brianne Peters, a former intern and current Program Associate for the Citizen-Led Development Program explains how the training given at the Coady implements itself in the field.

“From an action research point of view, my work is interesting because I visit graduates to determine the kinds of impact our tools and approaches are having in the field and this feeds into broader development discussions internationally through publications, tools and curriculum for our courses. This ensures that knowledge is uniquely cutting edge and relevant and applicable in a number of different contexts, be it for policy-makers or practitioners. In short, our action research is about learning about what works and what doesn't, sharing this learning as broadly as possible and contributing and collaborating to address some of the issues they are facing.”

The combination of faculty and participant knowledge at the Coady contributes to a valuable learning experience, not only for personal growth, but also for creating a sense of commonality across cultural and socio-economic barriers. I would have to agree with Pascal Sundi when he expresses, “Despite the diversity of experiences we realize that humanity is one, that one way or another we are all affected by the same problems and that one's experiences may shed light on the situations of others. When I get home, I will without a doubt keep in my heart and my mind the memories and faces that have made an impact on me at the Coady.”

Salima Punjani is an intern with Oxfam Canada in Ethiopia

Photo: flickr/ Bisayan Lady