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Peacebuilding & Reconciliation - Revised


Peacebuilding & Reconciliation - Revised
Photo Information
Copyright: Dennis Bours (Dpbours) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2022 W: 540 N: 1862] (7542)
Genre: People
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2005-10-14
Categories: Daily Life
Camera: Olympus C-7070 Wide Zoom, Olympus 27-110 mm, 1:2.8 – 4.8, SanDisk Extreme III
Exposure: f/4.5, 1/160 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version, Workshop
Travelogue: Northern Uganda
Theme(s): Portraits by Dennis (abroad) [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2008-05-19 4:42
Viewed: 794
Points: 34
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
We're in a refugee camp outside of Gulu, Northern Uganda. The boy is watching other children play. (see workshop)

The other children are playing a game of an NGO. The white expatriate specialists found out that 'playing' is helping these children to cope with their remembrances of war. They can be a child again, as the slogan states.

This boy wasn't ready 'to be a child again'. As a child soldier, he might have been forced to walk around with a very adult AK47. Or he might have seen other children do things that children normally never do. Or he's just living in the refugee camp and one of the lucky few to be choosen by the NGO to play with the balls and 'be a child again'.


I was told that he wasn't ready to participate. And this was due to all the horrible things he had been through.

I personally think this boy was much smarter than all the white NGO specialists think! This boy knew that throwing a ball would not get the people back who disappeared from his village. He knew that throwing a ball would not help him being accepted in his village. And he knew that throwing a ball would not help him getting his childhood back. They all lost that years ago when the war started. Whether or not they were a child soldier, lost families or saw horrible things - they were all robbed of their childhood.

And right now, he's much more interested how he can get his life back on track as a young adolescent.


For Martine, for staying critical.


This photograph is part of my theme "Portraits by Dennis".
BennyV, bapun1, Bien, broglia, Floydian, mikolaj_kawa, jhm, Photo65Net, josien, Pascale, jimkilgallon, manub has marked this note useful
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Add Critique [Critiquing Guidelines] 
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To josien: Goed verhaal erbij geschrevenDpbours 5 05-26 07:29
To jhm: Jongen vs. MeisjesDpbours 1 05-25 11:41
To Floydian: Dit soort situatiesDpbours 1 05-19 23:48
To Buin: One can'tDpbours 1 05-19 13:01
To bapun1: Rebels vs. children in army rolesDpbours 1 05-19 06:22
To BennyV: Absolutely right and terribly importantDpbours 1 05-19 05:52
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Critiques [Translate]

Hi Dennis,

The man looks a bit like a monument. Well captured.

Cheers

  • Great 
  • aadilj Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1837 W: 62 N: 1478] (10618)
  • [2008-05-19 4:53]

Thats the most pensive portrait I have seen, its engaging and sad, full of hope and even despair, it symbolises dreams and harks back at the broken ones. Great image.

Hi Dennis,

Great picture and probably the most useful note I ever read on TE. I wish there was a third category besides 'neutral' and 'useful', one saying 'absolutely right and terribly important' or something like that.

An impressive post!

Benny

"How to make a young rebel gain his innosence back" ?

Agree with you, we may just offload the AK 47 and hand him over a ball... but then, is his own life is a child's play?

Thank you for sharing, the photo as well as the note.

Regards,
Bishnu.

Fascinating study of a very pensive young man. To witness such horrors and not be scarred for life is an impossibility. To play with others of his own age is simply a distraction; an effort to bring some small pleasure back into his life, to remind him that the world is not filled with bad people.

Lets hope he recovers from his traumatic experiences and returns to some normality of life.

TFS Dennis - great job - and fine notes too.

  • Great 
  • Buin Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 3561 W: 0 N: 7183] (25072)
  • [2008-05-19 9:31]
  • [+]

Hallo Dennis!
A great contribution here - in each respect ... and a very thought-provoking note! One of the most impressive picture here on TE! One can't imagine what happened there.
Thank you for provoking my thoughts ...!
Greetings from Germany!
Frank

Hoi Dennis,
Indrukkende foto met een wel heel erg goede note. Je hebt vanuit je werk natuurlijk al een andere blik op dit soort situaties en vandaar je inlevenings vermogen voor dit soort mensen. De jongen kijkt in de eindeloosheid van het bestaan...weg van deze wereld, dromen van een betere? Laten we het hopen voor hem.
Vakwerk...top..!!!
Groet, Henk

Hello Dennis! Original scene. Good POV. Very good capture. Fantastic effect. Good luck!

  • Great 
  • jhm Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 12701 W: 272 N: 16936] (67790)
  • [2008-05-21 0:29]
  • [+]

Dag Dennis,

Ik keek naar beide foto's, en aan welke geef ik nu de voorkeur, kijk de foto met de jongen is zeer mooi, maar ik mis iets, maar de kwaliteit is perfect.
Uw werk shop krijgt daarom de voorkeur, daar zijn al de meisjes compleet in beeld, zonder het missen van ledematen.
En de kwaliteit is zeker even goed.
Mooi foto werk.
Bedankt!

Groeten uit Vlaanderen,
John.

  • Great 
  • Nicou Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 2157 W: 0 N: 5265] (26036)
  • [2008-05-21 0:40]

Hello Dennis,

mangigique portrait de ce jeun homme, capté de côté, , il a l'air très pensif et un peu triste, très belle image intense.

Bravo et amitiés

Nicou

Dennis,
Nice life catch.
Something like a statue, and great technical parameters in your image.
Regards,
JB.

Hoi Dennis,

Ik ben erg onder de indruk van deze foto en je note. Dit beeld vertelt precies het verhaal dat jij erbij hebt geschreven. Zijn uitdrukking en lichaamshouding spreken boekdelen. Knap.

Josien

merhaba dennis,
good portait,great image,
tfs,
regards,
iffet

Bonsoir Dennis
Sans ta note ,on pouvait voir un superbe portrait d'un garçon rêveur dans un village africain mais après la lecture Ta photo prend une autre dimension et l'on n'a pas le même regard sur ce jeune qui n'a jamais été vraiment un enfant et jamais ne le serait .Une photo qui a un impact très fort
Amitiés

Hello again Dennis
A great capture once again, I cannot imagine what this boy is thinking. A time of reflection from the horrors he has seen - a brave boy who should really enjoy being a child, but has grown up with the AK47. Very poignant capture Dennis, sad but well done.
Regards
Jim

Hi Dennis,
Impressive and at the same time sad looking portrait. His expression is so strong that I could image what he could have seen without your note. It is very well captured, and the note a good complement to it.
Good work
jorge

hello Dennis,

Beau portrait de ce jeune garçon perdu dans ses pensées. Belles couleurs aussi.
Bonne soirée
Bises
Marie

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