Resistance Unarmed Photo Exhibit

Cacarica: an Afro-Colombian community that was initially displaced to the coastal city of Turbo and has since returned to their home territory along the Atrato River
The Balsita Community of Life and Work: A community near the town of Dabeiba that has chosen a strategy of survival based on principles of nonviolence despite the violence that surrounds them
San José de Apartadó: In 1997 residents formally declared themselves to be the Peace Community of San José de Apartadó and since 2002 the FOR has maintained a permanent accompaniment presence in the settlement of La Unión

The exhibit frames the communities' nonviolent resistance within the context of the conflict and challenges people to reexamine stereotypes associated with Colombia while inspiring them to be in solidarity with Colombians working for peace.

The Photographers:

Betty Udesen is a staff photographer for the Seattle Times whose work has been honored by the Associated Press, National Association of Black Journalists, and the Society of Professional Journalists. Her images can be seen at http://udesen.com
Eros Hoagland is a freelance photographer whose work has appeared in major magazines and newspapers throughout the world. His images can be seen at http://ist-socrates.berkeley.edu:7001/Gallery/hoagland
Jutta Meier-Weidenbach studied photography in Berlin, has worked as a freelance photographer for German publications and Mexican human rights organizations, and is the former coordinator of FOR's Colombia Program.
John Lindsay-Poland has been director of FOR's Task Force on Latin America and the Caribbean for more than 15 years. John is co-founder of Peace Brigades International’s Colombia Project and author of Emperors in the Jungle: The Hidden History of the US in Panama (Duke, 2003)
Carin Anderson served as a FOR human rights volunteer in San José de Apartadó in 2002.

Exhibit Specifics:

A minimum of about 90 feet (28 meters) of wall space is needed to mount this show. The exhibition consists of:

27 high quality color photographs, each framed to 16" x20", with aluminum frames and plexi-glass
2 24" x 36" laminated panels with a text introduction and map that situates the different communities
4 11" x 17" panels that give short descriptions of each peace community profiled.

Hosting the Exhibit:

Hosting the exhibit is a great opportunity for groups wanting to raise awareness about social movements in Latin America or seeking to highlight international efforts of those working towards a sustainable peace. Previous hosts have used the exhibit as a catalyst for on-going speaking events, workshops and educational forums.

FOR asks each host to:

Provide an honoraria of $1000 from each host. (The fee will go directly to the Fellowship of Reconciliation's Colombia Program and be used to support Colombian peace initiatives.)
Publicize the exhibit.
Mount the show.
Provide reasonable protection against vandalism and theft.
Repack the show and ship it (with insurance) to its next destination.

The Fellowship of Reconciliation Colombia Program will:

Coordinate bookings and shipping from one location to the next.
Support fundraising and publicity efforts by providing materials and advertising within our network of contacts.
In some cases, arrange a speaker, usually a returned Colombia human rights volunteer, to give a presentation at exhibit openings for no additional cost other than travel costs.
Provide instructions and support for setting up the exhibit and planning an opening reception.

View a selection of photos from Resistance Unarmed

For more information or to receive a CD of the exhibit photographs and more information on hosting, please contact Amanda Jack at the FOR-TFLAC San Francisco Office: 415.495.6334 or amanda@igc.org.