From BBC News Website:
1) Earth hour occurred last week on Saturday night, (31st of March) as cities all over the world participated and turned off the lights for a time of darkness. Here are some images from around the world:
I think it is remarkable that no matter what is going on around the world, people can unite for a good cause. If people can come together and do this, imagine what else can be achieved under a united thought and motivation.
2) Drought in West Africa could become a Humanitarian disaster and major food crisis in Africa. These images captured my attention as soon as I saw them, the same man features in both images, his facial expressions tell his story better then any words possibly could...
Talk about capturing the moment, I am speechless after looking at this photo. I know people say text is powerful but HOLY, photos really are worth a million words. You can read about stuff, but you don't really feel the connection to the people, until you see the people, until you can witness the desperation, the pain and the fear for their survival on their faces. This photo is amazing. Instantly that quote by Eddie Adams popped into my head...
"If it makes you laugh, if it makes you cry, if it rips out your heart, it's a good picture."
This photo rips out my heart. How can we be so consumed in our own worlds when things like this are happening around the world. These are the things that need to be all over our media. This is real life, this is happening in OUR world, we just don't hear about it because it's not directly around us. These things should be impossible to ignore. It's discussing that we can become so consumed in the gossip of celebrities yet we are clueless when it comes to the rest of the world, the people whom need us to know about them, to be consumed in their problems... What are we doing!?
This is what journalism is all about for me, giving a voice to the voiceless.
3) Syria eyewitness: Homeless refugees tell of 'slaughter'
The video on this link tells a heartbreaking story of wives and children whose husbands/fathers were taken away. Some even tell their stories of witnessing their fathers/husbands being slaughtered 50m away from them, they could hear the screams...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-17259471
Some quotes from the video:
"We're homeless," a woman shouted. "Why? Because we asked for freedom?"
"We were walking out altogether until we reached the checkpoint," said one of the women, Um Abdo.
"Then they separated us from the men. They put hoods on their heads and took them away."
Where do you think they are now, the reporter asked. The women replied all at once: "They will be slaughtered."
"They started beating them up. Then they moved them into a street next to a school. They killed them all. I saw it. I was 50 to 100 metres away. Their hands were tied behind their backs. A soldier held each one still on the ground with his boot; another soldier came to cut their throats. I could hear their screams."
She said: "My father went to open the door. I told him: 'Don't. Run away.' He said 'Why? I haven't done anything wrong.' He opened the door. They took him. I was clinging on to him but they took him anyway.
"As well as my father, they took my uncle, my cousin and my brother. I went outside and saw them pushing them to the ground. Then they killed them. I heard my father shout 'God is great' as he died. The others, too. The soldiers shoved us back inside with their guns."
The main things I have realised from this encounter with world news is that I am extremely attracted to the photos, they speak more to me than the words do. The second thing I have discovered is that our Western news is so superficial and absolutely rubbish compared to the devastating news happening all over the world, yet we only hear about nonsense. I honestly couldn't find one story about Australia/America/UK etc that I found was worth repeating. If I am to be a journalist I want to be one that travels and encounters the people I write about. I want to get to know them, and hear their stories, I want to take their photos- this I will need to learn and practice- but I want people to have the same reaction I have had to these real stories. I realise that I haven't posted many, but this is depressing stuff, no denying, but it shouldn't be ignored simply because it makes us feel bad. I think that was the reason I slowly stopped watching the news, because it was full of negative stories, but this is real life, I need to 'man up' and realise this is what we need to know, because it isn't just a story, it is real-life for so many people.
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