Picture the World Around You
Community Portrayal is a monitoring technique in which participants will be assessed on their attitudes towards the environment. It is a research strategy adopted by AUB-ibsar that can be used to achieve specific participatory objectives in research, including needs, assessment and evaluation. It will be used to uncover the causal mechanisms, reasons and meanings behind a participant’s particular attitude towards the environment and environmentally related issues.
AUB-ibsar’s Community Protrayal activity represents the work of youths recruited to photographically document community concerns, critically discuss the resulting images, and communicate this information with the general public. The participants - all boys and girls under 15 – are trained to take photographs and write testimonies to share their view of what life in their community is really like with regards to nature. The workshops teach them valuable digital media skills as well as how to speak out about issues that are important to them.
For most Photovoice participants, this is the first opportunity ever to present their lives and concerns to the outside world.
This approach allows kids to address their needs and concerns through a powerful means: the visual image.
It allows people to understand and assess the magnitude of how Nature ConVerSation activities impact youth’s lives. It incorporates fun, creativity and collaboration in a way that encourages participation from community members.
She joined a play in school that taught her to plant trees and clean forests instead of harming the environment
“Nature is sand and air… clean air!”
Camera #3 “Nature is forests and animals… protect them! It is a source of food for all and a habitat for birds…”
“Nature is calmness” “Nature gives us _ water (beaches, oceans, rivers …), clean air that we breathe, plants and tall trees, colorful flowers, fruits and vegetables, and soil”
“Nature is trees and birds, gardens in every neighborhood, cooking because you plant to eat…”
“Nature is trees” “Nature is a place to relax with family and friends”