Difficult Design: A designer's responsibility? by Willhemina Wahlin

Willhemina Wahlin Charles Sturt University, School of Communications & Creative Industries. PROOF: Media for Social Justice.

The Ligatures of Life:

Typographic Representations of Testimonies of Trauma A practice-based design research doctorate that examines the role of designers in the creation of ‘difficult’ exhibitions.

Exhibitions & Social Justice PROOF: Media for Social Justice uses visual storytelling for human rights and social justice. Our projects include “Picturing Moral Courage: The Recuers”, “The Legacy of Rape”, “Child Soldiers; Forced to Be Cruel”, “Unearthed: Stories of courage in the face of sexual violence” and “Broken?”.

PROOF

Media for Social Justice©

Designers have a high level of responsibility when it comes to representing people’s ‘difficult’ stories. Pitt and Britzman (2003) define difficult knowledge as being that which signifies both representations of social traumas in curriculum and the individuals’ encounter with them in pedagogy.

»» Picturing Moral Courage: The Rescuers » Ordinary Heroes »» Child Soldiers: Forced to be Cruel »» The Legacy of Rape » My Body a War Zone » Unearthed: Stories of Courage in the Face of Sexual Violence »» Picture Justice Program » “I Don’t Feel Protected”: Human Rights in New York City » Broken?

PICTURING MORAL COURAGE

THE RESCUERS

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bosnia

the holocaust

Bosnia_Hasan.pdf

Photo: Sonia Folkmann Photo: Paul Lowe

Jusovi HASAN

gallen ANDREE

“I could not understand why [the Germans] would go after children. I was living in a boarding school, a very well regarded and expensive boarding school, here in Brussels. The principal of the school had accepted to harbor 12 Jewish children, they all lived with us, among the other children. One night, because they were tipped off to our doings, the Gestapo came and took those children, who never came back. I was talking to the German, since I could speak the language very well, I was translating the situation to the principal. At one point I was so mad, I told the Gestapo soldiers: ‘Aren’t you ashamed to be at war against children? They were the adults afterall!’ He answered back: ‘If you did not want to be taken over by roaches when they reach adulthood, you need to crush them while they are still small’. I’ll never forget that. We were divided in 3 groups: one group’s job was to find boarding places, another group, that I was part of, went to visit the families, and then there was an office that kept the records. Why? Because when we got the children, we had to save the real family name, give them a fake ID, know the

parents’ or grand-parents’ addresses. Everything had to be recorded in notebooks. The most astonishing thing from what I remember was that the children never cried. The parents cried when I came to get the children, the mothers, cried. I picked up 2 weeks old babies, and the mothers cried, but the children never cried. I would tell them we were going on vacation, we’re going to the countryside, you’ll eat omelets with bacon, and that would make the parents happy. A good omelet, with kosher bacon. I was never scared for myself. The only time I’d be afraid was when I had the children with me. Throughout the whole trip, when we had to take the train, because the hiding places where not close to Brussels, so we’d take the train for days, I would be afraid for the children, not for myself. When you are in your twenties, you’re not afraid; I was 21 and I was not afraid.

“The most astonishing thing from what I remember was that the children never cried. The parents cried when I came to get the children, the mothers, cried. I picked up 2 weeks old babies, and the mothers cried, but the children never cried.”

“I saw that a huge group of JNA soldiers and officers were arrested from their headquarters. I had some wish to see who was arrested because I knew a huge number of people from those headquarters. In a group of arrested soldiers I noticed one soldier who was in the same headquarters as I. He was a driver who was drafted while I was working as a civilian professional driver. Sometimes he was a substitute for me if, for example, we needed to go to some places where I didn’t go, so in that case he would drive instead of me. It was very hard for me. I didn’t know how to help him. And I wished from my whole heart to help him. So I came very close to him and I was afraid that someone would notice that I have something with him. I kicked him a little bit with my leg and said, ‘Don’t worry I am here. Just don’t say anything.’ The column [of arrested soldiers] was moving through Latinska Cuprija and then through the street Branioci Sarajevo. I was staying a little bit behind. I watched other people. They watched me.

We came to the Fis building where all arrested soldiers were sitting in the Sports Hall. I was there. I saw some Bosniak commanders. I didn’t know them. Then I saw the main commander whom I knew. I came close to him and asked him, ‘Can I take one soldier from this group? Can he go with me? He helped me a lot when I was trying to escape from JNA.’ The commander looked at me and asked the soldier, ‘Would you like to go with Hasan?’ He answered, ‘Yes.’ He stood up. I realized that he was quite happy. He had a huge trust in me. When we went out from that Sports Hall, I went across the street and I knocked on the door of one private building. I asked the lady who opened the door, ‘Can you please give me some clothes? Anything?’ [She gave us] some tee-shirts and pants, because he had on a military uniform that was very specific for the special units. Then I said to him, ‘From now on your name is Mirsad. And you are my cousin.’”

“Rescuing is some kind of talent – something which you are born with, because not everyone can be a helper. I think that has to be from birth – that someone has a sense to help another and not leave him when he needs someone. Even that he put his own life at risk.”

Photo: Sonia Folkmann

gallen ANDREE

LEONARD

rurangirwa “I took the Inkotanyi’s side by my own decision. Neither Inkotanyi nor someone else chose for me what to do. At the beginning, Tutsi hiding in the forest took refuge at my home but were afraid because they thought that I was a killer too. But when they reached my home and found other Tutsis there, they felt secure and decided stay with me. Then there ended up being a big crowd at my home. It was difficult to protect them. Partly because there was an Interahamwe called Emmy, who assaulted people several times. So we decide to dispatch the group of Tutsi to different groups and give each group to a family. We did our best to ensure that they got food at home. We talked to them only in the night time because during the day we were waiting for assaults from different parts of the region. When killers came, we organized ourselves to hide. Then they came in big numbers and killed seven of our people. To help the refugees I used to move them from one place to another, hiding them in abandoned houses and banana trees. It was a big problem to find enough food to feed them because there were so many. They ate once in the night. A group of seven ate at home, another three at my mom’s house and so on. Some people had shops so they sometimes gave us rice.”

“I was only 18 years old.” Photos: Riccardo Gangale

“THE RESCUERS” AT YALE IN 2010.

“THE RESCUERS” AT THE JEWISH HOLOCAUST CENTRE, MELBOURNE, 2012.

The Rescuers: Bosnia & Herzegovina

“The Rescuers” in Sarajevo, July 2011.

MOSTAR, 2013. PHOTO: ERNST J

the rescuers picturing moral courage

O fotografima

Holokaust

Nicolas Axelrod živi u jugoistočnoj Aziji od 2008. godine. Australijanac, koji se preselio u Kambodžu nakon života u Pertu, u zapadnoj Australiji, i angažmana kao samostalni fotograf, te kao fotograf za komercijalnu fotografsku agenciju smještenu u Pertu. Sada živi u Phnom Penhu, gdje radi kao samostalni fotograf. Radio je također za različite nevladine organizacije, lokalne i međunarodne časopise, kao i privatne klijente u Kambodži.

1939.–1945. Nacistički režim ubio je: » 6 miliona Jevreja; » najmanje 200 000 Roma.

Riccardo Gangale rođen je u Rimu 1975. Nakon završetka znanstvenih studija i dvije godine političkih znanosti, upisao se na magistarski kolegij za profesionalnu fotografiju u Rimu. 2002. godine, dok je još studirao, Riccardo je otputovao u Etiopiju da radi za Program FAO pod nazivom “Hrana za gradove”. U jesen 2002. radio je u Južnoj Africi na projektu koji je obuhvatao osobe koje ne posjeduju zemlju, kao i za World Summit na održivom razvoju. Od septembra 2003. Riccardo radi za Associated Press kao dopisnik iz regije Great Lakes, i od tada živi u Kigaliu u Ruandi. The New York Times, Time Magazine, The Times, The Guardian i The Gardian Weekly, Liberation, Der Spiegel, Le Monde, The Washington Post i drugi su objavljivali neke od njegovih radova.

Kambodža 1975.–1979.

» Tokom genocida u Kambodži, režim Pol Pota ubio je oko 1.7 miliona osoba (21% ukupne populacije zemlje); » Crveni Kmeri Pol Potovog režima vodili su 158 zatvora; » 309 masovnih grobnica sa, prema procjeni, ukupno 19 000 grobnih jama.

Paul Lowe je viši predvač fotografije na Univerzitetu za umjetnost u Londonu, i nagrađivani fotograf koji živi i radi na relaciji između Sarajeva i Londona. Njegov rad predstavlja se u okviru agencije Panos Pictures, a pojavljivao se između ostalog i u Time-u, Newsweek-u, Life-u, magazinima The Sunday Times, The Observer, i The Independent. Pokrivao je vijesti iz cijelog svijeta, uključujući pad Berlinskog zida, oslobađanje Nelson Mandele, sukob u bivšoj Jugoslaviji i razaranje Groznog. Od 2004. godine Paul vodio kolegij na magistraskom programu iz fotožurnalizma i dokumentarne fotografije na londonskom koledžu za komunikacije. Njegova knjiga, Bosnians (Bosanci), koja je dokumentirala 10 godina ratne i postratne situacije u Bosni, objavljena je u aprilu 2005. Sonia Folkmann rođena je u Poljskoj 1975. godine, a sa 13 godina se preselila s obitelji u Düsseldorf, u Njemačkoj. Nakon što je završila jednogodišnji internship u fotografskom studiju, toliko se zaljubila u umjetnost fotografije da je odlučila steći stručno obrazovanje iz fotografije. Nakon sticanja diplome na umjetničkoj školi kao najbolji student, radila je nekoliko godina s raznim fotografima širom svijeta. Od 2006. godine Sonia radi kao samostalni fotograf i vodi vlastite projekte koji uključuju emisije o likovnoj umjetnosti, reportaže i knjige o dizajnu. 2009. i 2010. godine osvojila je Red Dot Design Award u suradnji sa New Cat Orange Agency u kategoriji Best of the Best (Najbolji od najboljih). Njena ljubav prema fotografiji omogućava joj da živi svoj san.

POSTERS FOR BOSNIAN HIGH SCHOOLS.

Bosna i Hercegovina

1992.–1995. » Više od 2 miliona izbjeglica i raseljenih osoba, uglavnom bosanskih Muslimana (Bošnjaka); » 200 000 poginulih; » 20 000 silovanih žena i djevojčica.

Ruanda

4. april – sredina jula, 1994 » 800 000 osoba, većinom etničkih Tutsija i umjerenih Hutua ubijeno je prije svega mačetama u stotinu dana; » 2 miliona Hutua je iz zemlje zbog straha od odmazde i većina je nastavila živjeti u Burundiu, Tanzaniji, Ugandi, Kongu; » 57 000 izbjeglica iz Ruande još uvijk žive u raznim afričkim državama.

Andree Gellan holokaust

“Priključila sam se Pokretu otpora kada sam primijetila da nestaju djeca. Pitala sam ljude, prvo članove porodica, a onda prijatelje da li su dali utočište nekoj djeci. Počela sam sama da sakrivam djecu. A onda sam jednog dana upoznala nekog iz Otpora ko me pitao da se pridružim jer su im trebali ljudi popout mene. Meni je bilo veoma lako

kretati se po gradu, s mojim plavim očima i plavom kosom. Gestapo me nikad ništa nije pitao. Jednog dana, išla sam pokupiti djevojčicu koja se već krila u kafeu. Primila sam poruku u kojoj se tražilo da pokupim dijete u Place Barat, jer je tamo postajalo sve opasnije. To je bio jedini put da sam vidjela Jacquesa koji je došao s dva Gestapo

oficira. Jacques je bio poznati potkazivač. U tom kafeu bila je stražnja soba i Jevreji koji su živjeli u tom području krili su se tu kada se dešavala ‘lutrija’. Jacques je čuo za to i došao je da to provjeri. Kada me ugledao, rekao je: ‘Znaš, u ovom kafeu, vlasnik krije Jevreje.’ Odgovorila sam: ‘Dolša sam na piće. Nemam pojma ni o čemu,’ a u isto to vrijeme

djevojčica je silazila niz stepenice sa svojim koferom. Brzo su je vratili gore dok su oni ulazili u kafe. Dva Gestapo oficira ispitivala su me cijeli sat kako bi saznali da li znam neke Jevreje. Ispitivali su me sat vremena! Djevojčica se bezbijedno izvukla.” Foto: Sonia Folkmann

POSTERS FOR BOSNIAN HIGH SCHOOLS.

Hasan Jusović

bosna i hercegovina

“Vidio sam da je ogromna grupa JNA vojnika i oficira uhapšena u svom sjedištu. Imao sam želju da vidim ko je uhapšen jer sam poznavao veliki broj ljudi u tom sjedištu. U grupi uhapšenih vojnika ugledao sam vojnika koji je bio u istom sjedištu kao i ja. On je bio regrutovani vozač dok sam ja radio kao prefesionalni vozač civil. Bilo mi je jako teško. Nisam znao kako da mu pomognem. A od sve srca sam želio da mu pomognem. Skroz sam mu se približio, a bojao sam se da neko ne primjeti da imam nešto s njim. Ovlaš sam ga

šutnuo nogom i kazao: ‘Ne brini, tu sam. Samo ništa ne govori.’ Kolona [uhapšenih vojnika] kretala se preko Latinske ćuprije, a potom kroz ulicu Branilaca Sarajeva. Ja sam malo zaostao. Posmatrao sam ostale. I oni su posmatrali mene. Ugledao sam glavnog zapovjednika, kojeg sam poznavao. Prišao sam mu i upitao ga: ‘Mogu li uzeti jednog vojnika iz ove grupe? Može li sa mnom? Mnogo mi je pomogao kada sam pokušavao pobjeći iz JNA.’ Zapovjednik me pogledao i upitao vojnika, ‘Hoćeš li s Hasanom?’

Odgovorio je, ‘Hoću.’ Ustao je. Shvatio sam da je bio jako sretan. Imao je ogromno povjerenje u mene. Onda sam mu rekao ‘Od sad ti je ime Mirsad. I moj si rođak.’ Poveo sam ga kući i živio je s mojom porodicom mjesec dana. Spašavanje je vrsta talenta – nešto s čim ste rođeni, jer ne može svako biti spasioc. Neko ima osjećaj za pomoći drugome, i ne ostavlja ga kada mu je neko potreban. Čak i kada stavlja svoj život u opasnost.” Foto: Paul Lowe

rwanda

ហ្រ្វាន់បួរីនឌី អ៊ីនូខ មុន��លអំ�ើ��ល័ពូជ�សន៍�ន�ើត�ើង �ររស់��មួយអ�កជិត�ង គឺ�នស�ពល��ើរ។ ទំ�ក់ទំនងរបស់ពួក�ើង�មួយពួក ទូសុី ��ន�ពល� ពី��ះ��ពួក�ើង�ន��ករ��កអ�ី��ប់��ង។ ប��បមកអ� ់ ីៗ�ន��ស់ប�រ �ើយ��ជន�ន�ប់��ើម�នជ��ះ�មួយនឹង��ុមកុលសម�័ន��។ ប៉ុ��រប��ៀនរបស់រ��ភិ�លឲ��ស�ប់ពួកទូសុី។ ខ��ំ�នឲ��ពួកទូសុីពីរបី�ក់ឲ��មក��ក់��មួយខ�ក� �ំ �ងផ�ះរបស់ខ��ំ។ ��នអ�ក�មក�ច��ើ�បអ�ក�ន�ៀត��។ អ�កជិត�ងរបស់ខ�ំ�ន��ប់ខ�ំ��ម� ឲ��ប��ញពួក��ញពីផ�ះរបស់ខ�ំក�ង��ល�ប់ៗ�ម��ច�រួច ប៉ុ��ខ�ំ�ន��ប់ពួក�� “ខ��ំដឹង��ន់��ទំ�ក់ទំនងរ�ងពួក�� និងខ��ំ ��លពួក�ើងចង់�ន�ររស់�ជួបជុំ�� ើយខ��ំក៏មិន�ច��ញ��ជនរបស់��ះពីផ�ះរបស់ខ�ំ��រ។”

Enoch Rwanburindi “Before the genocide, life in the neighborhood was good. Our relationship with the Tutsis was good too because we shared everything. Then things changed and people started persecuting the other ethnic group. But it was due to the Government teaching them to hate. I asked several of them to come and stay with me at my home. No one ever came to hurt them anymore. My neighbors rushed to advise me to evict the refugees from my home as soon as possible but I told them, “I know that the only relationship between them and me is that we pray in the same congregation but I cannot chase God’s people from my house.”

Photo: Riccardo Gangale

The Rescuers: Cambodia

cambodia

អាគី រ៉ា ខ��ំ�ន�ក់មីន��ើន��ប់ ��ល��លខ��ំ��ើ��នកុ�រ។ ខ��ំ�ន�ក់ព��យ��ប់មីន�ក��ង��យុទ�� និងប��យ��ន��ងៗ��ើន។ ខ��ំ�នដឹង� ��ប់មីន�ំងអស់�ះ គឺមិនល� និង��ះ��ក់ ��ល��លខ��ំ�ន�ើញសត� និងមិត�ភក�ិរបស់ខ�ំ��ើន�ក់��វ�ន��ប់�យ� ��ប់មីន។ ��លឥឡ�វ��ះ ខ��ំ�ើរ�ះ និងស��ត��ប់មីន��លមិន�ន់ផ�ះ ពី��ះខ��ំចង់��ើឲ��សរបស់ខ�ំ�នសុវត�ិ�ព ចំ�ះ��ជនរបស់ខ�ំ។ ��ើដូ��ះ ��ជនកម��មិន�ច់រស់��ំងភ័យ��ចនឹង�រ��ប់�យ�រ��ប់មីន។ ខ��ំមិនចង់�ើញនរ��ក់ �ើញបងប��ន �ច់�ត�ិ និងមិត�ភក�ិរបស់��វ�ន��ប់�យ�រ�វុធដ៏�រ��ំង��ះ��។ ��ល��លខ��ំឈប់��ើ��នកុ�រ ខ��ំ�ន�ើរ�ះ និងស��ត��ប់មីន និងយុទ�ភ័ណ�មិន�ន់ផ�ះ�យខ��នរបស់ខ�ំ��ល់។ ខ��ំ�ន�ប់��ើមប��ើត និងដំ�ើរ�រ�រៈមន�ីរតូចមួយ �ើម��ី��ប់ពិភព�កអំពី�វុធដ៏��វ�រ��ំងអស់��ះ �ើយខ��ំ�នទទួលយក��ងកំ�� និង��ងរបួសមកចិ��ឹមបី�ច់�ទី��ះ �ើម��ីឲ��ពួក��នសុវត�ិ�ព។ ��លបច��ប��ន��ះ ខ��ំ�ើរ�ះ និងស��ត��ប់មីន និងយុទ�ភ័ណ�មិន�ន់ផ�ះ�មួយ នឹងអង��រ�ះមីនរបស់ខ�ំ។ អង��រ��ះ�ន��ះ� Cambodian Self Help Demining ។ �ើង�អង��រ�ះមីនក��ង��ុកមួយ។ �ើង�ំងអស់�� អតីត��នកុ�រ ឪពុក�ះ��យ ��យ ឪពុក និស��ិត និង��ជនតូច�ច ��ើ�រ�ំងអស់��ើម��ី��ើឲ��សរបស់�ើង�នសុវត�ិ�ព។

Aki Ra “I laid many landmines when I was a child soldier. I laid them for many different armies. I knew they were bad when I saw animals and my friends killed by them. Now I clear landmines because I want to make my country safe for my people, and so that other Cambodians do not have to live with the fear of dying. I don’t want anyone else to see their friends and children killed by these terrible weapons. When I stopped being a soldier I cleared landmines and other unexploded ordinance by myself. I started a small museum to tell the world about these awful weapons and I brought wounded and orphaned children there so they could be safe. Now I clear landmines and UXOs with my demining NGO. We are called “Cambodian Self Help Demining”. We are a Cambodian demining organization. We are ex-child soldiers, widows, mothers, fathers, university graduates and small villagers, working to make our country safe.” Aki Ra’s story is testament to the courage and determination of many men and women who are today working to heal their country after genocide. Photo: Nicolas Axelrod

the holocaust

អានទ្រេ ហ្គាលែន ខ��ំមិន�ចយល់��តុអ�ី�ន�ពួក�ល�ឺម៉ង់�ច�ក��ញ�ប��ប់ពី��ងៗ�ះ��។ ខ��ំកំពុង�ឯ គណៈ��ុម��ឹក��។ �យក��នយល់��មឲ��ក��ង��ក់��ង១២�ក់�ជន�តិជ�ីប។ ក��ងយប់មួយ ��ស�ពូ �នមកដល់ �ើយ�នយកពួក��ងៗជន�តិជ�ីប�ំងអស់�ះ�។ ��ងៗ�ំងអស់�ះមិន��ល�ើញមកវ�ញ��។ ខ��ំ�ននិ�យ�ជន�តិ�ល�ឺម៉ង់។ ខ��ំពិត�ឆ��ត�ស់ �ើយខ��ំ�ននិ�យ��ន់��នរបស់��ស�ពូ� “�ើអ�កមិន�ន�ព��ស�ៀនអី��ឬ ក��ង�រ��ើស��ាមមួយ��ំងនឹងកុ�រ? ពួក��មិន��ន �មនុស��ញវ័យ��!” �ត់�ននិ�យ��ឡប់វ�ញ� “��សិន�ើអ�កមិន ចង់��វ�ន��ំ��ល��លពួក��ញវ័យ ដូ��ះអ�ក��វ��ក��ចពួក��ក�ង ��ល��លពួក��កំពុង��តូច �ើយ��ង។” ខ��ំមិន��រ��ច�ក��ំង�ះ��។

Andree Gallen “I could not understand why the Germans would go after children. I was living in a boarding school. The principal of the school had agreed to harbor twelve Jewish children. One night, the Gestapo came and took those Jewish children, who never came back. I was talking to the German. I was so mad, I said to one of the Gestapo soldiers: “Aren’t you ashamed to be at war against children? They aren’t adults after all!” He answered back: “If you do not want to be taken over by roaches when they reach adulthood, you need to crush them while they are still small and young”. I’ll never forget that.”

Photo: Sonia Folkmann

Context The Rescuers exhibition is quite a unique project, in that it provides visitors with both a local and global context when learning about genocide and rescuer behaviour. In post-conflict regions, such as Bosnia and Herzegovina and Cambodia, this can help expand the dialogue about genocide, and highlights rescuer behaviour as a universal trait found across the globe. Within the design process, however, this can complicate the interpretive process, because we are effectively representing multiple cultural contexts of conflict.

MEMO: TO: All Staff neral e G l a u n n A 's This year eld in the h e b l il w ) M Meeting (AG Square, on t n e g e R , t t a y Park H r 2015. e b m e c e D 1 1 the epartment d f o s d a e h , f All staf required to e r a t n e m e g and mana attend. ion will be t a m r o f in d e More detail xt month. e n u o y o t t n se LOVE, Cathie in HR.

MEMORA

TO: All Sta ff 9 JULY 201 5

MNDUM

This yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Annual Ge neral Meeti held in the ng (AGM) Park Hyatt will be , Regent Sq 11 Decemb u a re, on the er 2015. All staff, he ads of depa rtment and required to manageme attend. nt are

More detail ed informa tion will be month. sent to Sincerely, Catherine T attersall Director Human Re sources

you next

â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is true cowardice to not do anything for someone dying right in your sightâ&#x20AC;&#x153;

The Rescuers: ArtWalk Port Macquarie 2016

The Legacy of Rape

“THE LEGACY OF RAPE, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY, 2015.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;THE LEGACY OF RAPE, 11TH ANNUAL FILM FESTIVAL AND SYMPOSIUM ON HUMAN RIGHTS, SWITZERLAND, 2014.

The Legacy of Rape Throughout history, rape and sexual violence have been rampant in times of war.

A travers l’histoire, le viol et les violences sexuelles ont été considérés comme des conséquences inévitables de la guerre.

If victors are allowed to plunder the property of the vanquished, to burn cities and butcher people, why should they not also abuse mothers, wives, daughters and sons?

Si le vainqueur peut piller les biens du vaincu, brûler ses villes, massacrer ses hommes, pourquoi ne lui serait-il pas permis de posséder et d’abuser de ses mères, ses femmes, ses filles ou ses fils?

Punir les coupables, et empêcher ainsi de futures violations, n'a jamais été pris au sérieux. La justice est donc aussi un dommage collatéral du viol et des violences sexuelles.

Pour punir celles qui auraient résisté à l’ennemi, pour satisfaire l’appétit sexuel des combattants ou encore pour contaminer une communauté en la poussant à la stigmatisation ou l'ostracisme, la pratique du viol et des violences sexuelles a toujours constitué une arme de déshumanisation et de destruction en temps de conflit armé.

Et ainsi s’installe le silence. Seul dans quelques rares cas la responsabilité et la justice ne résonneront pas comme des mots creux ni ne rimeront avec peine perdue.

Whether to punish those who resisted the enemy, to satisfy the sexual appetite of soldiers, or to contaminate communities by sowing the seeds of stigma and ostracization, the practice of rape and sexual violence has been a weapon of destruction and dehumanization in armed conflicts. The collapse of the rule of law and the need to dominate have too often opened the floodgates of barbarism and made possible the wide-scale subjugation of women and girls to the power, violence, and hatred of their tormentors. When wars end and peace settles in, reconciliation begins and justice is rendered, right? No. Not for women left unconscious and disfigured. Not for teenagers released during a prisoner exchange, having served the soldiers meals, and also served as sexual trophies. Not for grandmothers, adjusting their scarf to cover their shame. Not for mothers of a child born of rape, whom they may love but remains a constant reminder of the man they hate. The consequences of rape and sexual violence are immense and touch upon multiple issues, starting with health, both physical and psychological. All too often suspicion and criticism from the community or from the family can compound defilement with rejection. Even justice will turn its back on those who need it most as perpetrators return to their old life, unpunished. Individual rehabilitation is slow, if not impossible, when despair sinks so deep into the essential fabric of all societies.

Punishing the offenders, thus preventing future abuses, has never been taken seriously. Justice is also the collateral damage of rape and sexual violence. And so silence sets in. Only in the rarest of cases will accountability and justice mean anything else than hollow words and wasted tears. But there are brave women like those profiled here, who find the courage and the will to speak out, and to take this first step in recovering their dignity. “The Legacy of Rape" gives voice to those who have survived rape or sexual violence in armed conflicts. By lifting up the voices of survivors of sexual violence, this exhibit aims to propel accountability and response from the international community. PROOF: Media for Social Justice is an organization based in New York. PROOF is dedicated to the power of visual storytelling to bear witness for peacebuilding and genocide prevention. TRIAL (Track Impunity Always) is an NGO based in Geneva. TRIAL offers legal support to victims of international crimes in their quest for truth, justice and reparations and fights against the impunity too often enjoyed by the perpetrators of such acts, by resorting to existing national or international legal mechanisms. PROOF collected these testimonies from the women shown here with their written consent to publish and exhibit them, in cooperation with local partners including women's groups, human rights groups and the American Bar Association. *While the vast majority of rape survivors tend to be women and girls, men and boys can also be subject to sexual violence. For security reasons and because rape carries strong social stigma in these regions, we ask you not to photograph these panels. Interviews with the Bosnian survivors have been reproduced with the kind permission of Valerie Hopkins.

PROOF

L'effondrement de l'état de droit et le besoin de domination ont trop souvent ouvert la voie à la barbarie en permettant à une large échelle la soumission des femmes et des filles au pouvoir, à la violence et à la haine de leurs bourreaux. Lorsque la guerre est terminée, la paix s’installe, la réconciliation s’opère et la justice rendue, n’est-ce pas? Non, pas pour tout le monde. Pas pour ces femmes laissées inconscientes et défigurées. Pas pour ces adolescentes libérées à l’occasion d’un échange de prisonniers, après avoir servi les repas aux soldats tout en leur servant de trophée sexuel. Ni pour ces grand-mères ajustant leur fichu pour recouvrir leur honte. Pas plus pour ces mères dont l’enfant né à l'issue d'un viol, bien qu’il puisse être aimé, est un constant rappel d’un homme tant haï. Les conséquences de tels actes sont immenses et touchent différentes problématiques, particulièrement la santé, physique et psychologique. La suspicion et les reproches de la communauté, de la famille, viennent trop souvent ajouter le rejet à la souillure. Même la justice tourne le dos à ceux qui en ont le plus besoin, alors que les criminels continuent à vivre dans l’impunité. La reconstruction personnelle tarde, quand le désespoir ne la rend tout simplement pas impossible.

Media for Social Justice©

Mais il y a des femmes qui, comme ici, sont assez courageuses pour trouver la volonté et la force de parler et ainsi faire un premier pas pour retrouver leur dignité. “Destins violés” donne la parole à celles qui ont subi le viol ou les violences sexuelles dans des zones de conflits armés. En élevant la voix de survivantes de viols et de violences sexuelles, l’exposition vise à pousser la communauté internationale à protéger les femmes victimes de tels actes et à ce que les auteurs de ces crimes aient enfin à rendre des comptes. PROOF: Media for Social Justice est une organisation basée à New York. Elle utilise le pouvoir de la narration visuelle pour témoigner en faveur de la paix et de la prévention des génocides. TRIAL (Track Impunity Always) est une organisation basée à Genève qui offre un soutien juridique aux victimes de crimes internationaux afin qu’elles obtiennent justice, vérité et réparation, et lutte contre l’impunité des auteurs de ces actes en saisissant les instances nationales ou internationales compétentes. PROOF a recueilli les témoignages de femmes présentés ici avec leur consentement écrit pour leur publication et leur exposition en coopération avec des partenaires locaux, notamment des groupes de femmes, des groupes de droits humains et l'Association du Barreau américain. *Bien que la grande majorité des victimes de viol se trouvent parmi les femmes et les jeunes filles, les hommes et les garçons peuvent aussi être victimes de violences sexuelles. Pour des raisons de sécurité et parce que les femmes violées dans ces régions subissent une forte stigmatisation sociale, nous vous demandons de ne pas photographier ces panneaux. Les interviews avec les survivantes bosniaques ont été reproduites avec la permission de Valerie Hopkins.

TEMPLATE @ 100%

EMW 3x3 Curved Inside w/ Cvd Ends

GRAPHIC SIZE: NOTES: Trim 140.375” x 90.375” Bleed 141.375” x 91.375”

FILE INFO: 3x3 Curved Inside w cvd ends.ai January, 2009

Grey area indicates non-visual area from front.

Victim FI

(39)

“We were picked up by five soldiers who began to beat me with rifle butts while asking me why I am fleeing and whether it is I who killed their colleagues, saying they will impose sexual intercourse on me. Three soldiers, the first removed my loincloth skirt and my underpants that I was wearing, all the while telling me that if I screamed they are going to kill me because they had weapons. Then, one after the other, they imposed sexual intercourse on me in the presence of my children.” "Nous avons été pris par cinq soldats qui ont commencé à me frapper à coups de crosse tout en me demandant pourquoi je fuis, et si c'est moi qui a tué leurs collègues, en disant qu'ils vont imposer des relations sexuelles avec moi. Trois soldats, le premier enlevé ma jupe pagne et mon slip que je portais, tout en me disant que si je criais, ils vont me tuer parce qu'ils avaient des armes. Puis, l'un après l'autre, ils ont imposé des relations sexuelles sur moi en présence de mes enfants. "

Victim FI

(39)

GP41420 28.063 in x 90.375 in

Curved Inside

GP41407 28.063 in x 90.375 in

Then, one after the other, they imposed sexual intercourse on me in the presence of my children.”

"Nous avons été pris par cinq soldats qui ont commencé à me frapper à coups de crosse tout en me demandant pourquoi je fuis, et si c'est moi qui a tué leurs collègues, en disant qu'ils vont imposer des relations sexuelles avec moi.

GP41420 28.063 in x 90.375 in

Trois soldats, le premier enlevé ma jupe pagne et mon slip que je portais, tout en me disant que si je criais, ils vont me tuer parce qu'ils avaient des armes. Puis, l'un après l'autre, ils ont imposé des relations sexuelles sur moi en présence de mes enfants. "

Victim FI

(39)

Victim FI

(39)

Grey area indicates non-visual area from front.

The Demoncratic Republic of Congo The Democratic Republic of Congo is almost as large as Eastern Europe and the third biggest country in Africa. The four Eastern provinces – South Kivu, North Kivu, Ituri, and Maniema – and the countries they border (Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi) have been the scene of multiple conflicts at local, national and regional levels for at least a decade.

Victim FI

Victim F2

Victim F6

Victim F7

“It was the day of January 1st 2011 and in the evening I went to the movies with my husband's younger brother and later we heard rumors that someone was going to kill a soldier, going out a few minutes (later) outside the cinema I saw a motorcycle transporting someone who was bleeding, I returned to my home, at the house I took my children and a flashlight because it was already dark. In this flashlight, I placed 100 American dollars and we fled into the valley, but we were picked up by five soldiers who began to beat me with rifle butts while asking me why I am fleeing and whether it is I who killed their colleagues and (saying) they will impose sexual intercourse on me. Three soldiers, the first removed my loincloth skirt and my underpants that I was wearing, all the while telling me that if I screamed they are going to kill me because they had weapons. Then, one after the other, they imposed sexual intercourse on me in the presence of my children. After that, they told me to return to my house. Among the soldiers that I saw I recognized two Lieutenant Colonels, KIBIBI and MWANAKUANDA. (Capitalized indicates last name).”

“It was the first of January 2011 around five pm that I learned while being in my house that a soldier fired on a civilian and that the population in turn sought revenge and stoned the soldier in question, and so the population began to flee and others lock themselves in their home. I didn’t flee, I remained in my home and during the night when I was sleeping I heard the cries of my neighbor, I left my children hidden, I returned to come collect my bag at the house. It was already around 4 o’clock in the morning when I saw three soldiers shouting at me in front of the door of my house; they are going to demand (they demanded) money, I responded to them that I didn’t have any on me, then they started striking me, in the meantime one of them made me fall down and they slept with me occasionally, one after the other. Because the loincloth I was wearing was taken off from the beating they administered to me (from the beating they gave me) I am left with just my under skirt and underwear. None of the soldiers had used a condom to protect themselves.”

“It was the first of January 2011 during the day when I was heading to the city accompanied by my friend, when we came to learn that someone had killed a boy. We took the initiative to return to our homes and I parted from my friend, each of us to returned to her home; during that time there were noises especially in the streets and I met with some soldiers carrying their colleagues who had been stoned by the people and they were saying today we will see many more people be killed. Arriving at my house, I wanted to flee and take my property with me but in view of the fact that I was afraid I left my house empty-handed and shortly on the way some people told us to return to our homes. Upon returning to my home, , I heard my neighbor scream “Nakufa Nakufa”, seized by fear, I wanted to leave, to flee, it is then that opening my door I met with some soldiers who prevented me from fleeing while pushing me into the house and I fell and I was truly terrified, they undressed) me, then to forced sexual intercourse on me; one was holding me by the feet, the other by the shoulders while the third penetrated me, the fourth was securing them.

“It was the first of January 2011. I was in the city where I was invited for the festivities when I learnt that a soldier fired on a civilian and that the civilians had stoned him. The latter was killed on the spot. During the time there was widespread panic and I decided to return home where I found all the neighbors had already taken flight. I also took flight [with my children] in the bush and in hiding we heard sounds of women screaming. After that we saw flashlights where we were hiding and it was three soldiers. They demanded money, I told them that I had nothing on me, that’s when one hit me with rifle butts on the back near the neck and the other hit me three times, even during this time (in the midst of this), the third removed the loincloth and flung me on the ground. Then one of them held my knee, tearing my panties and he began to penetrate me. One after the other and every time they used my dress to clean their cum on my genitals. And they inserted their fingers also. And after the sexual act they returned to my house and took with them, a tarp, clothing effects, and 20000fc Congolese. All this happened in the presence of my children, one 15 years old and one 9 years old and the last 3 years old. ”

Photo: Name Here

39 years old resident in Kalembelembe.

Photo: Name Here

36 years old resident in Misufi.

Photo: Name Here

40 years old resident in Sub hospital.

46 years old resident in Sub hospital 1

The Democratic Republic of Congo

“Josephine”

(39)

“In the evening, I went to the movies. Later, outside the cinema, I saw a motorcycle transporting someone who was bleeding, so I returned to my home, took my children, and tried to flee into the valley. But I was picked up by five soldiers who began to beat me with rifle butts while asking me why I was fleeing and whether I killed their colleagues and saying they would force sexual intercourse on me. Three soldiers removed my loincloth skirt and my underpants telling me that if I screamed they were going to kill me–and they had weapons. One after the other, they forced sexual intercourse on me in the presence of my children. Afterwards, they told me to return to my house.” “C’était le soir et nous avons entendu que l’on venait de tuer un militaire. Je suis rentrée chez moi et j’ai pris mes enfants et une lampe torche et nous avons fui dans la vallée. Malheureusement nous avons été récupérés par 5 militaires qui se sont mis à me donner des coups en m’accusant d’être liée au meurtre de leur collègue et m’ont imposé des relations sexuelles avec trois d’entre eux. Le premier m’a retiré mon pagne, ma jupe et mon caleçon, tout en me disant que, si je criais, ils allaient me tuer. Puis ils m’ont imposé des relations sexuelles l’un après l’autre, en présence de mes enfants.”

“Emilie”

(36)

“Around five p.m., I learned that a soldier fired on a civilian and that the population in turn sought revenge and stoned the soldier in question. Then the population began to flee, and others locked themselves in their homes. I didn’t flee but remained in my home. During the night when I was sleeping, I heard the cries of my neighbor, so I hid my children. It was already around 4 a.m. when three soldiers began shouting at me in front of the door of my house, demanding money. I responded that I didn’t have any, so they started striking me. One of them pushed me down, and then, one after the other, they raped me. None of the soldiers used a condom.” “C’était vers 17h que j’ai appris qu’un militaire avait tiré sur un civil et que la population s’était vengée et avait lapidé le militaire en question. Puis la population a commencé à fuir et d’autres se sont enfermés chez eux. Je n’ai pas fui, je suis restée chez moi et, pendant la nuit, j’ai été réveillée par les cris de ma voisine, donc j’ai caché mes enfants. Il était environ 4 heures du matin quand trois soldats sont venus crier á la porte de ma maison, me réclamant de l’argent ; j’ai répondu que je n’en avais pas, donc ils ont commencé à m’administrer des coups. L’un d’eux m’a poussée à terre ; puis, l’un après l’autre, ils m’ont violée. Aucun des soldats n’a utilisé de préservatif.”

“Marie”

(28)

“I have been a victim of rape by three soldiers. The assailants, who were of Rwandan body type and spoke in Kinyarwanda, entered my home, threw me on the bed, and began to rape me in turns. After their dirty job was done, they looted all my things and left. My health status remains critical since then, and my husband no longer looks at me favorably.” “J’ai été victime d'un viol par trois militaires. Mes assaillants étaient de morphologie rwandaise et ils s’exprimaient en kinyarwanda ; ils sont entrés chez moi, m’ont jetée sur le lit et se sont mis à me violer à tour de rôle. Après leur sale besogne, ils ont pillé mon domicile et sont partis. Mon état de santé reste critique depuis et mon mari ne me regarde plus d’un bon œil.”

“Claire”

DRC In the Congo, women and girls face threats every day from armed militias, the military, and even the police who are supposed to protect them. Militias use rape as a weapon of war, destroying communities by targeting women. Tens of thousands of women and girls have been the targets of sexual violence. Attacks are common, and access to medical and psychological support is very limited. Survivors of sexual violence are often too afraid or ashamed to seek treatment and can be shunned by society and their families because of their experiences. Raise Hope for Congo Au Congo, les femmes et les filles doivent affronter chaque jour des dangers venant des milices armées, de l'armée, et même de la police qui est supposée les protéger. Les milices utilisent le viol comme arme de guerre, et en visant les femmes détruisent les communautés. Des dizaines de milliers de femmes et de filles sont les cibles de violences sexuelles. Les attaques sont chose commune, et l'accès à un soutien médical et psychologique est très limité. Les survivantes de violences sexuelles ont souvent trop peur ou ont trop honte pour chercher de l'aide et peuvent être exclues de la société et de leurs familles en raison de leur vécu. Faitre naître l’espoir au Congo

Photographer Pete Muller is an award-winning photojournalist and multimedia reporter based in Nairobi, Kenya. His work explores the challenges of nationalism, modern states, war, poverty, and social unrest. Pete Muller est un reporter multimédia et photojournaliste primé, basé à Nairobi, au Kenya. Son œuvre explore les défis posés par le nationalisme, les Etats modernes, la guerre, la pauvreté et les troubles sociaux.

These photographs and testimonies are anonymous to protect the identity of the survivors. Ces photos et témoignages sont anonymes afin de protéger l'identité des survivantes. For security reasons and because rape carries strong social stigma in these regions, we ask you not to photograph these panels.

(27)

“Around 9 p.m., I had a visit by four soldiers in my house. The soldiers demanded money, but my husband and I told them that we do not have money. Then they took me by force in the presence of my husband and imposed sex on me in turns. When they left our house, my husband, my three children, and I fled into the forest.” "J’ai eu la visite de 4 militaires dans ma maison; ces militaires nous ont exigé de l’argent, nous leur avons répondu avec mon mari que nous n’avons pas d’argent. C’est ainsi qu’ils vont me prendre de force en présence de mon mari et m’imposer à tour de rôle des rapports sexuels. Quand ils sont sortis de notre maison, nous avons pris la fuite dans la forêt, mon mari, moi et mes trois enfants."

Pour des raisons de sécurité et parce que les femmes violées dans ces régions subissent une forte stigmatisation sociale, nous vous demandons de ne pas photographier ces panneaux.

“Lucinda” “The armed men took off our clothes and left us naked, my sister and me. They sexually abused my sister; they did with her everything that they wanted. There were 4 men with that girl, and they laughed. She screamed and screamed and screamed and I could not do anything for her because they were doing the same to me, and I was pregnant. I was 5 months pregnant when this happened to me. After that, after they did everything they wanted with me and my sister, they went over to my brother, after having tortured him so much, they beat him and beat him and said, “Defend yourself, you are not going to defend your sisters, who are you going to defend, so defend yourself.” He was crying. Then they shot him. After what happened, they gave me two hours to leave. My sister ran in the yard naked, crying, and I was crying too.” “Les hommes armés nous ont déshabillées et nous ont laissées nues, ma sœur et moi. Ils ont abusé sexuellement de ma sœur ; ils ont fait avec elle tout ce qu’ils ont voulu. Il y avait 4 hommes avec elle, et ils riaient. Elle criait et criait et criait et je ne pouvais rien faire pour elle car ils me faisaient subir la même chose, et j’étais enceinte. J’étais enceinte de 5 mois quand cela m’est arrivé. Après ça, après avoir fait tout ce qu’ils voulaient à ma sœur et moi, ils sont allés vers mon frère, après l’avoir tant torturé, ils l’ont battu encore et encore et lui ont dit : "défends-toi, tu ne vas pas défendre tes sœurs, qui vas-tu défendre, alors défends-toi." Il pleurait. Alors ils l’ont abattu. Après ce qui m’était arrivé ils m’ont donné deux heures pour partir. Ma sœur a couru nue dans la cour en pleurant, et je pleurais aussi.”

“Micala” “In 1997, it happened to me, the armed men came. My mother was very sick. They arrived there and asked what was happening. So my father told them that we were with my mother because she was very sick. They told him to turn off the lights. They then beat my father and my husband. I was in a bed with my sister who was one year old. And so they took me and raped me, they smashed my mouth completely, my mouth tasted like “rama,” a drug. They destroyed everything. They hit my father, and that was very painful for me. Three days later my mother died. They had put their gun up to my mother’s face, threatening her, saying that she was old, and that she should die.”

“Lucinda”

“Micala”

“En 1997, cela m’est arrivé, les hommes armés sont venus. Ma mère était très malade. Ils sont arrivés et ont demandé ce qui se passait. Mon père leur a alors dit que nous étions avec ma mère parce qu’elle était très malade. Ils lui ont dit d’éteindre la lumière. Ensuite ils ont battu mon père et mon mari. J’étais au lit avec ma sœur d’un an. Alors ils m’ont prise et m’ont violée, ils m’ont écrasé la bouche, ma bouche avait le gout de "rama", une drogue. Ils ont tout détruit. Ils ont frappé mon père, et cela m’a fait du mal. Trois jours plus tard ma mère est morte. Ils avaient pointé leurs fusils vers le visage de ma mère, disant qu’elle était vieille, et qu’elle devait mourir.”

“Carmela” “If I start to tell my stories, this body that you see, it has been a body of many instruments of war. One day, I was walking with two other people. We ran into a group of armed men and they separated us, taking two of us to one place and me into the mountains. They did anything they wanted to me. The doctor tells me that 14 men have sexually abused me. I do not know how I got home, because when they let me go, I could not speak anymore, I was not the same. In everything that I remember, I cannot say I have a happy memory. For me, everything has been bitter.” “Si je commence à raconter mon histoire, ce corps que vous voyez a été un instrument de guerre. Un jour je marchais avec deux autres personnes. Nous avons rencontré un groupe d’hommes armés et ils nous ont séparées, et ils ont emmené deux d’entre nous dans les montagnes. Ils ont fait avec moi tout ce qu’ils ont voulu. Le docteur me dit que 14 hommes ont abusé de moi. Je ne sais pas comment je suis rentrée à la maison, car quand ils m’ont laissée partir, je ne pouvais plus parler, je n’étais plus la même. De tout ce dont je me souviens, je n’ai pas un seul souvenir heureux. Pour moi tout a été amer.”

“Sandra” “I was traveling to another town when many men came out and grabbed me, and I struggled with them, but the others got me and began to rape me. Many men raped me. They told me that if I said anything to my family that they would kill them. So I had to keep quiet, and my family still does not know that this happened to me. I returned to my house and stayed quiet. I was afraid that if I spoke, they would actually do what they said they would, that they would murder my family. I want to tell the men, first that they were born from a woman, and that the body of woman is not the plunder of war. The body of a woman is love, tenderness; it is free, so that a man should not commit such barbarity with our bodies.” “Je voyageais vers une autre ville lorsque plusieurs hommes sont sortis et m’ont attrapée, je me suis débattue, mais les autres m’ont immobilisée et ont commencé à me violer. Beaucoup d’hommes m’ont violée. Ils m’ont dit que si j’en parlais à ma famille ils me tueraient. Alors j’ai dû me taire, et à ce jour ma famille ne sait toujours pas ce qui m’est arrivé. Je suis rentrée à la maison et je me suis tue. J’avais peur que, si je parlais, ils feraient ce qu’ils avaient dit, c’est-à-dire tuer ma famille. Je veux dire aux hommes, d’abord c’est une femme qui vous a mis au monde, et ensuite le corps des femmes n’est pas un butin de guerre. Le corps d’une femme représente l’amour, la tendresse. Il est libre, et aucun homme ne devrait commettre de telles atrocités avec nos corps.”

“Carmela”

“Sandra”

Colombia For almost half a century, civil conflict involving the state, paramilitary, and guerilla forces have seized Colombia. As a result, almost four million Colombians are considered “internally displaced” within the country. They have fled diverse harms, including gang warfare, forced recruitment, extortion, “social cleansing,” and sexual violence. By some estimates, gender-based violence was the cause of flight for two out of every ten displaced Colombian women. These women have yet to receive any compensation or justice. Depuis presque un demi-siècle, un conflit civil impliquant l’Etat, les troupes paramilitaires et la guérilla se déroule en Colombie. Il en résulte que 4 millions de Colombiens sont considérés comme victimes de "déplacement interne" à l’intérieur même du pays. Ils ont fui différents dangers, comme la guerre des gangs, l’enrôlement forcé, les extorsions, le "nettoyage social", et les violences sexuelles. Selon certaines estimations, la violence basée sur le genre a été la cause de la fuite de 2 Colombiennes sur 10. Ces femmes n’ont à ce jour reçu aucune compensation ou justice.

Photographer Blake Fitch works in fine art and documentary photography. Fitch has photographed extensively in the United States and Central and South America, focusing on themes of identity, rites of passage, civil rights, and belonging. Her work has been exhibited internationally and is held in the collections of several museums. Blake Fitch est une professionnelle de la photographie documentaire et des beaux arts. Mme Fitch a réalisé de nombreux reportages photographiques aux Etats-Unis, ainsi qu’en Amérique centrale et en Amérique du Sud, portant sur les thèmes de l’identité, des rites de passage, des droits civiques et de l’appartenance. Son œuvre a été exposée dans divers pays et fait partie des collections de plusieurs musées.

For security reasons and because rape carries strong social stigma in these regions, we ask you not to photograph these panels. Pour des raisons de sécurité et parce que les femmes violées dans ces régions subissent une forte stigmatisation sociale, nous vous demandons de ne pas photographier ces panneaux.

Kamala Bika

(28)

“We were crossing a jungle when an army and armed police team found us. The police kept us for three months. Then we were taken to the army barracks for another three months. Our eyes were blindfolded the whole time. I do not know how many times they beat us and raped us. We were treated worse than dogs. I had severe wounds at the back of my head where they hit me with the butt of a rifle. I must have spent 10, maybe 11, years with the Maoists. When my brother came to get me out, I was like a mad woman. But when he brought me home, the Maobadi came for me again. Though I got married some years ago and have a daughter, I am still under medication for my physical and psychological problems.” “Nous avons traversé une jungle lorsqu’une armée et une équipe de police armée nous ont trouvées. La police nous a gardées pendant trois mois. Puis nous avons été emmenées à la caserne pour trois autres mois. Nos yeux sont restés bandés en permanence. Je ne sais même plus à combien de reprises ils nous ont frappées et violées. Nous étions traitées pires que des chiens. J’avais de graves blessures derrière la tête où ils m’ont frappée avec la crosse d’un fusil. J’ai probablement passé 10 ou 11 ans avec les maoïstes. Lorsque mon frère est venu me libérer, j’avais l’air d’une folle. Mais lorsqu’il m’a ramenée à la maison, les maobadis sont à nouveau venus me chercher. Bien que j’aie été mariée depuis plusieurs années et que j’aie une fille, je suis encore sous médication à cause de mes problèmes physiques et psychologiques.”

Mamata Tharu

(25)

“I was a student when four truckloads of soldiers took me away. They tied up my hands, blindfolded me, and put a pistol in my mouth, ears, and vagina. They pulled my pubic hair and hit my legs until they bled. For nine days, I was continuously tortured. Then I was taken to another barrack where I was raped so many times I lost count. Later, they brought a relative to my room and forced him to molest me. When he resisted, they beat him up. After a year, my father made a deal with a politician and I was free, but the nightmare continued. The villagers said that a girl who goes to the barracks must be sleeping with soldiers. No students at school would sit with me; no children came to our house. Eight days after I was married, my in-laws found out and sent me home. They did not want a daughter-in-law who had been raped.” “J’étais étudiante lorsque quatre camions chargés de soldats m’ont capturée. Ils m’ont lié les mains, bandé les yeux et placé un pistolet dans la bouche, les oreilles et le vagin. Ils ont arraché mes poils pubiens et m’ont frappé les jambes jusqu’à ce qu’elles saignent. Pendant neuf jours, j’ai été torturée en permanence. Puis, j’ai été emmenée dans une autre caserne où ils m’ont violée si souvent que j’en ai perdu le compte. Plus tard, ils ont emmené un de mes parents dans ma chambre et l’ont forcé à me brutaliser. Lorsqu’il a résisté ils l’ont frappé.

Nepal

Après un an, mon père a conclu une entente avec un politicien et j’ai été libérée, mais le cauchemar a continué. Les villageois disaient qu’une fille qui se rend à la caserne couche nécessairement avec les soldats. À l’école, personne ne voulait s’asseoir près de moi, aucun enfant ne venait chez nous. Huit jours après, j’ai été mariée. Mes beaux-parents ont tout découvert et m’ont renvoyée à la maison. Ils ne voulaient pas d’une belle-fille qui avait été violée.”

Shova Nepal

One day, he followed me to school, wrestled me to the ground, and raped me. I did not tell anyone. Getting raped was bad enough, but if people found out, it would be so much worse. I got married three years ago. My husband still does not know about the rape. Who knows what would happen if he or his family were to find out?” “Quand j’avais 18 ans, les maobadis m’ont capturée et détenue pendant plusieurs mois. Lorsque je suis revenue à la maison, un homme qui se disait maobadi a commencé à me suivre partout. Comme je n’ai pas accepté ses avances, il a commencé à me menacer. Un jour, il m’a suivie jusqu’à l’école, m’a jetée au sol et m’a violée. Je n’ai rien dit à personne. C’était déjà assez terrible d’être violée, mais si les gens le découvraient, ce serait encore pire. Je me suis mariée il y a trois ans. Mon mari ignore tout de ce viol. Qui sait ce qui arriverait si lui ou sa famille l’apprenait?”

“Prajuana” (17) “When I was 13 years old, the Maoists asked me to tell them which houses had weapons. If I refused, they said they would kill my family. I was naive and helped them. Two years later, the police took advantage of what I did. Three friends and I were going to school when the police gang-raped us. Twenty-four of us were later captured and taken to the army barracks. We stayed in toilets, naked. A friend who was captured with me, who was “proven” to be a Maoist, was ganged-raped by eleven men. She screamed till she fainted while they continued raping her. Two days later, my friend was killed and, in front of me, cut into pieces alive. They did this to show what they could do to me. Rape victims are victimized, but it’s the criminal who should be blamed and abandoned by society. “À 13 ans, les maoïstes m’ont demandé de leur indiquer les maisons contenant des armes. Ils ont dit qu’ils tueraient ma famille si je leur refusais mon aide. Naïve, je les ai donc aidés. Deux ans plus tard, la police a profité de mes informations. Trois amis et moi étions en route pour l’école lorsqu’une bande de policiers nous viola. Vingt-quatre d’entre nous furent capturées et menées à des casernes. Nous sommes restées dans des toilettes, toutes nues. Une amie, capturée avec moi et qu’ils “déclarèrent” maoïste, a été violée par onze hommes. Elle hurla jusqu'à s’évanouir pendant qu’ils continuèrent à la violer. Deux jours plus tard, mon amie a été tuée et dépecée vive sous mes yeux. Ils ont commis cet acte pour me montrer ce dont ils étaient capables. Les victimes de viol sont humiliées mais les criminels eux-mêmes devraient être blâmés et reniés par la société.”

“Sandra”

The Nepali Civil War was an armed conflict between the government and the Communist Party of Nepal Maoist (CPN-M) that took place between 1996 and 2006. More than 17,000 people were killed, and an estimated 100,000 to 150,000 were internally displaced. Combatants on both sides arbitrarily arrested, tortured, and raped people, often keeping them in illegal detention. Women were frequent targets of abuse. Many still await justice while others suffer in silence because of the stigma, rejection, and blame attached to rape in their conservative communities. La guerre civile népalaise est un conflit armé qui a opposé le gouvernement et le Parti communiste maoïste du Népal (CPN-M) de 1996 à 2006. Plus de 17’000 personnes ont été tuées et environ 100’000 à 150’000 ont fui vers d’autres régions du pays. Pendant la guerre, les combattants des deux camps ont arbitrairement arrêté, torturé et violé un nombre important de personnes, les gardant souvent en détention illégale. Dans ce contexte, les femmes ont particulièrement été les cibles d’abus les plus divers. Un grand nombre d’entre elles attendent encore que justice soit faite, tandis que d’autres souffrent en silence des stigmates, du rejet et du blâme liés au viol dans leurs communautés conservatrices.

Photographer (25)

“When I was 18, the Maobadi took me for several months. When I got back home, a man who said he was a Maobadi started following me around. When I did not agree to his cajoling, he started threatening me.

“Carmela”

Nepal

NayanTara Gurung Kakshapati is a Nepali photojournalist who lives in Kathmandu. She is documenting her country by focusing on a project entitled ‘The New Nepal’ and its dynamic struggle to find peace after the decade-long civil war (1996-2006). In 2007, NayanTara co-founded photo.circle; a photography collective that offers Nepali photographers a space to exhibit, publish and market their work in Nepal, across the region and internationally. NayanTara Gurung Kakshapati est une photojournaliste népalaise vivant à Katmandou. Elle documente son pays en ce concentrant sur un projet intitulé ‘Le nouveau Népal’ et son combat dynamique pour trouver la paix après une longue décennie de guerre civile de 1996 à 2006. En 2007, NayanTara a co-fondé photo.circle; un collectif de photographes offrant aux photographes népalais un espace pour exposer, publier et commercialiser leur travail au Népal, dans la région et à l'étranger. For security reasons and because rape carries strong social stigma in these regions, we ask you not to photograph these panels. Pour des raisons de sécurité et parce que les femmes violées dans ces régions subissent une forte stigmatisation sociale, nous vous demandons de ne pas photographier ces panneaux.

Bakira Hasecic

Bakira Hasecic was imprisoned in the basement of a police station and raped repeatedly by a prewar acquaintance. Her sister was killed in one of the town’s now infamous rape camps. “The state is on the side of war criminals. We do not have any rights. The state provides lawyers for indicted war criminals from our resources, from every citizen of Bosnia and Herzegovina, to pay for our executioners, the killers of our family, rapists. They are provided with two lawyers, and the state cannot provide us even one lawyer to start one lawsuit. It is obvious they want us to stop testifying.”

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bakira Hasecic, présidente de l’association des Femmes victimes de guerre, a été emprisonnée au sous-sol d’un commissariat de police et violée à plusieurs reprises par une connaissance d’avant-guerre. Sa sœur a été tuée dans l’un des désormais tristement célèbres camps de viol de la ville. “L’Etat est du côté des criminels de guerre. Nous n’avons aucun droit. L’Etat fournit des avocats aux criminels de guerre inculpés, et ce à partir de nos ressources, celles de tous les citoyens de Bosnie-Herzégovine, afin de payer pour nos bourreaux, les meurtriers de notre famille, des violeurs. Ils se voient commis deux avocats, alors que l’Etat ne peut même pas nous fournir un avocat pour entamer un procès. Il est évident qu’ils veulent que nous arrêtions de témoigner.”

Enisa Salcinovic

Enisa was first held in an apartment building and raped by her husband’s former colleague while her parents were in the next room. She was raped with hundreds of other women for days on end. She escaped with the help of her former colleague, a soldier fighting in the Bosnian Serb Army. “In Republika Srpska, they have a law that you need to bring medical documents proving rape. Who gave us medical documents when we left the Partizan concentration camp? You were worthless there, and the documentation does not exist. As soon as they see you do not have the documentation filled in, they automatically deny your request. That is shameful.”

BiH The United Nations estimates that between 20,000 and 50,000 women were raped in the 1992-1995 war in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Fewer than 1,000 women currently receive help from the government as victims of wartime rape, and only in one of the entities, the BiH Federation. Many of the perpetrators are free; some even work in public institutions.

Enisa a d’abord été retenue dans un immeuble résidentiel et violée par l’ancien collègue de son mari, alors que ses parents étaient dans la pièce voisine. Elle a été violée comme des centaines d’autres femmes pendant plusieurs jours. Elle s’est échappée grâce à l’aide de son ancien collègue, soldat combattant dans l’Armée des Serbes de Bosnie. “En République serbe de Bosnie, ils ont une loi selon laquelle il faut apporter des documents médicaux prouvant le viol. Qui nous a donné des documents médicaux à notre sortie du camp de concentration Partizan? On ne valait rien et la documentation n’existe pas. Dès qu’ils voient que vous n’avez pas la documentation remplie, ils rejettent automatiquement votre requête. C’est honteux.”

Bakira Hasecic

Enisa Salcinovic

Hasija Brankovic

“I was held captive in Rogatica, in an elementary school, for more than a month. I slept on concrete, without food, water, anything. Imagine how it was to be an 18-year-old girl there. I had not had a boyfriend before, and my first encounter was with these idiots, maniacs–I do not know how to call them. Those vulgarities, they make you sick. I was raped day after day by multiple men whose heads were covered with stockings. “I want some kind of protection, a normal life. We are on the margins of existence here–it is a catastrophe. A war invalid can take a loan, has financial aid, has accommodation, but nobody takes care of us. We have no rights whatsoever.”

Photographer Laura Boushnak is a Palestinian photographer born in Kuwait. She began her photography career covering news for the Associated Press in Lebanon. Her work has been published in The New York Times, The Guardian, National Geographic and Le Monde.

Today, Hasija receives from her government only €50 a month, which does not even cover prescriptions for her nerves. “J’ai été retenue captive à Rogatica, dans une école primaire, pendant plus d’un mois. J’étais à même le béton, sans nourriture, sans eau, rien. Imaginez ce que c’était, d’être une fille de 18 ans, là-bas. Je n’avais pas eu de petit ami avant et ma première rencontre a été avec ces idiots, ces maniaques… Je ne sais pas comment les appeler. Ces vulgarités, ça vous rend malade. J’ai été violée jour après jour par de nombreux hommes dont les visages étaient masqués par des bas.

Laura Boushnak est une photographe palestinienne née au Koweït. Elle débuta sa carrière de photographe en couvrant l'actualité pour l'agence Associated Press au Liban. Son travail a été publié dans le New York Times, le Guardian, le National Geographic et Le Monde.

“Je veux une sorte de protection, une vie normale. Nous sommes en marge de toute existence ici… C’est une catastrophe. Un invalide de guerre peut faire un emprunt, a une aide financière, un logement, mais personne ne s’occupe de nous. Nous n’avons absolument aucun droit.”

Aujourd’hui, Hasija reçoit de son gouvernement uniquement 50€ par mois, ce qui ne couvre même pas les ordonnances pour son état nerveux.

Sadzida Hadzic

“For 13 months, my mother didn’t know whether I was dead or alive. I was in a concentration camp. They told us that we are not moral, that we are just Turkish whores. They were doing all kinds of things in that concentration camp. My only goal was to stay alive. Women who were raped are now invisible invalids. Their story is based on fragments that they will carry with themselves for all their lives. I am frustrated because you have to argue for rights that you have, and even then, there is a question whether you will get what you want. One of my rapists is still working in the border police, but government authorities have done nothing to hold him accountable.” “Pendant 13 mois, ma mère n’a pas su si j’étais morte ou en vie. J’étais dans un camp de concentration. Ils nous ont dit que nous n’avions aucune moralité, que nous n’étions que des traînées turques. Ils faisaient toutes sortes de choses dans ce camp de concentration. Mon seul but était de rester en vie. Les femmes qui ont été violées sont maintenant des invalides invisibles. Leur histoire se base sur des fragments qu’elles porteront en elles toute leur vie. Je suis frustrée parce qu’il faut se battre pour faire valoir nos droits, et encore on ne sait pas si l’on obtiendra ce que l’on veut. L’un de mes violeurs travaille toujours pour la police des frontières, mais les autorités gouvernementales n’ont rien fait pour qu’il réponde de ses actes.”

Les Nations unies estiment qu’entre 20 000 et 50 000 femmes ont été violées durant la guerre en Bosnie-Herzégovine de 1992 à 1995. Moins de 1 000 femmes reçoivent actuellement une aide du gouvernement en tant que victimes de viol en temps de guerre et seulement dans une de ses entités, la Fédération de Bosnie-et-Herzégovine. De nombreux hommes ayant perpétré ces actes sont en liberté ; certains travaillent même dans les instances gouvernementales.

Hasija Brankovic

Sadzida Hadzic

BADRINATH SINGH AT THE OPENING OF THE UNEARTHED EXHIBITION. SINGH IS FATHER OF THE 23-YEAR “NIRBHAYA”, WHO WAS GANG RAPED AND BASHED TO DEATH ON A BUS IN NEW DELHI.

PHOTO: SMITA SHARMA

Resources Bonnell, Jennifer, and Roger I. Simon. 2007. “‘Difficult’ Exhibitions and Intimate Encounters.” Museum and Society 5 (2): 65–85. Pitt, Alice, and Deborah Britzman. 2003. “Speculations on Qualities of Difficult Knowledge in Teaching and Learning: An Experiment in Psychoanalytic Research.” International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education 16 (6): 755–76. doi:10.1080/095183903100016 32135. Simon, Roger I. 2011. “A Shock to Thought: Curatorial Judgment and the Public Exhibition of ‘Difficult Knowledge.’” Memory Studies 4 (4): 432–49. doi:10.1177/1750698011398170. Trofanenko, Brenda M. 2011. “On Difficult History Displayed: The Pedagogical Challenges of Interminable Learning.” Museum Management and Curatorship 26 (5): 481–95. doi:10.10 80/09647775.2011.621733. Van Leeuwen, Theo. 2005. Introducing Social Semiotics. Oxon, U.K and New York: Routledge.