Crisis and Hope: Youth Turn a Lens on the World

Crisis and Hope youth turn a lens on the world a project of adobe youth voices and what kids can do Edited by Barbara Cervone, Ed. D.

Crisis and Hope youth turn a lens on the world a project of adobe youth voices and what kids can do

Edited by Barbara Cervone

   Providence, Rhode Island

Contents Copyright Š 2010 by What Kids Can Do, Inc.

foreword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v

All rights reserved.

yin and yang

No part of this book may be reproduced, in any form,

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without written permission from the publisher.

juxtapositions Printed in Hong Kong by Great Wall Printing, Ltd.

a hard look

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Distributed by Next Generation Press

street photography

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ISBN 978-0-9815595-2-0 CIP data available.

Book design by Sandra Delany.

Next Generation Press, a not-for-profit book publisher, brings forward the voices and vision of adolescents on their own lives, learning, and work.

With a particular focus on youth without economic privilege, Next Generation Press raises awareness of young people as a powerful force for social justice.

Next Generation Press, P.O. Box 603252, Providence, Rhode Island 02906 U.S.A. www.nextgenerationpress.org 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

youth photographers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 about adobe youth voices and wkcd

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Foreword

W

ritten in chinese or japanese, the word “crisis” consists of two characters: one

representing crisis or danger, the other representing hope or opportunity. Like yin and yang,

it depicts seemingly contrary forces as interconnected and interdependent, each continually giving rise to the other.

Crisis and hope, yin and yang became our touchstones in April 2009, when Adobe Youth Voices, a global youth media initiative, and the nonprofit What Kids Can Do, Inc. launched an international photo competition. Then, as now, we faced a world engulfed by economic disaster, yet seeds of promise continued to yield new growth.

We invited youth worldwide to show us, through their own eyes, what troubles them and gives them hope in their close-by world – whether a deeply etched slum in East Africa or a well-off suburb in the northwestern United States.

Across four continents and sixteen countries, young people responded to our call by sending their photos and captions – crisp, light, dark. We heard from fledgling photographers working alone, but eager to find a public stage for their private vision. We heard from groups of youth encouraged by photography teachers in school or community classes.

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This small book gathers these extraordinarily diverse images and artist statements into a compelling

living conditions in her city, the largest in Armenia and one of the oldest continually inhabited

whole. It has five sections:

cities in the world. “This small box is the habitat of the Grigoryan family,” she writes. “Seven other families live on the same stage, and there is only one bathroom for all of them. Thirteen-year-old

Yin and Yang presents photo pairs, intended by the young photographers to work off one another.

Narek dreams of his own bathroom.”

In “Streets of Saigon,” seventeen-year-old Katherine Goudsouzian points her camera through a dark tangle of telephone wires and onto the chaotic traffic below in Vietnam’s largest city. “The

For Street Photography, Latino middle school students took cameras into their neighborhoods in

atmosphere was breathtaking,” she writes, ”but looking past all of this you see the poverty on the

Austin, Texas and Los Angeles and Oakland, California. They were looking for images that captured,

streets, the beggars in the gutter.” In “Two for a Dollar,” Goudsouzian captures the bright face of a

as one student put it, “the sweet and the sour.”

young girl selling flutes outside an ancient temple in Cambodia, after a morning in school. “Two for a dollar, miss, wooden flutes, two for a dollar,” the girl says.

We hope that the images and words on the pages that follow take your breath away – as they did ours. We hope they remind you of the vision and compassion that today’s youth bring to our 21st

Worth A Thousand Words features single photos that capture either crisis or hope – or both at

century world, caught between crisis and hope.

once. In “Hut Burning,” sixteen-year-old Kyle Weiss from Danville, California (USA) catches the expressions of children fleeing a fire in a refugee camp in Northern Uganda. He and classmates were there to build a soccer field for the children. “As we got closer,” Weiss writes, “the smoke got

Barbara Cervone, President

thicker. We saw a hut on fire, engulfed in flames. Yet the village was calm. We listened for the

What Kid Can Do, Inc (WKCD)

sirens we hoped were close by, but there weren’t any. We remembered we were in Uganda, not the U.S. No fire truck. No water. We stood and watched the hut burn.”

Miguel Salinas, Senior Manager Adobe Youth Voices

Juxtapositions offers a collection of photo collages submitted by students at Heritage High School

Adobe Systems Incorporated, USA

in Vancouver, Washington (USA). The young artists have given them titles like “Dear John,” “Poor Little Boy,” “Death and Dance,” “Hands of Truth.”

A Hard Look presents images gathered by teenagers at the Manana Youth Center in Yerevan, Armenia. In a photo simply called “Box,” fourteen-year-old Kristine Sargsyan shows the cramped

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Yin and Yang There are no greater adversaries than yin and yang, because nothing in Heaven or on Earth escapes them. But it is not yin and yang that do this, it is your heart that makes it so. chuang tzu (c. 360 bc - c. 275 bc)

yin and yang

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Streets of Saigon

Two for a Dollar

This photo was taken in Saigon, Vietnam while on a family holiday. I was on the second floor balcony of a

I took this photo just outside Siem Reap, Cambodia, at an ancient temple. I suddenly heard footsteps and

bakery called “Tous Les Jours,” after a long day of sightseeing. I looked through the large mass of messy

a little voice behind me saying, “Two for a dollar, miss, wooden flutes, two for a dollar.” I turned to see a

telephone wires outside the building and down onto the busy traffic of Saigon. The atmosphere was

very pretty, young local girl holding several cased wooden flutes in her hand and a bag full of them over

breathtaking: the roar of the chaotic traffic below and the beeping of horns. But looking past all this you

her arm. She told me how she goes to school in the morning and then comes to the temples in the after-

could see the poverty on the streets, the beggars in the gutter. The streets of Saigon are a place of poverty

noon to sell flutes to the tourists. I bought two of the flutes.

and lack of opportunity.

Katherine Goudsouzian, 17, Tasmania, Australia Katherine Goudsouzian, 17, Tasmania, Australia

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The Aging Problem

The New Generation

This photo was taken in a public home for the elderly in rural Taiwan. This summer I was part of a group

This photo was taken in a more developed region of Taiwan, near Tainan. Pictured are three young chil-

of 25 high school and college students who traveled to Taiwan from the United States under the Interna-

dren playing in a public park. While they are living a carefree childhood, little do they know that they rep-

tional Red Cross to assist the needy. I couldn’t help but notice that the elderly homes that we visited were

resent a shining beacon of hope for Taiwan’s impending crisis. These are the productive members of society

quite full. I did a bit of research and I found out that, soon, the elderly (60+) population in Taiwan would

that the country needs to replace the growing ranks of the elderly. This crisis will not only affect Taiwan,

be over-represented, leaving fewer and fewer individuals to work.

but also extend to other developed countries such as France, Sweden, and Japan.

Chyi-Dean Shu, 16, North Tustin, California, USA

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Chyi-Dean Shu, 16, North Tustin, California, USA

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A Distant Dream

The Bubbles of Knowledge

The picture reflects all forms of child labour. The first part shows a young girl working in a hazardous

After winter comes spring. After darkness comes light. And after despair

situation. The second submits a child hawker trying to sell Indian flags, but actually represents the thou-

comes hope. This image represents hope, which will bridge the gap between

sands of children who sell flowers or magazines at the traffic signals to earn a penny. The third puts forth

today’s present and tomorrow’s future. The picture portrays a young girl who

children who become domestic helpers to households in urban areas to support their families back in the

is getting enlightened by knowledge and acquiring power. As the bubbles of

villages. The image of handcuffs symbolises how these children are caught in the chains of poverty and

knowledge increase around her, her power will increase, society will be

exploitation. They dream of going to school, of learning, but they are trapped in a selfish world.

reformed, and every spring will be saved.

Avni Jain, New Delhi, India

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Avni Jain, New Delhi, India

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Lost

Found

The left photo expresses my sadness from being laughed at or bullied, having someone betray me, or

The photo on the right shows my joy being found once more. I went on a long journey up the mountain

fighting with a friend. When I feel this way, I go to that imaginary, cold and lonely place. I feel empty and

to find, by surprise, my happiness: a caterpillar. So small and slow-moving, it means so much to me. It has

forgotten. It is a world of black and white. I am lost in a labyrinth, nothing to comfort me, stuck out in the

a large effect on the world. I need it to be relaxed and comfortable with my life. Finding this small cater-

cold, sitting on concrete. I am gone until my happiness is discovered again.

pillar, my happiness, makes things feel better. I am now one again. Not lost anymore, but found.

Alexis Cole, 13, Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA

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Alexis Cole, 13, Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA

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Hampered Communities

Walking with Purpose

I decided to take this photo because I thought this was an eccentric piece. It’s rare

This person, whose name is unknown, captivated me. She had just gotten off the

to see a device that helps the needy thrown away as if it weren’t important. The

train and had a struggle getting out and walking with all of her baggage. I saw her

trees in the background symbolize life and the wheelchair symbolizes attention and

walking toward the sun and yet she looked like a shadow. Shadows are a universal

hope. I found it disappointing that some people have no consideration for the phys-

concept. Everyone carries emotional baggage, yet people live on, day by day. You

ically, mentally, or emotionally impaired. Every living being has a purpose in life.

struggle at first, but later you manage to regain your posture. You can’t let the littlest

Danny Rodriguez, 16, South Gate, California, USA

things hamper you from a zealous lifestyle.

Danny Rodriguez, 16, South Gate, California, USA

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Everything for Sale

Dignity

Because of the financial crisis, all the factories in Nor Hajn, the town where I live, are closed. People sell

Little Davit, who lives in the same town, doesn’t want to sell

their property to get money for living. All these papers are announcements about selling something:

his toy car and dreams of owning a big, real car one day.

apartments, houses, garages, furniture, etc.

Hovnan Baghdasaryan, 13, Yerevan, Armenia Hovnan Baghdasaryan, 13, Yerevan, Armenia

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Items on Ground

Woman at Cash Register

Signs of shattered lives fill every inch of this photograph. The clothes represent

This photograph resembles some of the hope in this world. It displays a

everyday people that have been kicked out of their homes to live on the streets. The

woman’s struggle to keep her business running. Her life depends on that small

clothes are different shades and styles, showing that people of any race, shape,

liquor store on the corner in Mexican Town. With the income, she has sent her

color, size, or ethnicity can face the same challenges during these hard times. The

sons to college and made them lawyers and doctors. Today’s economic recession

scattered clothing, and a suitcase, rests by a street in Detroit’s Mexican Town.

hasn’t changed the way she does business. The big guns on Wall Street breathe

Mawj Mohammed, 14, Detroit, Michigan, USA

business with clenched teeth. She’s service with a smile, the only way out. \Mawj Mohammed, 14, Detroit, Michigan, USA

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Crunched Dollar in Fist

Cross on Dollar

Due to the global economic crisis and its effect on my family, I chose the theme of money. The idea

You pray that you can stay on your own two feet, financially. You hope that good fortune will come your way.

behind this photograph is that you want to strangle money because you hate the things that come with it.

The cross and chain is a symbol of your prayer. The way the chain is wrapped around the dollar represents

You hate the stress, the power it holds over you, your dependence on it, and the violence, greed and hate it

your desperate attempt to cling to your money. It’s almost as if you are wrapped around your well-being,

brings. You hate all of these things. Yet you can’t let it go. You need it to survive.

trying to protect it.

Ethan Burnette, 18, Bowdoinham, Maine, USA

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Ethan Burnette, 18, Bowdoinham, Maine, USA

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Destiny Meets Disaster

You Must Be Strong

In the night street of a small town within the north of Thailand, many struggle to face the destiny which

Every Sunday night, in the same small town, a group of men gather at the Chiang Mai Walking Street,

life seems to have given them. For years, people have visited and passed by this road, seeing the images of

making music out of cans, bottles, and old instruments. For years, they have been a special interest for

people who have been left aside. In this picture, a man who barely survived an infectious disease begs for

those who pass by. They are not very talented, fascinating, or better than any others. They are disabled, and

some money. Without a shelter, and with barely any food, he travels from place to place, searching for the

most of them are blind, from accidents or disease, or from birth. Even though their lives are really difficult,

money that he thinks will be the answer to all questions of life.

not having much of anything, there’s one thing that they always have. And that is hope. And once they

Nattakarn Limphaibool, 14, Chiang Mai, Thailand

choose hope, anything’s possible.

Nattakarn Limphaibool, 14, Chiang Mai, Thailand

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Damaging Expression

Peaceful Expression

This photo was taken in the streets of my city, Al Daih, while citizens were cel-

This photo was also taken in a street where citizens had gathered to celebrate the national day of Palestine.

ebrating the national day of Palestine. You can see the man expressing his opin-

You can see people (males and females, old and young) holding flags and photos, feeling happy for

ion, but damaging the wall, which is government property. He could have done

expressing their opinions and celebrating together in peace. The man riding the motorcycle is an organizer

something better to express his feelings than writing threats with spray paint.

for this celebration.

Zainab Alsatrawi, 15, Al Daih, Bahrain

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Zainab Alsatrawi, 15, Al Daih, Bahrain

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Homeless on the Beach

Hopeful for the Future

This photo was taken on the beach, in the early hours of the day, just before an eclipse of the sun. The

This picture shows a child being served food as part of a midday meal scheme to encourage children to

homeless boy on the right just woke up after a cold night on the sands. It’s not clear what he is going to do

attend school. One of the reasons children don’t attend school is that they must earn money to feed them-

with the rest of his day—or if he will get any food to eat.

selves and their family. This school, which belongs to the midday meal program, also provides free Avinash Chandrashekar, 19, Chennai, India

schooling and accommodation to those who cannot afford to pay.

Avinash Chandrashekar, 19, Chennai, India

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Lost and Scared

I’ll Find My Way

The first photo shows a child who is scared of this world.

Here the same the little girl finds hope, she finds the light that

The little girl is frightened and does not know what will hap-

can lead her through the darkness that surrounds her. The

pen, what the future holds for her, and whether the world

bright light gives her courage to overcome what is hard in her

will always carry pain. Her facial expression shows her fear.

world. The child in the pictures is my sister (4 years old).

Flavia Mutenau, 14, Chisinau, Moldova Republic

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Flavia Mutenau, 14, Chisinau, Moldova Republic

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Homeless Man

Hold on to Your Friend

This shot is from my hometown Brno in the Czech Republic. I was taking photos of sunrise when I saw a

Another day I was walking through Brno with a camera in my hand and trying to catch the day life of people

homeless man. He did not see me but I went down to him. He had some old clothes, a cigarette, and a

around me. Most of them were in a hurry, going to work, home, or shopping. Everybody seemed to be

small bag. It was probably all his possessions. He was not very talkative. It was about 2C, all the benches

closed, just with their own thoughts. Suddenly I saw a young couple, not caught up in the frantic atmosphere

were wet and he seemed quite miserable. I had a loaf of bread with cheese, which I planned to eat for

that surrounded them. They were holding hands and full of love, peace, and happiness. The advertisement

breakfast. I gave it to him because he needed it more. I can have breakfast when I come back to my warm

above them says “...hold on to your brand,” but they knew it is more important to hold a person close.

home. I said to myself. But he has just a wet bench and no hope in his eyes.

Helena Brunnerová, 18, Brno, Czech Republic

Helena Brunnerová, 18, Brno, Czech Republic

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Imbalance

Harmony

This photograph was taken in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in October of 2009.

I took this photograph in April of 2005 in Rome, Italy. At the time, I was attending boarding school in

It shows how careless our society can be. This is a perfectly good house, a family

Poland. When Pope John Paul II died that April, it was shocking and tragic, especially for the Polish

could definitely live in it, if everyone were willing to help out a bit. But we

nation, since he was born there. We traveled to the funeral and this is what all of Rome looked like. It was

have become a society where we are not eager to help each other out if it does

amazing to see so many people unite over one man’s death, to see so many people travel for miles on end

not benefit us directly, in some way or form. We are in an economic crisis and

to be around Vatican City at the time of the Mass. While there we slept in buses, tents, everyone helped

houses are being taken away or abandoned. If people mattered as much as

everyone out with food, water and even a shower in a hotel room. As this photo shows, it was a time of

money, houses like this could still be home for the people who lived there.

true love towards God, John Paul II, and each other.

Ania Puciata, 18, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

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Ania Puciata, 18, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

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Anxious to Get Blessed

Her Hopes Come True

Good luck and blessing from Buddha are every Tibetan’s wish. I took this photo while traveling in Qinghai

A Tibetan girl near Qinghai Lake carries a lamb waiting for people to take her photo. Sometimes she sings

Province. Though the Lama had passed by, these two Tibetans still kowtow to pray for godliness. Maybe

a song for the people also. She gets $0.74 for one photo (about 5.00 RMB in Chinese money). Her hope is

they are having a critical issue or need to be blessed eagerly.

just so small and easy to fulfill. She looks happy with a hoping gaze.

Zhang Yi Chi, 11, Beijing, China

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Zhang Yi Chi, 11, Beijing, China

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Worth a Thousand Words When words become unclear, I shall focus with photographs.

When images become inadequate, I shall be content with silence. ansel adams (American photographer, 1902 - 1984)

worth a thousand words

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Smile in the Rain

Backyard Friends

This photo is taken in our school after classes end. Our school is a residential school for orphan children.

My little brother and his friend are playing in the water sprinkler in our backyard.

More than 1,000 students reside in this campus, which we rarely leave. A rainy day is a day all the children enjoy with each other. We consider it a blessing. In this photo we tried to show the happiness

Luke Midgley, 13, Brooklyn, New York, USA

brought by nature in the form of little drops of water on the faces of the most wonderful gift of God, i.e., innocent children.

Kamaldeep, 19, and Abhishek, 15, Delhi, India

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The Beauty of Dreams I took this picture in the Mathare Slum in Nairobi, where I live. Many children here dream of how to improve their living standards by studying hard at school so that they can kill the monster called poverty.

As they say, the future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams, no matter how displaced. Obstacles should never stop us from dreaming. If we run into a wall, we must not turn around

Water Scarcity

and give up. We must figure out how to climb it, go through it, work our way around it. That is how we Many children living in the slums are orphans like me. I take pictures

can achieve our dreams. Let us fill our minds with thoughts of peace, courage, health and hope. Our

of what is happening in my area. Everything is scarce, even the water.

dreams are what thoughts make them.

Frederick Ochieng, 16, Nairobi, Kenya

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Irene Esonga, 16, Nairobi, Kenya

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America Is Not Free

Street Play

This picture was taken on the sidewalk outside a hotel. The suitcase represents how people run away from

This picture shows children playing in the street in my neighborhood in Chennai. They are making their

home for a better life, the phone represents how people struggle to stay in contact with their family, the

own game. It is not exactly the safest of places to play, but due to poverty and a lack of proper play areas

flag represents our wish for freedom, the shoes represent how no one can stand in someone else’s shoes

they have no choice.

and feel the same, and the clothes represent that everyone looks and thinks different. I am trying to communicate that even though they say the U.S. is a country full of opportunities, that you’re free to express

Avinash Chandrashekar, 19, Chennai, India

your feelings and to start a good life, in reality this is not true. This country is full of prejudice, racism, and unfairness.

Cecilia Ornelas, 15, South Gate, California, USA

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Hut Burning

Release

I co-founded a nonprofit called Fund A Field, made up of classmates at my high school. This past summer

Good luck and blessing from Buddha are every Tibetan’s wish. It is the date that all people get released

we traveled to Northern Uganda to finalize plans to build a soccer field for kids in Paicho, an IDP (Inter-

when the Buddha’s photo opens and rolls down from the hill. This occurred for me on a summer trip to

nally Displaced Persons) camp. We saw smoke as we approached. As we got closer, the smoke got thicker.

Qinghai Province, where this picture is taken.

We saw a hut on fire, engulfed in flames. Yet the village was calm. We listened for the sirens we hoped were close by, but there weren’t any. We remembered we were in Uganda, not the U.S. No fire truck. No

Zhang Yi Chi, 11, Beijing, China

water. We stood and watched the hut burn.

Kyle Weiss, 16, Danville, California, USA

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Cave Fire Spilling Flowers

Icons

This boarded-up house is in a part of Austin where all of the city’s African-Americans once had to live,

This picture captures a window display in a restaurant in downtown Los Angeles. It shows the U.S. Presi-

whether they wanted to or not. The building is empty, but its spirit lives on. The flowers spill from what

dent, an image of Jesus, and a photo of Michael Jackson. All three are famous icons that believed in hope

looks like the mouth of a fire cave.

and change, in how people can come together and live well, day in and out.

Jailene Delacerda, 12, Austin, Texas, USA

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Students at Los Angeles Academy of Arts & Enterprise, Los Angeles, California, USA

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Batima Batima is six years old and lives in the remote village of Bokoro, in Mali, Africa. I lived in Bokoro for two

A Light in His Future This photograph was taken in the Felipe de Neve Public Library a few blocks from our school. Even kids who live in struggling neighborhoods strive for a better future.

Students at Los Angeles Academy of Arts & Enterprise, Los Angeles, California, USA

weeks this past April, building a school and living with Batima’s family. Each day as we worked in the hot sun, building, Batima did too. This picture was taken the night before we were leaving the village, the children enthusiastic about their soon-to-be completed school. Their school will be much larger, and the government of Mali will provide a teacher. A covenant was signed upon our arrival agreeing upon equal enrollment of boys and girls in the school. Without an education, Batima would be expected to marry outside her village when she turns 15.

Erica Lipoff, 16, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

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Juxtapositions jux·ta·po·si·tion [ juhk-stuh-puh-zish-uh n] –noun 1. an act or instance of placing close together or side by side, esp. for comparison or contrast.

Photo collages by students at Heritage High School Vancouver, Washington, U.S.A.

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Dear John

Poor Little Boy...

For this photo I really wanted to capture what people feel when they miss someone, whether the person

In this picture a young boy is happily playing his video games and having a good time. He is just nine

has gone to war, gone on business, or even passed away. For the image on the left, I was walking around

years old and he knows about all the great ways to have fun. But then a crisis comes and his family

downtown Portland, Oregon and saw these words written on this old shack: “Dear John, I think about you

becomes bankrupt. He has to sell his video games to his neighbor. These shots were taken at my house.

all the time.” I came back the next day with my sister’s friend, Natalie, and took her picture by the shack.

The boy is my brother, Brandon, and the woman taking the controller and giving him money for it is my

The image on the right represents her finding “John”’ and being happy. It was taken in my sister’s room.

mother, Samantha.

This photo overall means a lot to me because I think everyone in their lifetime has missed someone.

I know that I have.

Derek Julian, 15

Emily Myers, 15

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Hands of Truth

One Way to Hope

In this photo, I try to portray the difference between the hardship of living without a lot of money and the

The left photograph aims to show the crisis of shutting down a park to change it: cutting down all its envi-

bright, attractiveness that credit cards convey. The image was inspired by people around me who live in

ronmental features and trees in order to put up play sets for people to play on. Actually, doing this is

debt because of credit cards. They work hard, day after day, but get paid little. Those entranced by the

harmful to nature and the animals that live there. The photo on the right, of the bridge, is a metaphor: we

bright colors and promise of money that credit cards offer face even more hardship, in the end.

can cross a bridge to forget all that’s happened. We can start anew, and get over our past problems.

Alicia Burgett, 17

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Alex Ellinburg, 16

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Death and Dance Getting Rid of Sad As I was looking through my house to see if we had any good subjects, I found the Bible and this firefighter’s hat. It was given to my dad after he had passed away. Together, these two items made me think of

These pictures were taken by a track shed at my school. My friend Roberto

a funeral and the death of a loved one. I desaturated the picture quite a bit to make it look bleaker. I also

and I decided to blow up a balloon. He found a marker and started drawing

found a rose sitting in my room and noticed the vibrant colors. I put petals on my light box and snapped

on the balloon. An idea suddenly came to me. I told him to draw the sad-

some shots, and then this idea came to me: when a loved one is away from home, they are often welcomed

dest face on the balloon that he could, and this is how it turned out. This

back with a bouquet. I took one rose petal and wrote homecoming on it to symbolize hope, and the return

picture, to me, shows the hardship of being sad and the hope of getting rid

of a loved one

of the sadness. Who doesn’t wish that getting rid of sad could be that easy?

Lindsey McKim, 16

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crisis and hope

Devin Napier, 15

j u x ta p o s i t i o n s

53

juxtapositions

juxtapositions

The Mask

Stoplight

This photograph was taken in my kitchen, of my mom’s face. The left side of the face is sad and has one tear

A homeless man sits on the exit from I-5. I’ve seen him there every time I use that exit. He doesn’t seem

drop in the shot. The right side of the face is happy and shows a half-smile. The left side represents hardship:

to ever leave. My dad was driving by him when I got the image and I just happened to get the “wrong way”

the dark color of the shot and the teardrop emphasizes a sad dark time in life. The right side of the face

sign in the picture. It was a lucky shot. The second picture is of a student in my film photography class. I

represents opportunity: when you have a good outlook on life, doors just seem to open up for you, and

wrote “HOPE” on his hand because people need to be reminded to hope for the better. I feel many people

everything goes like it should. The photo looks like one face representing two different emotions at once.

don’t hope for anything, and need to be reminded with an in-your-face picture.

Robert Fykes, 17

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crisis and hope

Jamie Winter, 17

j u x ta p o s i t i o n s

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A Hard Look This small box is the habitat of the Grigoryan family. Seven other families live on the same stage, and there is only one bathroom for all of them. Thirteen-year-old Narek dreams of his own bathroom. kristine sargsyan (age 14) Photo collages by youth at the Manana Youth Center, Yerevan, Armenia

a hard look

a hard look

Waiting . . .

Women from Ujan Village

This old man and woman are the oldest people in Arzakan village. Nearly all of the inhabitants of this vil-

Women from Ujan village, Armenia, are making food both for their families and for selling.

lage are old. Their children don’t live with them, they went abroad to find a job.

by Arpen Chichakyan, 15 Lilit Karapetyan, 16

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crisis and hope

a hard look

59

a hard look

a hard look

Light and Shadow

Anxiety

Armine and Anahit are sisters. Both of them are handicapped. Their father became handicapped during

Maria lives with her mother in a dormitory. Her mother has a fatal disease. Maria has no one else in her

the war conflict and is in the hospital now. Their mother stays with him there and the sisters live alone.

life but her mother.

They don’t believe that anything will get better.

by Eva Hakhverdyan, 14

by Lusine Hambardzumyan, 12

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crisis and hope

a hard look

61

a hard look

a hard look

Shadows of Our Ancestors Armenia is very rich with historical monuments. But because of the horrible economic situation of the last 20 years in Armenia, neither the government nor other powers are able to care for them, especially

Blind Windows

Christian churches, which have a history of more than a thousand years. As a result, most are ruined, as is the dome of this church (Deghdznut, VII Century). And parallel to this, the connection between our gen-

People in the dormitories for refugees live in the worst conditions.

Narek Javadyan, 17

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crisis and hope

eration and our ancestors who built these churches is being lost.

Tsovinar Talyan, 18

a hard look

63

a hard look

a hard look

Box

Waiting for a Customer

This small box is the habitat of the Grigoryan family. Seven other families live on the same stage, and

Because of the unemployment, people in my village, Nor Hajn, earn their living by selling everything they

there is only one bathroom for all of them. Thirteen-year-old Narek dreams of his own bathroom.

can. Even their own clothes.

Kristine Sargsyan, 14

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crisis and hope

Lili Zakaryan, 15

a hard look

65

Street Photography Street photography is a renewable resource. If you don’t like what you see, wait five minutes or walk a hundred feet.. craig coverdale (photographer) photos by students at East Austin College Prep Academy, Austin, Texas and Camino Nuevo Charter Academy, Los Angeles, California

street photography

street photography

Power Plant Pollution

Tough Pride

This is a power plant creating pollution, a crisis for our

The Hemi truck is shiny and proud, but it uses up a lot

world. It is bad for kids and creates illness. This plant,

of gas. There are skulls on the mirrors to make it look

right off Cesar Chavez Boulevard in Austin, is in the

tough. But big trucks contribute to the environmental

middle of a Hispanic neighborhood. There’s even a

crisis. They may give power but they take power. They

school right next to the plant! The school and the com-

represent a mixture of feelings.

munity protested for many years and the plant was recently closed.

Arlette Flores, 12, Austin, Texas, USA

Free Purifier

Ezekial Ortiz, 12, Austin, Texas, USA

Saving the Planet in Style

In the same Cesar Chavez neighborhood, the beautiful

The guy on this bicycle has a lot of style, and bikes are

Mexican Bird of Paradise plant grows. It cleans and

good for the environment because they don’t use any gas

purifies the air for us, and it is free. The power plant

at all. Most people have to use cars and trucks to get

says, “Stay Away,“ while the green plant invites us to

around. But bikes are cool and help out the Earth.

come closer to enjoy beauty.

Ezekial Ortiz, 12, Austin, Texas, USA

Arlette Flores, 12, Austin, Texas, USA

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crisis and hope

street photogr aphy

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street photography

street photography

Community Tearing Apart

Don’t Litter Please

This Quickie Mart sells things that are not healthy for

The image represents the crisis of pollution in our

the community. Flavored drinks and cigarettes aren’t

country. We live in this city and we dirty this city, too.

good for us. People might want to buy them, but they

Kevin Sanchez, 13, Los Angeles, California, USA

damage our health. There’s a health crisis. The wire over the windows tells of crime. It’s dirty and looks sad.

It makes me think of a community falling to pieces.

Mural of Hope

One World

This is a picture of a mural of our neighborhood in the

This image represents the many different cultures and

old days, when people were proud of their history. It is

languages that live together, with hope, in our community.

Jonathan Henderson, 12, Austin, Texas, USA

made of little pieces all brought together to show a bigger picture of a healthy and safe community, a strong

Kevin Sanchez, 13, Los Angeles, California, USA

African-American community.

Jonathan Henderson, 12, Austin, Texas, USA

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crisis and hope

street photogr aphy

71

street photography

street photography

Abandoned

Overflowing Waste

This fabric store was shut down and all of the good

I took this picture because it shows the abundance of

unused fabric was put to waste. The reflection of the

trash in our lives. The man sits amongst the trash and

stop sign in the window could mean that there needs to

doesn’t seem to bothered-—he has grown used to living

be a STOP to the economic crisis and that our country

with trash. This is a crisis to me because we need to care

can start over again.

about our community and not make so much waste

Stefany Mendez, 13, Los Angeles, CA, USA

from unnecessary things.

Alive The streets of downtown Los Angeles are filled with

crisis and hope

I took this picture because it shows how two little girls

people and the shops are full of customers. The reflec-

can become something great in the future. They repre-

tion of the people walking shows that our community is

sent what our future can become if we treat each other

full of life. This barbershop is open six days a week.

with respect.

Estefany Mendez, 13, Los Angeles, CA, USA

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Naomi Penã, 13, Los Angeles, California, USA

Hope for Our Future ?

Naomi Penã, 13, Los Angeles, California, USA

street photogr aphy

73

youth photographer s

about adobe youth voices and wkcd

adobe youth voices

what kids can do, inc.

next generation press

Adobe Youth Voices is a global

What Kids Can Do, Inc. (WKCD)

Next Generation Press is the

philanthropic initiative to

is a U.S.-based nonprofit organ-

book publishing arm of WKCD.

East Austin Preparatory School, Austin, TX, USA: Jailene

empower youth in underserved

ization founded in 2001 for the

With a particular focus on youth

Delacerda, Arlette Flores, Jonathan Henderson,

communities. Demonstrating

purpose of making public the

without economic privilege,

Ezekial Ortiz, all age 12.

the power of technology to engage

voices and views of adolescents.

Next Generation Press raises

Heritage High School, Vancouver, WA, USA: Alicia

middle- and high-school-age

On its website, WKCD documents

awareness of youth as a powerful

Burgett, 17; Alex Ellinburg, 16; Robert Fykes, 17;

youth, Adobe Youth Voices pro-

young people’s lives, learning,

force for social justice.

Katherine Goudsouzian, 17, Tasmania, Australia

Derek Julian, 15; Lindsey McKim, 16; Emily Myers, 15;

vides breakthrough learning

and work, and their partnerships

Avni Jain, New Delhi, India

Devin Napier, 15; Jamie Winter, 17.

experiences using video, multi-

with adults both in and outside

media, digital art, web, animation,

school. WKCD also collaborates

Kamaldeep and Abhishek, 19 and 15, Delhi, India

Los Angeles Academy of Arts & Enterprise, Los Angeles,

and audio tools that enable youth

with students and educators

Nattakarn Limphaibool, 14, Chiang Mai, Thailand

CA, USA: 9th and 10th grade Visual Arts Collaborative.

to explore and comment on

around the world on photography

Erica Lipoff, 16, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Manana Youth Center, Yerevan, Armenia: Arpen

their world.

projects, books, curricula, and

Zainab Alsatrawi, 15, Al Daih, Bahrain

Camino Nuevo Charter School, Los Angeles, CA, USA:

Hovnan Baghdasaryan, 13, Yerevan, Armenia

Estefany Mendez, Naomi Peña, and Kevin Shanchez,

Helen Brunnerová, 18, Brno, Czech Republic Ethan Burnette,18, Bowdoinham, Maine, USA Avinash Chandrashekar, 19, Chennai, India Alexis Cole, 13, Green Bay, WI, USA Irene Esonga, 16, Nairobi, Kenya, 16

Luke Midgely, 13, Brooklyn, New York, USA Mawj Mohammed, 14, Detroit, Michigan, USA Flavia Mutenau, 14, Chisinau, Moldova

all age 13.

Chichakyan, 15; Lusine Hambardzumyan, 12; Eva Hakhverdyan, 14; Narek Javadyan, 17; Lilit Karapetyan, 16; Kristine Sargsyan, 14; Tsovinar Talyan, 18; Lili Zakaryan, 15.

Frederick Ochieng, 16, Nairobi, Kenya Cecilia Ornelas, 15, South Gate, California, USA Ana Puciata, 18, Philadelphia, PA, USA Danny Rodriguez, 16, South Gate, California, USA Chyi-Dean Shu, 16, North Tustin, California, USA Kyle Weiss, 16, Danville, CA, USA Zhang Yi Chi, 11, Beijing, China

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crisis and hope

with special thanks to Sandra Delany, Graphic Design Cyrus Rolbin, Educator

Next Generation Press P.O. Box 603252 Providence, Rhode Island 02906 USA www.nextgenerationpress.org

research to expand current views Adobe Systems Incorporated Corporate Headquarters

of what constitutes challenging learning and achievement.

345 Park Avenue San Jose, California 95110

What Kids Can Do, Inc.

USA

P.O. Box 603252

www.adobe.com

Providence, Rhode Island 02906 USA www.whatkidscando.org

Abe Louise Young, Writer and Poet Tricia Wang, Sociologist and Media Producer Kathleen Cushman, WKCD Senior Writer

about adobe youth voices and wkcd

75

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crisis and hope