Series: The Human Right
I spent 7 months in Liberia documenting the effects of the 14-year civil war, both as a photojournalist for a charitable hospital ship and as an artist. The aim was to authenticate the experiences of Liberians through a series of portraits in an attempt to provide some dignity for people who have long-suffered. The project soon became more complex as issues of the current state of Liberia became evident. Some of the key issues are human rights abuses, reconciliation, education, unemployment, and poverty. An entire generation has lost out on all education as a result of the war. Children were forced to become soldiers and widespread rape, killing and human rights atrocities took place.
The year 2009 was the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. For Liberia it was 6 years after the war had ended. The country is still host to the second largest United Nations Peace Keeping troops in the world and survives on an annual budget of 226 million US dollars. With our current world climate and peace in turmoil in many parts of the globe, it is reminder of what we all hope for.