Refugees fleeing the Balkans found themselves forced to stay in a camp called Turanj, a town that had been torn apart in a battle between the Croats and the Serbs several years earlier. Some refugees were able to pay off the guards to let them continue on their journey to get out of the country. The rest had to do the best they could with what was left of the town, using plastic sheets as windows in an attempt to keep out the winter cold (Salgado 119).
As if this wasn't enough, the town had many landmines left over from the earlier conflict, and several refugees were killed by these deadly devices. Most of the victims were children (Salgado 119). This whole situation just seems unimaginable to me. These people had to leave their homes, and then they have to live in the shells of war-torn houses and try to survive the winter. Before looking at Salgado's book, I never realized that there have been and still are so many people who have faced hardships like this. It is very sad but eye-opening to realize such things have happened.
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| From http://www.lannan.org/art/artist/sebastiao-salgado/ |
Work Cited
Salgado, Sebastião. Migrations. 1st ed. New York, NY: Aperture Foundation, Inc., 2000. Print.
I like how you said that before looking at Salgado's pictures, you had no idea that there were still people suffering from hardships around the world. I agree that before engaging in these photographs, I had no idea. But even if I had seen these pictures, I would not have looked at them the same way that I do now, thanks to Emily and our blog posts. I realized that just being an onlooker does nothing. Just touching the circle of a community has no effect. But when we engage ourselves, research, and become a part of the community, we have a greater effect. While I may not be making a huge difference in suffering societies around the world, I know there is a difference within me now. I am much more aware of societies other than mine and am more willing to jump in and walk with them.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you. To think that your home, your one sanctuary, isn't safe anymore would be "the last straw." I think. But I guess that's what creates the situation of a refugee, right? Losing a home, and losing the security found there. Maybe even your identity! I really appreciated your level of research and detail. Knowing the history of the situation is something helps create the depth and intimacy needed to immerse ourselves in the circle, as Anne Marie mentioned. Very well done. :)
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