This article is from the source 'independent' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/humans-of-new-york-photographic-blog-partners-with-un-for-dispatches-from-iraq-9662226.html

The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Humans of New York: Photographic blog partners with UN for dispatches from Iraq Humans of New York: Photographic blog partners with UN for dispatches from Iraq
(35 minutes later)
The photographer behind blog Humans of New York (Hony) has taken his social documenting to another level by partnering with the United Nations to shine a light on untold stories from various nooks of the world and his first stop? Iraq.The photographer behind blog Humans of New York (Hony) has taken his social documenting to another level by partnering with the United Nations to shine a light on untold stories from various nooks of the world and his first stop? Iraq.
Hony’s founder and sole photographer Brandon Standon touched down last week, just as Islamist militants advanced in the north of the Middle Eastern country, as they seized towns and became the target of US air strikes following the persecution of the Christian and Yazidi populations. Hony’s founder and sole photographer Brandon Stanton touched down last week, just as Islamist militants advanced in the north of the Middle Eastern country, as they seized towns and became the target of US air strikes following the persecution of the Christian and Yazidi populations.
But as the United States deliberated over the implications of arming Kurdish fighters against the progressing Isis assault, Standon was out, armed with just his camera, photographing civilians caught up in the raging violence. But as the United States deliberated over the implications of arming Kurdish fighters against the progressing Isis assault, Stanton was out, armed with just his camera, photographing civilians caught up in the raging violence.
He is at the start of a 50-day tour of the world, “gathering portraits and stories [with the purpose of raising] awareness for the [UN’s] Millennium Development Goals,” he said.He is at the start of a 50-day tour of the world, “gathering portraits and stories [with the purpose of raising] awareness for the [UN’s] Millennium Development Goals,” he said.
Standon – who usually takes pictures of unwitting New Yorkers, asking them deeply personal questions about their regrets or aspirations (resulting in oft-poetic responses) – first visited Erbil, the capital city of Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdish region, which is at the centre of concern that Isis could eventually claim it. Stanton – who usually takes pictures of unwitting New Yorkers, asking them deeply personal questions about their regrets or aspirations (resulting in oft-poetic responses) – first visited Erbil, the capital city of Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdish region, which is at the centre of concern that Isis could eventually claim it.
The recent developments in Iraq have been a surprise to the organisers of the long-planned trip, and threw up challengers for the photographer, who in collaboration with the UN had intended to capture the lives of the Iraqi people removed from the war-torn environs many people in the West associate them with. The recent developments in Iraq have been a surprise to the organisers of the long-planned trip, and threw up challenges for the photographer, who in collaboration with the UN had intended to capture the lives of the Iraqi people removed from the war-torn environs many people in the West associate them with.
A man in a wheelchair said his favourite moments are when he sees his mother happy. He said that the happiest she had ever been was: “when I was a child, some German doctors told us that I could have a surgery in Italy, and my legs would work again. She was so happy she started crying. But I never had the money to go.”A man in a wheelchair said his favourite moments are when he sees his mother happy. He said that the happiest she had ever been was: “when I was a child, some German doctors told us that I could have a surgery in Italy, and my legs would work again. She was so happy she started crying. But I never had the money to go.”
He then showed Standon a picture of his head photoshopped on a healthy body to “see what I would like”. He then showed Stanton a picture of his head photoshopped on a healthy body to “see what I would like”.
But the prevailing and all-consuming situation of war has rendered Standon’s usual “what’s been the saddest moment in your life” type of question difficult in Iraq. But the prevailing and all-consuming situation of war has rendered Stanton’s usual “what’s been the saddest moment in your life” type of question difficult in Iraq.
“She always dreams about the bombs,” a father says, pictured next to his smiling daughter. “She always dreams about the bombs,” a father says, pictured next to his smiling daughter, in another of Stanton's photos.
Gabo Arora, Senior Advisor for Policy and Partnerships at the UN and organiser of the trip, told The Independent that the Isis advancement and US-les intervention was “very unexpected”.Gabo Arora, Senior Advisor for Policy and Partnerships at the UN and organiser of the trip, told The Independent that the Isis advancement and US-les intervention was “very unexpected”.
He said the aim of the project is to highlight the eight Millennium Development Goals, which each UN state agreed should be achieved by 2015 such as the reduction of child mortality or the need to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger. He said the aim of the project is to highlight the eight Millennium Development Goals, which each UN state agreed should be achieved by 2015, such as the reduction of child mortality or the need to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger.
“We’ve made a lot of progress on the millennium goals, but what we’ve never really done is try and get the emotive element and stories from people,” Arora said.“We’ve made a lot of progress on the millennium goals, but what we’ve never really done is try and get the emotive element and stories from people,” Arora said.
“We’ve always worked with big celebrities like George Clooney or Angelina Jolie, but we really wanted to work with new media ambassadors - ordinary people with extraordinary followers.”“We’ve always worked with big celebrities like George Clooney or Angelina Jolie, but we really wanted to work with new media ambassadors - ordinary people with extraordinary followers.”
.@humansofny thank you #HONY for helping us raise awareness on the plight of so many #children & families within #Iraq..@humansofny thank you #HONY for helping us raise awareness on the plight of so many #children & families within #Iraq.
He said three million of Hony’s eight million fans on Facebook engage with the page each day and “from a behavioural science perspective could have more effect on people because they’re actually interacting with it.”He said three million of Hony’s eight million fans on Facebook engage with the page each day and “from a behavioural science perspective could have more effect on people because they’re actually interacting with it.”
Standon, who isn’t currently accompanied by Arora, has been given complete creative control. Stanton, who isn’t currently accompanied by Arora, has been given complete creative control.
He was “caught off-guard” by the fighting in Iraq, Arora said, but still wanted to show Iraq as more than a place of war with “people trying to develop, people with hopes and dreams”.He was “caught off-guard” by the fighting in Iraq, Arora said, but still wanted to show Iraq as more than a place of war with “people trying to develop, people with hopes and dreams”.
Standon should now have left Iraq and will arrive in Jordan any day now for the next leg of his journey, where he will document the plight of Syrian refugees. Stanton should now have left Iraq and will arrive in Jordan any day now for the next leg of his journey, where he will document the plight of Syrian refugees.
From there he is travelling onto the African nations of Uganda, Kenya and the Democratic Republic of Congo, India and Vietnam. From there he is travelling onto the African nations of Uganda, Kenya and the Democratic Republic of Congo, then India and Vietnam.
A tentative stop in El Salvador has been scheduled, before he then goes onto the Amazon region, “most likely in Ecuador, to highlight the plight of the indigenous people” before finishing in Haiti and returning home 22-23 September.A tentative stop in El Salvador has been scheduled, before he then goes onto the Amazon region, “most likely in Ecuador, to highlight the plight of the indigenous people” before finishing in Haiti and returning home 22-23 September.
This isn't the first time that Standon has embarked on an intrepid photojournalism jaunt - in December 2012, contrary to his government's travel advice, he went to Iran of his own volition to photograph the people there, too. This isn't the first time that Stanton has embarked on an intrepid photojournalism jaunt - in December 2012, contrary to his government's travel advice, he went to Iran of his own volition to photograph the people there, too.
See Humans of New York's Iraq coverage here.See Humans of New York's Iraq coverage here.