Photographers launch book at African summit
'Amulets and Dreams - War, Youth and Change in Africa' - Photographs by Guy Tillim and Omar Badsha
A new book edited by the well-known South African photographer Omar Badsha will be launched by Amara Essy, Secretary General of the OAU, at the inaugural conference of the African Union in Durban in July.
The title of the book refers to the amulets and charms worn by child soldiers to ward off bullets in combat. These are children, tragically numbering in the thousands, that are press-ganged into combat. Prof Abebe Zegeye (Unisa) in a review writes that "this book should be seen as an attempt to come to grips with a specific issue that is causing concern in Africa: that of child soldiers who are victims of nihilistic war ... The photographs strikingly illustrate African societies in which all aspects of 'normality' in daily life are violated."
In his introduction, Essy writes that for "too many African children, peace lives in distant memory ... For young people socialized in warfare, the incentives to build a peaceful society are no longer there by example". Contrary to popular conception, though, Essy points out that "this remarkable collection of photographs is moving and hopeful. It shows the spirit of resilience and the potential of youth in the face of many hardships, rather than the pathos that seems to permeate so many portrayals of Africa�s children."
The bulk of the photographs in the book were taken by award-winning photographer Guy Tillim. The six photographic essays depict the devastation wrought by war in Angola and Sierra Leone and then move to the South African-driven process of reconciliation and renewal in Burundi, and also cover developments in Eritrea, Ethiopia and Mozambique.
The photographs are accompanied by a penetrating essay on the social status of youth in Africa, by Dr Julia Maxted of the University of Pretoria. The book not only dispels the myth that there is no progress in the continent but brings us face to face with democratic transitions in particular countries.
Essy writes that "in the spirit of the new global commitment to children's rights following the United Nations General Assembly Special Session on Children, we hope that this work will further inspire Africa's commitment to the future of her young generation."
The book is an invaluable contribution to the debate on children�s rights and change in Africa.
For more details contact Omar Badsha on (012) 460 9691 or 082 459 1067.
