Durban Portraits – Voices from Occupy, a Stipple Test

Today I have been experimenting with Stipple. This program allows me to add more information and links to static images. This is tremendously exciting because the storytelling potential from a single image just got hit out of the park. I have included here three images from an Occupy protest in Durban during COP 17. You can scroll over the images and listen to what the individuals were saying at the time (sorry the sound was recorded on a phone and isn’t great) or click on links to see more related material.

This is quick and dirty but think of the possibilities…..

 

For HI RES, No Watermark Image, contact psm@projectsurvivalmedia.org (©Robert van Waarden/Project Survival Media) (Robert van Waarden)

Yvette speaking during the Occupy protest at COP17 in Durban, South Africa. (Robert van Waarden)

Nnimmo Bassey at the Occupy event in Durban, South Africa during COP 17. (Robert van Waarden)


Image published in Dein Spiegel – COP 17 in Durban, South Africa

It has been awhile since my last post.Anjali Appaduri and youth intervention I was really busy in December at the UNFCCC conference in Durban and since then have been swamped with work, mainly helping supervise the 1000’s of images that will make up this years World Press Photo Contest. Expect more from me in the next month, including updates on projects and upcoming projects. Until then, a quick post to share a recent publication in the German magazine Dein Spiegel. This is an image of Anjali Appaduri delivering the youth intervention at COP 17.

On Assignment: Photography of Durban Climate Change Conference.

For the next two weeks I will be on the ground with Project Survival Media in Durban, South Africa at the Conference of Parties (COP) of the UNFCCC. The COP is gathering for the 17 session of yet another attempt to try and prevent the impending climate crisis.

In an all too predictable way, acting on scientific fact to ensure our survival is being disrupted by money & politics. The rich nations of the world are trying to kill a follow up accord to the Kyoto Protocol and are insisting on voluntary emissions binding agreements. The idea that this will solve the crisis is laughable and the poorer nations aren’t falling for it. In fact, Durban might bring some interesting tactics, including an Occupy by the LDC’s. (The Guardian has more on this story.)

The lack of progress at the UN to solve the climate crisis has seriously disillusioned many people, including myself. But, when I see and work with the dedicated and inspiring groups and people all over the world working on this, I know we will solve this problem. For hope, I look no further then the youth at COP, their organisations and networks that collectively organize, share and create real change back home.

So, will the nations of the world wake up and put aside their differences and put us on a path to save the only planet we have, or will we be reduced to more bickering and delays? At Project Survival Media we will be reporting on the conference and bringing the under represented voices to the forefront. Keep an eye on Project Survival Media page for our reports, multimedia pieces and coverage of the Durban Climate Talks.

If you are interested in some of my past work with climate activists, click here.