The joys of my African heritage!

Afro-Brazilian symbolism - VIII, originally uploaded by carf.

13-year old Tutuco, in contrast to the rather static person behind him, has a rapidly changing facial expression so it's best to be quick off the trigger to capture the changes.

Renan, by birth name, is very much aware of his African heritage but not always so happy about the situation for most Afro-Brazilians in this country. His older brother is already serving a longer prison sentence for serious crimes committed and our job is to counterbalance all this negativity with a positive environment and healthy activities, which also helps cultivate the peace necessary in Renan's life.

He spends most of his free time at Hummingbird when he's not at school or at home. He's an intelligent kid but steps out of line pretty often. Gradually though, we are seeing some really positive changes in his mentality and hopefully Hummingbird will guide his flight safely through the difficult period of youth to adulthood.

Photo by Gregory J. Smith, CARF - The Children At Risk Foundation, São Paulo - BRAZIL.

School Children

school children, originally uploaded by a m e l i a.

Thailand, 2000.

Photo by Amelia, Philadelphia - USA.

Brazilians Truths

brazilians truths, originally uploaded by Tatiana Cardeal.

It's never easy when you face this kind look, and it is not rare.
My heart always bursts into questions.

We used to be very delightful people,
music and faith floods our veins...
specially when the drums are beating around us.
But then you would find a special look like this one, so premature, in the midle of a celebration, specially with the girls.

They were coming with the drums, on the Congada of Sta. Efigenia, from Mogi das Cruzes city, Sta. Tereza's quarter.
We were at the Festival of Traditional São Paulo Culture, realized by Abaçaí Cultura e Arte - Sociocultural Organization.

I'm hearing a Rokia Traore's song called "Deli", from Bowmboi Album.

Photo by Tatiana Cardeal, São Paulo - BRAZIL.

Symbiosis

Symbiosis, originally uploaded by Aelle.

Fiocco & Francesco.

Photo by Annalisa Antonini, Modena - ITALY.

Kid drawing

kid drawing, originally uploaded by ko-knia.

Burmese child in Thailand



I should add that she was drawing me (at bottom right).


Photos by Ko-Knia, Cambodia for 6 yrs. Now living in Toronto.

Covergirl !

covergirl !, originally uploaded by phitar.

She will be famous.

This image will be the photo on the cover of the spring 2006 UNICEF catalog. She got cropped, lost her earring and got her nose cleaned but she did not lose her spirit !

Photo by Philippe Tarbouriech, Geneva - SWITZERLAND (around and about).

Two sisters........

two sisters........, originally uploaded by Sanzen.

Two sisters....
The one in red is blind....

Photo by Sanzen, New Delhi - INDIA.

Hemis's Festival - Ladakh

Hemis's festival, Ladakh, originally uploaded by clauderenault.

This picture was taken during the Hemis Festival (Ladakh), which usually falls in the second half of June or July. It's not only the largest and most spectacular of the Gompa festivals it is also virtually the only one which takes place in the summer tourist season. The festival takes two days and features elaborate mask dances and crowds of eager spectators.
This shot was taken on June 20th, during the 2002 festivals.

Photo by Claude Renault, Reykjavik - ICELAND.

Visit Claude's Exhibition: Water and the Sacred

Adrenalin junkies fret hormones from the peripheral morons

Adrenalin junkies fret hormones from the peripheral morons, originally uploaded by ahmedzahid.

Is this soccer?
Tickle me. I don't know.
But I do know that these boys are not so crazy about some Michael Owen or
some David Beckham. I DO know that there is no fanfare of spectators...
Nor is this any carpet grassed million dollar stadium, nor is anybody wearing
any crude designer jerseys.

Why, then? You may ask, is this game any more special than the other.
The answer lies in the mind.

It is a powerful, mind intoxicating game that requires total commitment from the brain and the body.
The brain pumps hormones to fire-up vital organs such as the heart, lungs and kidneys which team-up with the physical body to become one powerful machine capable of cutting through rays of light.

It is the right game for the right situation. The only game perhaps, these boys can count on, for some enthusiasm, in a life of misery.

*******************************************

1. 130 of the Worlds most powerful leaders meet in New York, USA.
The distinguished people play a game of deceit, shrewdness and procrastination, which is coherent with some political agenda.

2. A bunch of young, homeless boys meet at the local playground.
The boys play a high-caliber game that tells them to live it up!
Forget the misery - Fuck everything else.

Both are games. Both are real.

*******************************************

FACT: Nine months on after the deadly tsunami in Asia, little is being done
to help ease the inconveniences of the deprived. Entire island communities
have been relocated and housed in cardboard sheds, (background in the pic.) with few or no Amenities.

Sad.

Photo by Ahmed Zahid, Male' - MALDIVES.

Na-Kheu - II

Na-Kheu 2, originally uploaded by tonton yoyo.

She is Lahu. She leaves in a small village near Chiang Rai in Northern Thailand. She is 11, free like the wind, even stronger that she's beautiful. She is a friend.

Photo by Yorick,Chiang Mai - THAILAND.

Ladakh

Ladakh, originally uploaded by babasteve.

Photo by Steve Evans, Bangalore - INDIA.

Shanti Kids, Kerala India

Shanti Kids, Kerala India, originally uploaded by Jennifer Esperanza.

Kids in a relief camp after the tsunami.
All the money from the sale of this image goes to Tsunami relief.



Photos by Jennifer Esperanza ©, Santa Fé, USA.

Smile in the Mountain

smile in mountain, originally uploaded by phitar.

Looks like this little girl will be famous...

Photo by Philippe Tarbouriech, Geneva - SWITZERLAND.

Daughter of the Author

daughter of the author, originally uploaded by David Haberlah.

This photo has been taken as part of the scientific effort of the salvage archaeologist team H.U.N.E. to document the Sudanese Arab tribe of the Manasir and their cultural landscape 'Dar al-Manasir' situated at the Fourth Cararact of the River Nile.

The homeland of the Manasir will be submerged by the reservoir lake of the Hamdab High Dam (Merowe Multi-Purpose Hydro Project) in the very near future and all inhabitants have to be relocated by the Sudanese government.

For further details see Dar al-Manasir

Photo by David Haberlah, INDIA.

Fairy's Time

fairy's time, originally uploaded by Tatiana Cardeal.

For Brazilian Father's Day and a personal tribute to a symbolic Brazilian father, Sr.Miguel Arraes, who died yesterday.

Our symbolic fathers are dying.

Brazilian Federal Deputy Miguel Arraes, was the president of the Brazilian Socialist Party (PSB), and became famous as an opponent to Brazil's military dictatorship between 1964 and 1985.

It's not easy right now to believe in anything here.
Even doing it, I was in doubt about making this tribute, because so much of our hope was stolen. Many, like me, have been fighting and thinking that the Worker's Party (PT) was the best way, the only hope... now we are looking at a Party covered by shame, because we fought more than 20 years for an ethical flag, but these last days there was discovered stupid and unbelievable corruption under the Party's direction.

When I wrote this tribute, I was asking myself if he really was a great guy, if I still could trust in someone.
This is the worst feeling, and sometimes I feel lost.
I decided to make it, because we need to believe, to believe in something until it ends, and the opposition of this man to Brazil's military dictatorship was great, it deserves a tribute.

Photo and text by Tatiana Cardeal, São Paulo - BRAZIL.

j e w e l. . .

j e w e l. . ., originally uploaded by dR. . ..

Photo by dR...

Visit his gallery and see the rest of his truly wonderful children's portraits.

Colours of Mind

colours of mind, originally uploaded by Mukunda De.

Photo by Mukunda De, Hyderabad, INDIA.

Vaccination

Vacina, originally uploaded by gustavocarrijo.

A little comfort from mother after an injection during the Polio Vaccination Campaign.

Photo by Gustavo Carrijo, Goiania - BRAZIL.

The Shepherd Boy

The Shepherd Boy, originally uploaded by Shavar.

This photo makes me sad though it seemed to be a happy occasion for me at the time. It was very difficult to come up with the title for this one.

Photo by Shavar Ross. Los Angeles - USA.

The ruthless game of democracy

The ruthless game of democracy, originally uploaded by ahmedzahid.

The game is played everywhere.
Anywhere in the World, at any given time:
It is ethical that you fight, fight strong and win.
Eat or be eaten - Darwin observed and mused.

Game: Standing log.
It is a simple enough game played on the beaches of these idyllic islands.
The objective is to stay in power, as long as you can.
Competition is fierce, and constant.

There are few rules - Everyone has a chance to have a go:
Women against men.
Tall against short.
Brain against body.

In a true democracy, fighting should be encouraged.
However, it is a wish that everything should be transparent.
It never is. It never was.

Photo by Ahmed Zahid, Male', Maldives.

Kasi, Laos.

kasi, laos, originally uploaded by ko-knia.

A Lao novice

Photo by Ko-Knia, Canuck.
Lived in Cambodia for 6 yrs during the 90s.

p o u n c e. . .

p o u n c e. . ., originally uploaded by dR. . ..

Photo by dR...
Go check out his wonderful Photo Galleries

Editor's comment:
This is the expression every good American citizen should be showing towards their so-called President.
Pounce upon him before he kills again!

Gabriel's Lego, Santa Fe, New Mexico

Gabriel's Lego, Santa Fe, New Mexico, originally uploaded by Jennifer Esperanza.

My son Gabriel made this Lego necklace a few weeks ago.

Photo by Jennifer Esperanza ©, Santa Fé, USA.

India Smiles

India Smiles, originally uploaded by lecercle.

Girl and Child on the streets of Bombay

Photo by Akshay Mahajan, Pune - INDIA.

Cascade

cascade, originally uploaded by gagah.

Photo by Garibaldi Dantas, Campina Grande PB, Brazil.

This photo has been viewed more than 13.500 times on Flickr!

Mountain Tribals

Mountain tribals - 27, originally uploaded by Sanzen.

Photo by Sanzen, New Delhi - INDIA.

Twins

twins, originally uploaded by ko-knia.

Poor Cambodian Twins

Photo by Ko-Knia, Canuck.
Lived in Cambodia for 6 yrs during the 90's.

The Long Arm of the Law

The Long Arm of the Law, originally uploaded by AnomalousNYC.

She rarely has to use her ray-gun because trouble-makes can see she means business.

Photo by Anomalous, Lower East Side, NYC - USA

Young Krishna Devotees.....

young Krishna devotees....., originally uploaded by Sanzen.

These young ones, acting like playing a flute...., just like Krishna.

Photo by Sanzen, New Delhi - INDIA.

De Angola VI

De Angola VI, originally uploaded by Tonspi.

ANGOLA

Photo by José Silva Pinto, Luanda - Angola.