Brooklyn

While visiting one of my favorite websites, the EU Observer, I came across an interesting article about some new European Commission legislation regarding discrimination. While Europe, especially the E.U., is very progressive and forward thinking when it comes to the issue of equal rights, the article talks about how when it comes to equality in marriage gays and lesbians still have some way to go.

“New European Commission proposals to put an end to discrimination on the basis of age, disability, sexual orientation or creed have been given a lukewarm welcome by civil liberties groups, who say prejudice against same-sex couples who wish to get married is not adequately covered,” wrote Leigh Phillips.


Dancing in Vienna, 2008. © Damaso Reyes

Currently three members of the European Union Spain, The Netherlands, Belgium as well as Norway allow gays and lesbians to marry. In general, citizens of the European Union are fairly tolerant of homosexuality, at least compared to many other places in the world. So why shouldn’t the E.C. be more aggressive in expanding gay marriage?

One reason might be that with the rejection once again of the EU constitution leaders in Brussels fear pushing their citizens too far too fast. There are far too many examples bureaucrats in Brussels making decisions which they say are in the best interests of citizens but which are simply an exercise of power and control. This would not be one of those cases.

Sometimes the role of government, as the American federal government showed during the civil rights era, is to lead its citizens, not to simply follow. Clearly one of the issues that the evolving European Union has to face is to try to balance these two extremes.

Brooklyn

I hope that everyone had a good weekend as I did! I started my Independence Day celebrations early by going with some friends Six Flags, an amusement park located in nearby New Jersey, on Wednesday. On Friday and Saturday I had opportunities to do some barbecuing as well as see some good friends.


The exception to the rule. The Hague 2005 © Damaso Reyes

Well it’s a new week and a new day and of course that means a new Photo of the Day! Der Spiegel has an interesting article about the difficulty of enforcing the smoking ban in Germany. Now of course we’ve talked extensively about the German proclivity for following the rules. This issue seems to be an interesting outlier. When it came to getting rid of the mark, there was no problem; but take away people’s cigarettes and you’ve got a fight on your hands!

Brooklyn

Happy Independence Day! Today I will be spending some time with good friends, eating good food and of course watching the fireworks along the East River. I hope my fellow Americans are also having a good day and taking some time to think about what is to be an American in this day and age. Independence Day is not just another holiday but an opportunity for us to think about what our country stands for and how well we are living up to our own aspirations.

If you have a minute this holiday weekend check out this link and vote for my website. With your help I can become one of the most popular photographers on the web! Enjoy your holiday weekend…


Waving the flag. New York City 2005 © Damaso Reyes

I took this picture at a Muslim-American Day parade a few years ago. For me this picture is the perfect example of how immigration can benefit both the immigrant and the society. While we in America have an imperfect track record on immigration, and are still struggling with the issue even today, the belief, however true it may or may not be, that once you become a citizen you can achieve anything you aspire to is a very powerful motivator for immigrants to assimilate. It doesn’t happen overnight, and often takes several generations but the fact that our society is open to immigrants means that they have a stake in our country and we have a stake in their success.

How many young Muslim girls in Germany or France wave their nation’s flags? It is in the interests of everyone in Western Europe to make sure that the millions of immigrants from Turkey, Algeria and the rest of the world feel that they can one day become French, German and more importantly European.


I will be enjoying the long holiday so the HCB Quote of the Week will see you next Saturday!

Brooklyn

I saw this article from Reuters the other day and it nearly made me want to scream. It turns out that Hollywood actor Ben Affleck is doing some freelancing for the ABC news program Nightline. Apparently this is the only way to get people interested in what’s happening in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It says a lot about not just where TV news but journalism in general is going.


A victim of rape during the Rwandan genocide. Kigali 1999 © Damaso Reyes

One of the things I’ve encountered time and time again is the indifference that editors in the mainstream media have towards issues and places that are considered marginal. More people have died in the DRC in the past 10 years than in Iraq and Afghanistan combined. Apparently this is not enough to warrant our attention.

This is just one of the many reasons why I’m less and less interested in doing traditional journalism. There are better and more interesting ways of getting information out to the people who need it most. I hope that in some small way this blog can be part of that process.

Brooklyn

What is it about religion seems to drive people crazy? People can agree on 90% of the issues but that remaining 10% will give them justification for murder each other. At least that often seems to be the case when it comes to religion. A recent article in the Guardian announces a schism within the Anglican Church, the second largest group of Christians in the world.


An increasingly rare sight. Berlin 2007. © Damaso Reyes

For some time more conservative elements within the church have been unhappy with the more liberal and tolerant part of the church in the western industrialized nations. Most important to the conservatives seems to be the liberals’ toleration of homosexuals and homosexuality.

Within both Christianity as well as Islam there seems to be this growing tension between conservative and fundamentalists and liberals. These tensions threaten to not only tear their respective religions apart but alienate these faiths from society at large. As we know churches attendance in Western Europe has been declining rapidly for many years. I don’t think this latest row is going to help matters much.

What do you think?

The map shows the results of a Eurobarometer poll conducted in 2005. Available at: http://europa.eu.int/comm/public_opinio ... ort_en.pdf (p. 9)

Shown here is the percentage in each country which chose the response "I believe there is a God" above other possible answers (not included in this image), which were: "I believe there is some sort of spirit or life force", "I don't believe there is any sort of spirit, God or life force" and "don't know".

Grey countries were not included in the poll

Brooklyn

One of the things I love about the Internet is that it provides an opportunity for a back-and-forth between ideas and people no matter how far apart they are. A German friend of mine read my recent blog posting on the issue of censorship. On her blog she posted her own thoughts about the issue from her unique perspective as a young German. Here’s one interesting excerpt:

It seems clear: What we really need is not a censorship that represses people but a society that is awake and sensible for the subtle tones of racism.

But let us be honest and realistic: How often do we see big parts of this society fail? How often do we see ourselves fail? How often does it happen that no one raises his voice when it should be there?

To me there are some good reasons for a censorship: It is a sign that there are borders of things that can be said, borders in the name of freedom. There is a clear possibility for juridical consequences for who might not acknowledge these borders. It is an official statement from our state towards foreign states and towards Israel (with which we have in common that this belongs to our history that marks us – in a bad and I always hope also in a good way).


What else should we ban? Berlin 2006. © Damaso Reyes

I think she makes some interesting points but I stand by my original ideas. I think the biggest issue that Germany as a society has not really dealt with honestly is the fact that National Socialism was not an aberration, but a manifestation of a society which places too much importance on deference to authority. While I lived in Germany I encountered an almost pathological need to adhere to rules and regulations. In America the idea of challenging authority especially political authority deeply ingrained in our national character. From what I’ve observed Germans are still learning that this is a valuable and importance character trait to have.

Ultimately we need to deal with the ideas that we find most threatening and offensive openly. It’s far too easy and lazy for us to simply stand groups and ideas that we find threatening. And more importantly, it does not make these things go away. As we all learn sweeping dirt under the rug doesn’t mean that it has disappeared.

What do you think? I look forward to reading your comments!

Brooklyn

I hope that everyone had a great weekend! Here in New York it was hot and wet but I didn’t mind too much, after all it is summer. Another week, another article about Europe’s declining birth rate. The New York Times Magazine did a cover story about the issue and its potential ramifications. It was a very interesting piece; the article discussed many of the issues we have talked about here on this blog. The author asked “Will Europe as we know it just peter out?” I certainly hope not! But he did talk about many of the important economic issues as well as various theories about how to solve the problem including immigration.


The future is now. London 2005. © Damaso Reyes

“Another obvious approach to increasing the population: If you can't breed them, lure them. Britain is going through a radical transformation in its social makeup, largely as a result of immigration. A government report in late 2007 projected Britain would have 11 million more people by 2031 - an increase of 18 percent - and by one estimate 69 percent of the growth would come from immigrants and their children,” wrote Russell Shorto.

This is a debate that will only become more important in the coming years. I hope that we can use the images I’m creating as well as this blog to increase the dialogue between us about the future of Europe.

Brooklyn

So this week’s New Yorker’s got to experience another massive public art opening with the unveiling of Olafur Eliasson’s piece “Waterfalls.” The Danish artist created four large artificial waterfalls around New York harbor at a cost of more than $15 million. I went out the other day to have a look and to say the least I was underwhelmed. While the waterfalls are tall, the fact that you can still see the scaffolding makes them seem much less impressive.


Remembrance of things past. © Damaso Reyes

The piece is has been compared a great deal to “The Gates.” But even supporters of the waterfall have been quick to note that they are completely different pieces. “The Gates” were much more interesting partially because they were interactive. You could actually touch and walk through and around them as opposed to these pieces which you can only view from a distance. The artist says his intention was to get New Yorkers to take another look at the waterfront. I think this could have been done much better by a building several parks for that $15 million. Or by breaking that money up into several large grants for the thousands of struggling artists here in New York. I’m not a big fan of monumental artworks, especially those made with public money. This piece of art is temporary but the money will be gone forever and what will we be left with?

While you think about that, here’s your HCB Quote of the Week.

It seems dangerous to be a portrait artist who does commissions for clients because everyone wants to be flattered, so they pose in such a way that there’s nothing left of truth. - Henri Cartier-Bresson

Brooklyn

As we say in Brooklyn, if it’s not one thing, it’s another. It’s not the hordes of illegal immigrants; it must be the microscopic black holes that threaten to devour the earth! It is at least according to an article today in the New York Times discussing a lawsuit brought against the federal government and CERN, the particle physics research laboratory in Geneva.


Almost done… Geneva 2007. © Damaso Reyes

As some of you know I visited CERN last year and documented the building of the LHC, which when it is turned on shortly will become the world’s largest supercollider. Those bringing the lawsuit fear the remote possibility that the collider could create mini black holes or other strange particles that could destroy the fabric of the universe, or at least the Earth. Needless to say the possibility is very remote indeed but that doesn’t stop people who want attention from using the legal system to get it. Personally I am very much looking forward to the activation of the collider. If it is successful we will learn a lot about our universe. If not, I won’t have to worry about paying off my student loans!

Brooklyn


Well the Germany-Turkey game was a nail biter but sadly Germany’s 3-2 win didn’t magically heal the cultural rifts within Germany or the E.U. In another great article in the I.H.T. we learn about how Italy is dealing with, or not dealing with, its immigrant population.


Post-game Interrogation. Stuttgart, 2007. © Damaso Reyes

“But with plummeting birth rates and an aging populace, Italy can hardly survive now without foreign laborers. Albanians and Romanians care for the elderly. Indians working in Emilia-Romagna tend the cows producing the milk for Parmesan cheese.

"The problem is that fears about crime by immigrants, inflamed by the news media and populist politicians, have combined with one of the largest waves of foreigners in Europe. The Northern League, a political party that once advocated the secession of Italy's north, joined Berlusconi's ruling coalition this spring after distributing posters around cities like Siena showing an American Indian next to a warning that Italians will end up, as the Indians did, penned into reservations if they don't stop immigrants from taking over the country,” writes Michael Kimmelman.

Clearly there is more room for dialogue and discourse, something I believe photography is well suited to inspiring. Do you have some interesting photos on this topic? Send them to me and I will post them and we can continue the discussion…

Brooklyn


In many ways sports, just like art, reflects a society’s values and mores. Who we cheer for makes us think about why we root for whom we do. In America, the integration of baseball preceded the integration of the schools. Sport is another way we fight our social battles.


Security guard, Stuttgart 20006. © Damaso Reyes

Tonight there is a big game with Germany facing off against Turkey. The symbolism, as we learn in a great article in Der Spiegel, couldn’t be greater. It will certainly be interesting to see who wins tonight and how the fans react. As you can see in this New York Times chart below, Europe has a great deal of distance to cover in the evolution of its thought about immigration.

Brooklyn

This weekend I came across an interesting article in the New York Times Magazine. The topic of immigration in Europe is not just hot across the pond but Americans are also increasingly taking interest in this subject as well. While we Americans have a long tradition of external immigration, we have not always dealt with the issue well. Increasingly it seems like Europe is creating continental standards on many issues, unfortunately it seems like they’re taking a step backwards when it comes to immigration. Now more than ever Western Europe needs immigrants, especially when you factor in the declining birth rates in countries like France, Spain and Germany. But most Western European countries have yet to have an honest discourse about the benefits and difficulties of immigration.


Graffiti in Barcelona, 2005. © Damaso Reyes

I hope in some small way my work can have been given the process of this dialogue. I know to want to hope for but I think that image is can serve an important role in raising people’s awareness and consciousness about important issues like this.

Brooklyn

Well I hope everyone had a great and relaxing weekend! I had a chance to catch up with some old friends as well as see some great art. One of the great things about being in New York is you never know who you will run into or what you’ll see. But the weekend is over and now it’s time to get back to work. I am moving full steam ahead on my nonprofit corporation and I’d like to hear your feedback on my mission statement, check it out underneath the Picture of the Day.


Flying in Berlin, 2006. © Damaso Reyes

The Europeans seeks to visually document the changes which are occurring as the European Union expands and integrates. Using photographs, exhibitions, articles, discussion panels and an interactive website The Europeans will engage a global audience in an ongoing dialogue about how these historic changes are impacting the lives of ordinary people. Using these tools to create greater understanding among both those in and outside of Europe is at the heart of our mission.

Brooklyn

Today is one of my favorite days! It’s the summer solstice, the longest day of the year. Every winter on those short, cold days I think about this day in particular and hope that it will come soon. In a few days I will have been back in New York for three months, exactly the amount of time than I had been away in Europe earlier this year. So in a sense I've also reached a kind of equilibrium, perhaps one that I hadn’t intended upon reaching this year. The past three months have been very enjoyable, and even highly productive in their own way, but when I left Germany at the end of March I didn’t expect to be back in New York for this long. But life can be one thing you don’t expect after another sometimes so I’ve tried to make the most of the hand that I’ve been dealt.

But enough about those things; today is a happy day! Now, enjoy your HCB Quote of the Week!


Summer in Amsterdam, 2005. © Damaso Reyes

Inside movement there is one moment in which the elements are in balance. Photography must seize the importance of this moment and hold immobile the equilibrium of it. - Henri Cartier-Bresson

Brooklyn

Last night I went to an amazing and moving tribute to the late Philips Jones Griffiths, perhaps the greatest anti-war photographer of his generation. His images, and they are too many to even try to pick a favorite, changed the way we look at war. His seminal book Vietnam, Inc. showed war and the totally of its terrible impact on all sides. So many people, from legendary photographers to ordinary people who were moved by his images came out. It was amazing to hear the stories his friends told and to see the moving film his family put together as he was dying.

We should all be so loved.

His work continues to inspire us all to speak truth to power.


Freedom from Fear. Berlin, 2007. © Damaso Reyes