The judges had an almost impossible task in choosing a winner, as all of the finalists' work that I've looked at is of very even merit. The winning essay, entitled The Homecoming Project, looked at the welfare of a new generation of US war veterans returning from Afghanistan. I wasn't surprised to see that the judges were almost all American, for they understandably have a degree of empathy with their troops which we in the rest of the world lack.
To do justice to the work this grant has attracted means setting aside a few hours to read the artists' statements and ponder over the photos.
One essay, entitled I'll Die for You by Laura El-Tantawy, concerns an epidemic of suicides among Indian farmers.
From her statement: Over the past 15 years, more than 250,000 farmers have committed suicide in rural India. This has been especially common among cotton farmers in the state of Maharashtra in southwestern India.
Many had borrowed money through government lending schemes or private lenders to plant more efficient crops, but could not pay off their debts. Because of the extremely fast transition India has undergone - from a rural to an industrial, urban economy with an open market - farmers have been confronted by immense social and economic problems. [Read more...]
Well, that was news to me. This sort of work, which is of immense value, gets scant exposure in the mass media. But I'm glad there is someone doing it.
[The Finalists' Essays]
Photo: Farmer uses traditional farming methods © Laura El Tantawy
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