When the lions find their storytellers: A public talk by Dr Shahidul Alam

October 4th, 6 p.m.

National Geographic Store

83-97 Regent Street

London

Internationally renowned Bangladeshi photographer, writer, curator and teacher Dr Shahidul Alam, will lead a free public talk at the National Geographic Store next week.

During the 40 minute talk Dr Alam, a National Geographic juror and photographer, will discuss his 30 year career in documentary photography, as well as his role as one of the most respected photography educators in the world.

Dr Alam’s work in establishing networks for photography and media professionals in his native Bangladesh has opened up the medium to an entirely new generation of artists. As a result, Bangladesh now has the highest number of documentary photographers in the world, some of whom, thanks to his efforts, are becoming internationally acclaimed. Alam founded the award-winning Drik Picture Library (www.drik.net) in 1989; the Bangladesh Photographic Institute in 1990; Pathshala, the South Asian Institute of Photography – considered one of the finest schools of photography in the world – (www.pathshala.net) and ‘Chobi Mela’ (www.chobimela.org), a biennial international festival of photography, which is held in the capital, Dhaka. Alam’s most recent project is the founding of Majority World, a photo agency dedicated to providing a platform for non-Western photographers.

A jury member of numerous competitions including World Press Photo, for which he has been a judge on four occasions and recently the first non-Western person to chair the international jury, Alam was also the first Asian recipient of the prestigious Mother Jones Award for Documentary Photography. His work has been exhibited internationally, including: the MOMA, New York; the Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris; the Royal Albert Hall, London; and The Museum of Contemporary Arts, Tehran.

Dr Alam’s week-long visit to the UK is a result of his first retrospective photography exhibition at the Wilmotte Gallery at Lichfield Studios (http://www.tristanhoare.co.uk/) from 5th October -18 November, and the release of his forthcoming book, SHAHIDUL ALAM: My Journey as a Witness, published by Skira, Milan, and edited by Rosa Maria Falvo. The book will be launched at the Grand Hyatt Churchill Hotel in London at 5.30 pm.

Drik Day 24 september

Photographs © Mahabub Alam Khan/Drik

On the 4th Septeber 1989, something remarkable happened in Bangladesh. Please join us as Drik joyously celebrates 22 years of distinctive creativity

Saturday, 24 September 2011

Programme

6.00 pm Welcome Dr. Shahidul Alam

6.10 pm Memories 2010-2011

6.20 pm Golam Kasem Daddy Memorial Lecture III by Catherine Masud

7.00 pm Photo exhibition by Drik’s staff photographers: Mahabub Alam Khan, Saikat Mojumder and Wahid Adnan

Opening by Guest of Honour Frederiek Biemans, World Press Photo

7.30 pm Refreshments

Photo Exhibition: 25-30 September, 2011, 3 pm-8 pm

Venue:

Golam Kasem Daddy Memorial Lecture:: Drik Rooftop

Photo Exhibition: Drik Gallery 1 (first ?oor) House 58, Road 15 A (New) Dhanmondi, Dhaka 1209

Lookout for the newly launched Drik website

For those of you who cannot come to the book launch of “My journey as a witness” watch it live at Drik TV

Awards Ceremony

Award ceremony Invitation card

Learning Rights to Make a Difference

Human Rights Training for Journalists in Bangladesh

Drik and INTERNEWS network request the pleasure of your company at the Awards Ceremony of ‘Learning Rights to Make a Difference’ a human rights training for journalists in Bangladesh on Thursday 11 August, 2011 at 5:00 pm at Drik Gallery, Dhaka.

Participating organisations: Daily Shokaler Khobor, Daily Sun, Prothom Alo, The Independent, Independent Television,Diganta Television, Odhikar, New Age, The New Nation, The Daily Ittefaq, Dhaka Courier, UNB, BLAST, Daily Inquilab,ASK, Boishakhi TV, BNHRC

The event will be live-streamed on Drik TV

Chief Guest
Dr. Mizanur Rahman
Chairman, National Human Rights Commission, Bangladesh

Guest of Honour
Mr. Nurul Kabir
Editor, New Age

Selected work of the 17 mainstream journalists who participated in the human rights training course will be presented at this event.

Programme

Drik Gallery, Dhaka ◆ 11 August 2011 ◆ Thursday

5:00 pm (GMT +6): Audiovisual Documentation of ‘Learning Rights to Make a Difference’
5:05 pm: Welcome by Shahidul Alam
5:15 pm: Presentation of Electronic Report
5:20 pm: Speech by participant (electronic)
5:25 pm: Speech by participant (print)
5:30 pm: Speech by participant (photography)
5:35 pm: Speech by Guest of Honour

5:45 pm: Speech by Chief Guest
5:55 pm: Awards Presentation
6:20 pm: Vote of Thanks by Shahidul Alam

Journalists play an important role as both, providers of information to the public and as a resource for human rights defenders demanding accountability amongst all those who wield power in the public and private domain. Shahidul Alam, Managing Director of Drik at the opening address of the training course said, “With Bangladesh gaining geopolitical importance, many forces are at play and human rights violations have dramatically escalated with perpetrators operating with impunity. Trained journalists will play a vital role in challenging the abuse of power.”

Journalists’ right to information and the right to report are the lifeblood of their profession. However, reporting on human rights issues that plague any country is a formidable task for many. The journalists often come under threats and unwarranted arrests leading to abuse by the very authorities that have been elected to provide and protect their human rights.

Drik as a premier visual media communication provider and an organisation committed to social justice, has always aspired to make Bangladesh a country where people can exercise their right to express dissent peacefully, where information will flow freely and where knowledge and skills needed for individuals to attain their full potential are made available.

The Learning Rights to Make a Difference, human rights training was thus formulated in partnership with Internews Network to train Bangladeshi journalists to learn new skills and examine in depth the special role accurate, fair and professional reporting and analysis play, in upholding human rights and supporting the peaceful resistance to human rights abuses.

The first part of the course from 19-21 July was instructional which used creative, interactive teaching methods, including presentations and discussion by guest lecturers and exchanges with human rights defenders, activists as well as victims. During the second part of the programme the participants were assigned to report on human rights issues under the supervision of trainers and mentors. The final part of the training was a review programme on 8-9 August where the assignments were openly evaluated by the trainers, mentors and the participants themselves.

It is expected that the training will help the journalists contribute towards greater transparency and accountability leading to a more participatory democracy where rights of all citizens are respected.

MAJORITY WORLD™, the socially responsible image agency, announces major expansion plan at “Responsible Business”, Business Design Centre, London, 17-18 March 2011 Inspiring images, responsibly sourced MAJORITY WORLD™ is a picture agency with a difference. It promotes the work of talented local photographers in the majority world – Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East – enabling them to gain a fairer share of the global image market. Their work is often overlooked through inadequate access to global markets, or when organisations fly in western photographers for assignments rather than choosing to use and nurture local talent. It will also increasingly reveal the unique insider perspective that comes from local photographers’ images and stories. Hence its wider mission to “open doors and open minds”. MAJORITY WORLD™ is pleased to announce that it has secured vital new start up investment from Stichting DOEN in the Netherlands as well as from two of its founder directors. As a result of this vote of confidence, MAJORITY WORLD™ can now embark on its ambitious expansion plan. A new full time team will provide the expertise and dynamism needed to boost revenue growth, which in turn translates directly into increasing flows of commission funds into majority world economies. MAJORITY WORLD™ is registered in the UK as a Community Interest Company. Talking of its socially responsible brand, Ben Marshall, Creative Director, Landor Associates, worldwide branding & design consultants confirms, “The global potential of the MAJORITY WORLD™ brand is massive.” Dr. Colin Hastings, Co-founder of MAJORITY WORLD™, speaks of the opportunities the organisation’s new investment can realise. “We are much more than a photo library; we are a cause. To date we have been refining and testing our business model and our social impact. Now we can actually make it happen” Dr Shahidul Alam, Co-Founder, Chairman and International Ambassador, will also be speaking at the event on 18th March, 11.00 – 11.30. The title of his presentation is “Behaving responsibly towards the developing world: the secrets of successful north/south partnerships”. The MAJORITY WORLD™ founders will be at the exhibition to explain their innovative approach which helps photographic entrepreneurs in the majority world to build sustainable businesses whilst creating new added value opportunities for CSR professionals in the minority world. To understand the full picture: · Visit MAJORITY WORLD™ on stand 126 at Responsible Business 2011, Business Design Centre, London, 17 – 18 March 2011. · Visit www.majorityworld.com · For interviews with Shahidul Alam or Colin Hastings, contact Clare Puddifoot +44(0)7876553879. – ENDS – Dr Colin Hastings www.majorityworld.com/ Visit Majority World on stand 126 at Responsible Business 2011 www.responsiblebusinessevent.org/

Tushikur Rahman and GMB Akash shortlisted in prestigious photo contest.

Tushikur Rahman, a second year student of the three year BA programme in photography at Pathshala South Asian Media Academy, was yesterday announced as one of the 10 photographers from across the world who have been short listed for the 2011 Sony World Photography Awards Student Focus competition.

Tushikur’s short listed images have triumphed over hundreds of images entered from around the world into the world’s one of the most high profile student photography programme and award, says a press release issued from London yesterday.

Being shortlisted, Tushikur has two parts to his prize. Firstly, his image will be exhibited as part of the Sony World Photography Awards Exhibition at Somerset House in London and secondly, he will be flown to London in April to take part in the World Photography Festival London and in the final stage of the competition.

Pathshala is one of the ten academic institutions and the only one from Asia to be shortlisted.

Former student GMB Akash’s pictures of people travelling, precariously, on the roofs on trains in Bangladesh has been shortlisted in the professional section Travel category.

While Bangladesh might be the minnows in test cricket. In the field of photography, Bangladesh has carved a space for itself. Former students of the prestigious Joop Swart Masterclass, GMB Akash, Andrew Biraj, Munem Wasif and Saiful Huq Omi are amongst the finest photographers around today. Abir Abdullah, a student of the first World Press Photo seminar series in 1998, was a member of the international jury this year.

The international jury of the premier contest World Press Photo, is considered the UN of photojournalism. Its accolades are coveted by photographers across the world. Shahidul Alam, who has been a juror on four occasions, is the only Asian to have chaired the international jury,  Besides these Pathshala photographers, Shafiqul Alam Kiron, a photographer from the MAP agency has also been a winner in the past.

Andrew Biraj was also a winner (3rd Prize) in the Daily Life category this year, with the following image:

The results of the 54th annual World Press Photo Contest were announced during a press conference at the Boekmanzaal in the Amsterdam City Hall, Amstel. This year again a record number of photographs with 108,059 images were submitted by 5,847 photographers. The photographers represent 125 different nationalities.

The members of the jury were:

Chair
• David Burnett, USA, photojournalist and founding member Contact Press Images

Members
• Abir Abdullah, Bangladesh, photographer EPA and vice principal Pathshala South Asian Media Academy
• Vince Aletti, USA, freelance critic
• Koji Aoki, Japan, chief photographer Aflo sport / Aflo dite and president Aflo Co., Ltd.
• Peter Bialobreszki, Germany, artist
• Harry Borden, UK, photographer
• Giovanna Calvenzi, Italy, picture editor Sportweek / La Gazzetta dello Sport
• Marizilda Cruppe, Brazil, photographer O Globo / Eve Photographers
• Ruth Eichhorn, Germany, director of photography Geo
• Renata Ferri, Italy, photo editor Io Donna – Corriere Della Sera
• Heinz Kluetmeier, USA, photographer Sports Illustrated
• Mattias Klum, Sweden, photographer and filmmaker
• Héric Libong, Cameroon, head of photo department Panapress
• Enric Martí, Spain, regional editor AP for Latin America and Caribbean
• Wim Melis, The Netherlands, curator Noorderlicht
• Terence Pepper, UK, curator of photographs National Portrait Gallery
• Sujong Song, South Korea, independent curator and photo editor
• Sophie Stafford, UK, BBC Wildlife Magazine
• Aidan Sullivan, UK, vice president photo assignment Getty Images

Secretaries
• Daphné Anglès, France/USA, European picture coordinator The New York Times
• Stephen Mayes, UK, managing director VII Photo Agency

Former student Andrew Biraj, is currently a teacher at Pathshala The South Asian Media Academy

Chobi Mela VI 2011

First of all, I would like to thank all 26 of the students in this workshop for being willing to undertake hard labor and endure pressure to push limits, break boundaries and grow. If have been critical in the beginning, it was because of my own passionate belief that they could succeed at a level they might not themselves imagine. I feel a responsibility to give them this opportunity to concentrate on what is most important, and to discover the joy in that hard, demanding work.

I am very happy that they now understand that photography is about self-discovery. I am pleased, and they should be pleased, about this wonderful work. This is their moment, and they should enjoy every bit of it.

A special thanks to Shehab, who has been very important in helping this to succeed.

Morten Krogvold
January 2011



Indian photographer Sohrab Hura is conducting a workshop ‘Untitled’ with the 2nd year student’s of Pathshala. The workshop theme for everyone is CARTE BLANCHE, which means everyone is free to do whatever s/he wants. It will continue till 21st January 2011.

Photographs by K M Asad