No Ak-47's, Austin
Member Since October 2008
Artist Statement I represent a team of photojournalists joined in a
Thinkwinwin Project of creating a
Humanitarian | Volunteer | Documentary | Network
Thinkwinwin.com is a Humanitarian Volunteer Documentary Network that empowers Volunteers around the world to publish their stories, in Video & Photo Ducumentary format about the Humanitarian effort they volunteer to serve.
Humanitarian
While on assignment in Cambodia in January of 2006 I had a conversation with the founders of the Trailblazer Foundation about a raffle held the night before to raise money at one of the bars frequented by tourists coming to see Angkor Wat. They explained to me that without a sustainable channel to bring awareness to their project of bringing clean water to rural villages in Cambodia, the hard work invested by volunteers would be lost in time, and that organizations such as theirs could not survive.
Volunteer
Every volunteer has a story to tell about their great adventure and contribution and Volunteer's around the world all have a similar desire to tell their story. In telling their stories to others they sometimes move others to contribute in someway. In retelling their stories they actually help to sustain the very organizations they volunteer and also help others to find meaning to their lives.
The internal personal reward in volunteering is addictive. Every day volunteering is difficult and volunteers ask themselves, "Why am I here in this strange place?" Sometime during the day something happens, for Scott, a volunteer for the Trailblazer Foundation in Cambodia, it was seeing a child's eyes lighting up with the sudden realization of understanding what he was teaching. Scott said, "In those moments a tremendous overwhelming emotion surrounds you with a realization of what our small contribution is in life. I want everyone to feel that emotion and the tremendous reward."
Documentary
With so many people volunteering around the world there will be more stories of hardship and contribution that need to be told. There are many photographers, photojournalists and videographers, professional and amateur with stories of contribution in the form of photo essays and short documentaries that can be told in the truest sense of the words "Social Network".
Network
Please join me in sharing the Mission of
Thinkwinwin
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