Jerusalem /

In Haifa (Projects: Haifa 2010) and Ramallah (Projects: Ramallah 2009), photographic workshops are implemented over a period of six weeks. Throughout an educational process, personal issues and topics are worked upon and converted into photographs. The exhibition Jerusalem 2010 is the final point of both projects.
In the Willy Brandt Center (WBC), the young Palestinian and Israeli participants have the possibility of presenting their pictures to a large public. The decisions upon how and if the own perspective is displayed within this project lie entirely in the hands of the participants.
In discussion forums, the individual perspectives of both participants and the local public are reflected upon. Presenting the workshops’ results enables a dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians. The WBC was intentionally chosen because of its situation on the Green Line, thereby standing in Israel with one half and on the Occupied Palestinian Territories with the other half of the building.

Project Description in Short

The project “Dialogue in Pictures” consists of three parts: Ramallah 2009 (Occupied Palestinian Territories - OPT), Haifa 2010 (Israel - IL) and – as a linking project – Jerusalem 2010.
A characteristic problem in the Palestinian-Israeli area lies in regional segregation as a result of the actual conflict. A peaceful approach between Israelis and Palestinians has become nearly impossible. In addition, the situation has worsened due to the incidents in December 2008 and January 2009.
Lack of communication leads to prejudice that is reinforced through the one-sided perception of the other. Media, the educational system and individual surroundings contribute to this mode of perception. This is why the project activities aim at reducing prejudices between different national, ethnic, religious and social groups.
Self-expression through photography gives people in Israel an opportunity of reflecting on issues such as the omnipresent fear of being attacked and the resulting need for security. For people in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, photography is a means of dealing with their every-day life, which is marked by unemployment, restricted mobility and the effects of the checkpoints on liberty and dignity.
Due to the problematic current situation, the partner organizations have stated the wish to keep workshop-activities in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories separated for the time being.
With the exhibition in Jerusalem, the two projects can be lead together and dialogue in pictures becomes possible.
According to the idea of empowerment that ipsum strives for, the participants take decisions by themselves and have an impact on the process with their needs and constraints.

Dialogue on Three Levels:

• Dialogue among the group:
  Photographic workshops based on dialogue and reflection foster self-expression of the workshop-participants and their exchange with each other.
  
• Dialogue on a local level in public space:
  The participants’ stories and perspectives are made accessible to the local public through presentations.
  
• Dialogue on a transregional level:
  The pictures are presented in other regions/countries and on different websites. People in different places are thereby provided with insights into unknown realities and can question prejudice.

Project Results:
The planned project...

• empowers people in Israel to state and discuss different opinions and perspectives through photography.
  fosters dialogue between people, within and beyond borders and walls.
• provides photographic documents, views and perspectives that are usually not represented by the media.
• fosters a process of education and perception for participants as well as for visitors of exhibitions and internet portals.
• integrates the participants in a platform of dialogue that steadily increases in terms of members, countries and perspectives.

Partner Organisations and Funding Organisations:

The project “Dialogue in Pictures” consist of three parts: Ramallah 2009 (Occupied Palestinian Territories - OPT), Haifa 2010 (Israel - IL) and Jerusalem 2010. 47% of the project (35.000 €) are financed by the ADC (Austrian Development Cooperation). The project is implemented in cooperation with the following partner organisations:

• Südwind Agentur, (Wien, A)
• Active Vision, (Tel Aviv, IL)
• Willy Brandt Center, (Jerusalem)

Funding Organisations:

• Austrian Development Cooperation (Vienna, A)
• Magistratsabteilung für Auslandsbeziehungen Wien (Vienna, A)