I am Charlie, the Eurocentric, a photo from North-East, North

Photographer's Note

PHOTO TAKNE AT SUNSET IN CHOBE NATIONAL PARK, IN BEAUTIFUL AFRICA.

I anticipated an outpouring of anger and pain at the slaughter of innocent people in Nigeria, but the silence was deafening worldwide and on TE, even from our members who regularly travel to Africa and who supposedly love the land and its people.

So, I post this image for the African lives lost and I include part of an article written by a columnist who writes for our national paper. I was going to include a letter or two written by readers who are also dismayed at the blind eye that the world uses when African lives are involved, but who has tim to read, especially about Africa?

I intended to wonder aloud as to what is the relative value of a human life- a vexing question in the wake of global silence about the slaughter of the innocents in Baga, Nigeria, while millions marched for the lives lost in France. Instead i include parts of an article which appeared in the national paper in Australia.

“Ignatius Kaigama, a Catholic archbishop whose Jos diocese is in central Nigeria, wants the world to respond to the obscene levels of brutality confronting the towns and villages of the north-east of his country with the same spirit and resolve it has shown in the wake of the Charlie Hebdo massacre in Paris.

The bishop has a point. On the same day that 12 journalists and policemen were gunned down in the French capital, forces of the fundamentalist Boko Haram annihilated as many as 2000 villagers, and looted and torched their lakeside communities in what is being billed as the most brutal rampage by the African twin of the so-called Islamic State, which now controls swathes of Syria and Iraq.
He didn't spell it out, but the bishop might well have thought that world leaders were in the wrong place on Sunday, when 40-odd of them linked arms at the head of a solidarity rally by millions of Parisians, because while the French have the societal fortitude and security resources to pick themselves up, and to confront their homegrown and foreign terrorist threats, Nigeria doesn't.
Clearly, the world has judged the carnage in Paris to be an appalling act – it was; but if Paris is a new global benchmark, then what's unfolding in Nigeria is an abomination, one that struggles for attention as the global media remains transfixed by events in Paris…
Writing in the Johannesburg-based Daily Maverick, analyst Simon Allison wrote: "I'm Charlie, but I'm Baga too. There are massacres and there are massacres – it may be the 21st century, but African lives are still deemed less newsworthy and, by implication, less valuable than western lives.”

http://www.theage.com.au/world/boko-haram-attacks-france-can-help-itself-but-nigeria-needs-support-20150113-12n3ro.html

gervaso, kasianowak, timecapturer, ourania, omid266, sayeed_rahman, kordinator, ChrisJ, adores heeft deze opmerking als nuttig gemarkeerd

Critiques | Translate

jemaflor (148292) 2015-01-12 22:43

Hi Klaudio,
Nice sunset capture, lovely warm tones, well framed with silhouettes of branches, good contrast and interesting title about terrible event in Paris last week.

Porteplume (4036) 2015-01-12 23:18

Thank you Klaudio, we need such notes to keep aware...
I have made your link clickable so other can easily find that article.

Viviane

Matyas (0) 2015-01-13 1:02

Hello Klaudio! Amazing sunset. Wonderful light and shadow, fantastic shadowplay. Good contrast. Fantastic effect. Good luck!

silah (2798) 2015-01-13 1:08

Hi Klaudio

Wow!!!!!!It is fantastic capture. Orange colour full moon and black colour foreground make very good contrast. Very impressive shot. GREETINGS, Salih.

SnapRJW (31631) 2015-01-13 2:19

I hear your frustration Klaudio and I cannot offer any answers as to why the massacre in Nigeria has not garnered the news coverage or the sense of outrage that the Parisian attacks did save the the world's news is big business and there are many more media vehicles in the developed world.

I note that even the African news channels and papers have not reported the situation to any great degree; but a few more articles have been presented since Sunday

Personally I was shocked that Goodluck Jonathan chose to attend the march in Paris than stay and support his fellow countrymen after all he is the President of the country! Another troubling observation is that African media only reported on the AU condemnation of the slaughter yesterday when the organisation issued a statement. It seems that response to the massacre has neither galvanized an African or world response.

You may find these articles interesting

http://ewn.co.za/2015/01/12/Dirco-Boko-Harams-terrorism-must-come-to-an-end

http://www.sanews.gov.za/africa/au-condemns-killing-civilians-boko-haram-nigeria

http://ewn.co.za/2015/01/13/Survivors-of-Boko-Haram-assault-describe-their-ordeal

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/africa/nigerian-government-silent-on-attacks-1.2063451

https://foreignpolicy.com/2015/01/12/nigerias-president-prefers-to-see-no-evil-speak-no-evil/

I appreciate you putting the spotlight on Nigeria and bringing the situation to the attention of TE

Warm regards

Rosemary

gervaso (28437) 2015-01-13 3:26

Hello, Klaudio!

Wonderful sunset of this beautiful continent! I totally agree with what you say in your note, and I'd like to add another example of how the African people are forgotten when no other interests of other people in the world are present: the Ebola outbreak! When there is no one infected being treated in Europe or in the US, we can see no news of that on the newspapers. People are still dying in Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leona, but I hardly find news about the situation of the outbreak there.

kasianowak (17676) 2015-01-13 4:14

Zdravo Klaudio
Thank you for this reminder that beautiful Africa exists and poor people suffer and die too. I agree with you and fully support your comments to this image. As I said to you before, #IAmAllthePeoplewhoSuffer.
Srdacni pozdrav
Kasia

timecapturer (49288) 2015-01-13 4:58

Hello Klaudio
a beautiful tribute and so sad that other horrific world events are blurring the atrocities in this part of the world. I have to admit I do try to see what is happening elsewhere on the planet, but have to agree that this is not being drawn to particular attention here in England.

Regards - Brian.

ourania (51103) 2015-01-13 8:28

Hello Klaudio,
I read and heard a lot of different opinions these days about the cause of the events in Paris, the consequences and the ways they should be dealt in. Even when they mention the events in Africa, the mainstream media keep an emotional distance but I'm sure that in every country there are voices that try to describe the horror as it is. The words "relative value of human life" in your note describe our attitudes and civilization with striking and painful precision. The beauty of your picture is amazing. Congratulations and hank you!
All the best, have a great day,
Ourania

holmertz (103660) 2015-01-13 9:30

Hello Klaudio,
It's not a bad photo, but I send you a "smiley" of appreciation mainly for your note.
Best regards,
Gert

lousat (140026) 2015-01-13 11:54

Ciao Klaudio,la foto è bellissima ma quello che tocca il cuore sono le tue parole,anche qui in Italia è sceso il silenzio su questi massacri,mentre si parla solo dei fatti di Parigi. Una cosa davvero scandalosa,qualcuno lo ha fatto notare su facebook ma non ha avuto molto seguito,nonostante la forza delle immagini terribli che provenivano dalla Nigeria.Ma purtroppo questo è il mondo,la politica e gli interessi.Del resto a nessuna casa farmaceutica interessa investire sulla cura dell'ebola,nei paesi ricchi questa malattia non esiste e non porta ritorni economici,e questo è solo un esempio.Complimenti ancora per il tuo atto d'accusa e buona giornata,Luciano

omid266 (6816) 2015-01-13 20:41

Salam dear Klaudio,

this is really and magic time hunted with camera,

wonderful Sunset with wonderful colours and POV,

VERY NICE work and Thanks!

Also Thanks for interesting note about AFC Asian Cup in Iran Team and supportes,

hope that Iran come to Final match , however it would not be so easy,

Best Wishes for your team also and Have a very nice and Sweet day ,

Regards, ***

sayeed_rahman (6461) 2015-01-13 22:38

"Might is right" my friend. But appreciate you drawing a parallel here, honestly, how about a walk in Nigeria.

Important post Klaudio.

Regards.

erhan1958 (15961) 2015-01-14 12:26

selam Klaudio
like a dream land. incredable shot.A photo breathtaking.
greetings from turkey
erhan

kordinator (8738) 2015-01-14 14:27

Dragi Klaudio
Ja sam napisao blog "ja nisam Šarli" zato što je to veliko licemerje kojim se unovčava tuđa nesreća.
Napisao sam da se niko ne poistovećuje sa drugim nevinim žrtvama širom sveta jer to nije u trendu.
Lep zalazak sunca kao i svuda u svetu,tako da i ljudski život vredi kao i u drugim delovima naše planete.
Odličan rad i napomena.
Budi mi pozdravljen
Saša

ChrisJ (172436) 2015-01-16 14:00

Hi Klaudio,

A superb sunset with good sharpness and excellent saturation of the warm colours. Nice graphic elements and splendid silhouettes. I like the wide angled panoramic format. I might have cropped a little from the right so that the sun is perfectly placed over the 1/3 axis. Tfs!

adores (46979) 2015-01-22 14:48

Hi Klaudio!
A really beautiful African sunset and a great tribute to the thousands of victims of such big tragedy, this one and also others that have been taking place there these last months. You're right, those people deserve far more attention than they are getting.

walterantonio (3629) 2015-01-25 3:36

Hello Klaudio Branko,

First thanks for the comment and correction in my photo. I really do not know much about birds.

As a picture is beautiful and amazing, a ride in an exotic country in Africa must be amazing, this sunset capture the national park was perfect.

Congratulations from Brazil.