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Blog Action Day 2008 - POVERTY (Do you have the COURAGE to look at this photograph?)

Do YOU have the COURAGE to look at this photograph?

In 1994, Kevin Carter won the Pulitzer Prize for this photograph...depicting a starving child crawling toward a United Nation's food camp...located one kilometer away. When Carter happened upon the child, he waited quietly to get the best shot of the vulture that was waiting for the child to die. After taking the photo, he scared the vulture away and left the scene. He did not help the child...did not go for help...did not do anything except take his photo.

According to Jason Crouch: Just 2 months after receiving his Pulitzer Prize for this photo, Kevin Carter committed suicide. He was having financial problems and was haunted by images such as these. I can only imagine the guilt he carried inside...knowing he could have made a difference...

BUT CHOSE NOT TO.

NOW...are YOU going to JUST walk away ALSO?

I'm NOT going to list all of the hunger relief organizations.

IF you want to make a difference...just GOOGLE 'hunger relief organizations' and let your heart guide you. GBU!

"IF you can't feed a hundred people, then feed just ONE."

~~~Mother Teresa~~~

IF you really want to make a difference in YOUR WORLD...PLEASE consider joining my group 'ACTIVIST' Rain...

TOGETHER...WE CAN CHANGE THE WORLD!

Written and Posted by:

Elizabeth Nieves - Broker, REALTOR®

The Elizabeth Nieves Realty Group @ Keller Williams (A Bilingual Real Estate Team serving Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill NC and surrounding areas.)

Search Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill and ALL Triangle Homes for Sale

Posted by Elizabeth Nieves - Bilingual Raleigh - Durham North Carolina Real Estate Team on 10/15/2008 09:29 PM

Comments (44)

Blog Action Day 2008 Poverty in the ActiveRain Channel

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Originally posted at: Raleigh - Durham...A Real N.C. Girl's Perspective: Blog Action Day 2008 - POVERTY (Do you have the COURAGE to look at this photograph?)

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44 Comments on Blog Action Day 2008 - POVERTY (Do you have the COURAGE to look at this photograph?)

OCT

2008

I had forgotten about this picture and remember when I first saw it, it was disturbing then and even more disturbing now, that after all these years nothing and I mean nothing has changed to cure world hunger

he obviouslt didn't win any prizes for humanitarianism.

Elizabeth,

That photo sure puts things in perspective. It makes what happened last week small in comparison! Good post! Thanks for the reminder.

Wow! I'd have had a really hard time leaving the little guy there to starve. He probably weighs less than the camera.

Seeing something like this reminds me how insignificant any problems that I may have really are.

That the guy didn't do anything to help makes me sick. Hunger is going to exist... that is an ugly fact. The root causes need to be addressed, political corruption, etc.

Thanks Elizabeth. I got your comment about how I can "give back" this Thanksgiving. I like your idea. I wonder if this post may have been inspired by that Thanksgiving post you commented on. If so great.

About this picture. This is the stuff my kids have no clue about. This is the stuff I need to start having them understand - Hey, we are not rich however, we have it pretty good compared to this child in the picture.

Would it have taxed that photographer to pick that child up and carry him the rest of the way?

I hope God forgives me .... but I just want to smack this guy in the head. What a heartless ^&$#@)(%&.

I would urge everyone to help feed those that are without - no matter where they are.

When you are shopping for all those things you 'need' to make your holiday dinners, please invest in one extra turkey, or one bag of potatoes, or a few cans of beans, or ....

Whatever it is ... purchase is and drop it off at your local food bank. If you're one of those that is alone on the holidays why not spend the day with friends you haven't met yet? Help serve a holiday meal at a local mission. You'd be surprised at the really great folks you can meet there.

And it all goes back to ....... there but for the grace of God go I.

Elizabeth - I don't know if you are interested in including this in your post or not, but that story actually gets worse. Kevin Carter, the photographer, committed suicide two months after receiving the Pulitzer Prize for that photo. He was having serious money problems himself, and he was also haunted by images like this.

Wow. I remember your previous blog. Well, actually, I remember the photo. This is the one I called you about at the time, to get your permission to use it, and you told me it was in the public domain. It is very haunting. But the information about Kevin Carter is shocking. Instead of commiting suicide, why didn't he just do something about it? It's never too late. He obviously needed mental help. That's pretty sad in itself.

Oh Elizabeth,

That photo is too much, we can do better...

Thanks for the reminder.

OCT

2008

Wow! That is a hart breaker, it brought tears to my eyes. I just can't believe he did not do anything to help this helpless little child. How sad.

Elizabeth, it is unimaginable to me that someone could have walked away from this child. Thank you for this post. xxoo

I've seen those photos before...all I could say is it's pretty sad. Makes me think how grateful I am for what we have.

I must be the only one who hasn't seen that photo before. How disturbing that he could leave that child! I will join your group.

One of the things that make me cringe is hearing people say how much $$ they've lost in the stock market or how hard we all have it.

Perspective.

I betcha any one of these kids would give anything for a meal. Just a meal.

Makes me cry Elizabeth..

How could he not have done something Elizabeth? We can't save everyone but we can save some and it is wrong to not try just because the problem seems too big and too tall and too wide and just too much! Every thing we do makes things a little better. Thanks for the post.

What an awesome post! And a great reminder of the charge that the Lord has put on us to help others! It would have taken that reporter no more than a minute to stop and pick up that child...I bet he felt remorse the rest of his life. Thanks Elizabeth!

Elizabeth that really is a sad photo. It makes you realize what you have thats for dam sure! I do give to organizations to help out but I probably should be doing more.

Elizabeth, I had not seen the photo before, but it is alarming. Not only that but the photographer walked away. Where is the humanity behind that? Where was the good Samaritan when he was needed.

Every time I get money saved for an offering, I send it to help the disadvantaged and the poor....

I send my offerings to "Operation Blessing" of the 700 Club....I also send money to our churchs homeless ministry.

There will always be poor among us.........

Elizabeth - looking at the picture was heart wrenching reading the words was horrifying they are a sad testament to what this world has become

This is one of those photos that breaks your heart! I have written several posts on benefits in my area to help those who are in need of food! The community has been very helpful, but a lot more is needed both here in our country and throughout the world.

Hi Elizabeth, It is so heart breaking to see this photo and know that it is multiplied millions of times around the world.. I also, think that many of us are not sure where to send money to feel assured that it gets there. Many of these organizations are corrupt as well.. God help us to see each opportunity that we can give and do it by and through your grace... God bless you my sister!!

Every time I see that photograph my heart hurts. I cannot imagine walking away. I cannot imagine looking away. I cannot imagine not doing whatever I can to help. Thank you Elizabeth.

Too bad that photographer just made life more miserable for himself when he committed suicide.

Elizabeth, I have seen that picture many times and it never ceases to break my heart. It's just an incredible picture of the reality of poverty and starvation. We MUST help in any way we can.

Elizabeth~Prior to reading this post I was in tears over what seemed like a really big problem I was facing. I came to your blog to be uplifted and read every word on every post that I could to help me remember that this thing that seemed so enormous in my life really wasn't. I know that God has given you such an incredible gift to remind and bless each of us to listen to your voice that so angelically speaks to us through His heart. This story is so sad that the knot that fills my throat can't seem to go away. I look at this precious child and can only think that IF only I could pick him/her up and hold him I would right now, but for now I will listen to your words and find another way to help. Thank you so much my friend. I love you and am so honored to have walked side by side with you in this life.

Thanks Elizabeth, I have never seen that photo or heard about Activist Rain. You are the new Mother Theresa, GBU

Horrible, I checked out the original story because I have never heard of this. I would have never have thought that someone taking a picture would not have supplies, crew, some kind of assistant to help in a situation like this.

But I read further and because of disease it is common for a photographer to leave a scene such as this. I do give $150.00 a month to an African church fund but feel it is not enough after reading this. Thank you for the awareness wake up call.

Elizabeth, the photo should make all the whiney people stop dead in their tracks.

Wow Beth that photo makes a very powerful statement. I am glad your posts are really getting notice for your group. Let me know if I can help. GBU!

This literally made me feel sick. So powerful.

OCT

2008

Elizabeth- I missed this yesterday...there is a group blog action day 2008 where we put our Posts. Anyway, I saw this photo on someone else's blog...it is indeed powerful, and heartbreaking at the same time. I know how a Photographer would want to get the perfect photo, but then to not do anything to help just tears me up. We all can do something to help.

I remember the photo, but not the part about the photographer killing himself. I can't imagine the torment he felt at not having helped that poor child. We've always believed that those who have the power to help have a responsibility to help. GBU for posting this...

I just read where there was another photographer with him and his story of the photo paints an entirely different picture of the scene... i.e. parents were close by taking food from UN workers, thus his decision not to help. Haunting photo, still.

What you have decribed is the truest definition of torment. It's horrible. Thankfully, there's God's forgiveness.

I read the day you posted it and many times since. I didn't comment because I was speachless. I still am. Thank you for the wake up call.

Great post and Mother Teresa was indeed not only a very selfless person but a very wise one. No matter how bad anyone with a computer and internet service might think they have it, we can all afford to help at least 1 other person.

Tha picture is unbelievable and my heart goes out . . . I cannot imagine seeing it. My first thought would be to rescue the child. It is sad, and should not be happening.

OCT

2008

Elizabeth, I sent the Snopes.com version of this to about 7 close frineds and family and not one of them wrote me back. In fact one of my friends asked me to never send her anything like this again because it upset her too much. I couldn't believe it! I was startled and I told her I was just trying to make people aware of world hunger. She still said never to send her anything like this again. (sorry but wtf)?

Oh my word...:-( How can anyone ever forget that image after having seen it? The double tragedy of it all...

OCT

2008

"IF you can't feed a hundred people, then feed just ONE."

~~~Mother Teresa~~~

That was one of my Mom's favorite sayings and she taught us from a young age to help feed others - till this day I have a bag of canned and other staples in our trunk and if I see a homeless person we stop and give it to them.

I remember this photo form the post you did last year Elizabeth and world hunger should bea topic on the news each nite! GBU

Sincerely,

Grace

OCT

2008

Elizabeth,

It is each of our responsibilities to help others in need!

NOV

2008

Elizabeth, I am totally speechless. I've seen hunger first hand but never anything as gut wrenching as this photo. HOW could any human being walk away from that child? You and your readers may be interested in www.thehungersite.com. A daily click provides food to someone in need. If we all "click" imagine the difference we can make. You can sign up for emails that remind you its time to click to help the hungry.

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Elizabeth Nieves - Bilingual Raleigh - Durham North Carolina Real Estate Team

Durham, NC

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