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Building simple,
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The Photo Competition
5 July 2000, by Rita Cruz
The story for this week is a bit different from the previous ones.
Opposite to what I have been doing, I will concentrate on the office and will report to
you on a special initiative that is now being prepared to raise awareness of Habitat in
Portugal: a photo competition.
As you probably know by now, Portugal 2000, the event Habitat is developing in Portugal,
dwells with two main difficulties. The first is the almost total anonymity under which the
organization works here. Most people have never heard of Habitat for Humanity, and if now,
while speaking to people in the streets, the name is beginning to be recognized, it is
thanks to a persistent marketing effort that has been set in motion since April and is now
starting to show its fruits. The second difficulty is the lack of experience and sometimes
the lack of interest in volunteering that the Portuguese culture displays. Basically,
people do not really believe in humanitarian organizations. This is probably the result of
the misuse of aid that so-called humanitarian organizations are known for.
This being the general picture, we, in Associa�ao Humanit�ria Habitat, have been trying
to come up with imaginative ideas on how to introduce Habitat to the people in Braga and
its surroundings � as a way to introduce it in the rest of Portugal later on. We are
complementing this idea with a plan that can at the same time be motivating enough to make
people think about how necessary it is for them to help people in need.
| One of the ideas that we could came up with and that (no matter how hard
working it is proving to be) seems to be right on its tracks, was that of organizing a
very special and particular photo competition that could motivate a considerable
proportion of people from the regions of Braga, Porto and Guimaraes � three big cities
on a Portuguese scale. |
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There are prizes to be won and an exhibition at the end, this last one
aiming at captivating people with the promise of having their work exposed to the eyes of
others, but also at echoing the name of Habitat once the competition is over. The link
between humanitarianism and this cultural event if given by the subject: solidarity.
This photo competition follows special rules. Basically, it only lasts for one day (a
marathon) and 24 black and white pictures per person, taken in a given order compose it.
How does this work? Simple. Participants meet at the office in the morning, bringing their
own camera. Habitat provides the roll of film and gives them a T-shirt that has that big
logo of Habitat that we want people to recognize. As it was said, the general theme is
solidarity, but there are 24 pictures to be taken. As such, the participant, as he/she
arrives in the office, is also given a piece of poetry, somehow dedicated to solidarity.
Inspired by this theme, the participant will decide on the first and second pictures. Once
he/she has taken it, he/she will come back to the office and will receive a second theme,
also presented in the form of a piece of poetry. He/she will take two other photos which
correspond to this piece of poetry. Then, back to the office for a third bit of poetry.
And, so on. By the end of the day, he will have 24 inspired photographs, all connected
with a piece of poetry and, in the end, all of them embracing the main theme: solidarity.
Out of all participants, three will be selected as winners by a jury of at least three
people, one being Habitat staff. However, the best pictures per theme, out of all the
participants, will have a chance to be exhibit in three towns: Porto, Braga and Guimaraes.
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Is this a big and expensive project? Well, big it certainly is, but as for
expensive, we have been brainstorming over the past two weeks, trying to make it as
inexpensive as we can. So far, it seems that the 4 dollars that people will pay to
participate will almost cover all expenses � except for the promotion of the event. As
such, we have been donated the first exhibiting place in Braga by the Braga Theatre
Company, nonetheless! We have four good photography books to give as prizes, also donated.
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Unbelievable as it seems, ILFORD films has decided to donate all film
needed to conduct this marathon and is looking at their budget to see if they can also
donate paper and chemicals needed to develop the photos! We are now trying to arrange for
the rest of the exhibition places and are going to start looking for volunteer film
developers who will be willing to develop all the prints.
The competition will take place on the 7th of October, and the fist day for the
exhibition, which will be marked by an opening complete with donated Porto wine
(hopefully) and a Portuguese guitarist, will take place on the 27th of the same month.
Having said this, if you want to participate, bring your own camera and be sure to be in
Braga around that time!
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