Photo exhibition: Capturing 150 years of humanitarian service through lense

Pictures highlight International Committee of the Red Cross history of global action.

ISLAMABAD:

An ambulance jeep crosses a river, bumping off uneven rocks. Under the shadow of tall mountains and lined with patches of thick foliage, the frame also reveals some locals clearing the way for the vehicle.

Photographed by Landwehr Dominik, the black-and-white photo captures humanitarian assistance reaching somewhere in Kurram Agency of the Federally Administered and Tribal Areas in 1988.

The archived photo is a part of an exhibition on 150 years of humanitarian assistance by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and 67 years of the Pakistan Red Crescent Society that opened at Lok Virsa on Friday.

Depicting the evolution of humanitarian action, the pictures are a heartening expression of the ICRC’s 150-year history of humanitarian services around the world. They tell visual stories of people in need and instill a spirit of serving those faced with adversity.

The showcase allows to review how an idea can make a difference in the lives of people, how the world progressed through diverse situations of violence and conflict and conveys the message of serving humanity, volunteerism and brotherhood.

Showing the challenges faced during violence and natural disasters, the resilience of the people of Pakistan and the ICRC’s efforts to stand up to crisis and to revive the RCRS’s commitment within the region.

Furthermore, the photos are a humbling reminder of citizens’ collective obligation towards society.

The exhibition is about how the people of Pakistan survived during adversity through unity, commitment and enthusiasm. It is a tribute to all the people of Pakistan for showing courage and devotion to face and overcome calamities. These include the devastating 2005 earthquake and the Air Blue plane crash in 2010.

Its a self-explanatory show of treating each one a simple principle of nothing is above humanity irrespective of cast, creed, religion or ethnicity but with the universal phenomenon of humanity.

Yuriy Shafarenko of the ICRC delegation in the country said that the purpose of the photo exhibition was to show the work ICRC does globally and also to show the partnership between the ICRC and the PRCS which have been partners.

“This exhibition is to show who we are, what we do and to promote our partners because we are hand-by-hand for 67 years. The pictures have been displayed in chronological order, the first one is from 1863 to the last from 2014. So you can go through 150 years through the eyes of the photographers,” he said.

Scores of people including schoolchildren browsed through the pictures at the exhibition, which will continue till the May 20 from 9am to 7pm.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 19^th, 2014.