On the 25 November, we welcomed a freelance photographer and intrepid traveller, Tom Martin, to speak to an enrichment session for Year 12 and 13 Geography and Photography students. Tom specialises in documenting humanitarian issues in remote areas of Africa and Asia, and when back in the UK, lectures on Photography at Lincoln University.
Supported by an amazing slideshow of images he had taken in various parts of the world, Tom presented a series of case studies cataloguing environmental and social issues in the developing world. Through his photography and videos, Tom works with marginalised groups in areas recovering from conflict. He briefed students on his efforts to develop creative processes amongst local people in order to support efforts to repair societies and tackle the root causes of conflict, deprivation and hardship.
He showed imagery from his work in Central Africa and South East Asia. In Bangladesh, he covered the plight of local farmers who had decided to flood coastal arable land with sea water, at the encouragement of western supermarkets, to harvest shrimps. However, when markets changed and the demand dried up, the local farmers were left with unusable land for their traditional crops.
In another case-study, Tom explained the hardship experienced by individuals within the judicial system in Burundi. Poor prison conditions, corruption in the justice and police systems and a lack of due process in dealing with accused men and women all lead to injustice and a lack of basic human rights. Tom has worked with the European Commission in Burundi to encourage good governance.
In South Sudan, the world’s newest country, Tom played a leading role in developing Participatory Photography, encouraging locals with very little previous experience, to capture images of their own communities, social challenges, and the work of local charities.
In an excellent hour-long talk, with mesmerising images from around the world, Tom brought to life the plight of communities and the work being done to improve lives and find local solutions to ongoing social and environmental challenges.
Annie Bavin 12L
