But why things can be so different today? Why the positive aura was no longer around just a second I enter the World Press Photo Exhibition 2008 in Rits Kyoto Peace Museum? In the exhibition, there are numbers of photos from world reknown photographer that has received prizes in different catagories. But the message is the same, "there are more death and suffer in this world than we expect before". There are mostly pictures of wars - Israel-palestine war, afghan war, sudan war, iraqi war- you name it! Not to mention local conflict in zimbabwe, kenya, and sooo many more that my brain decided not to register them for longer than 5 seconds. The more I see them, the more I realize that most pictures have people in it. Dead, wounded, run, frighted, scary people. People who seems to have no hope to life. There are also pictures about people who fight for their life in no-hope condition. But there are also pictures of the David. The powerful man. The man and woman in guns. People who can take lives of other in a matter of seconds. Yet, there was a man who won a prize for his picture a baby in africa who was laid in a middle of nowhere with hawks waiting so patient beside only to eat him. The man did nothing and later killed himself for not doing anything about the baby.
What haunted me the most is a picture about Kenya post-election conflict in January 2008. A few days ago, my very own best friend pledged for God`s mercy not to have her beloved one went to Kenya to work. She said, there were almost no decent food there. Its all in ruin. Nairobi turned into ashes. At that time, I was clueless in what she was saying. I tried to look at the internet. But fool me.. I find nothing but a news about the unrest after presidential election. I told her to calm down. Now.. after seeing a picture of 80-years old lady carried her own cat - the only belonging she has left - on the street of nairobi, I finally realize how bad it must be there. How hard it must be to let the one we love with all our heart to live in such a condition. The pictures just say.. It is days of living dangerously.
It is so ironic compare those pictures to all pictures shown during my global cooperation class. All of them are pictures on energy, renewable energy, nuclear energy, big cities, vast lighting, big cities, amazing energy-efficient building. But there is one thing missing from most of the pictures. PEOPLE! Yes.. people is vanishing in peaceful pictures. We are gone.. In another part of the world where peace is around and joyful life is present, people seems to become less significant.
How come people seems to be so important only in pictures while their life are actually worthless in real? Then how come people who is regarded so high in a peaceful part of the world eventually missing in pictures?
Came to think about it, I guess my mind just ruin in shambles. The more I try to understand, the more I get confuse. When I think that the idea of pacifism and cosmopolitan democracy - thanks to my sensei who gave an assignment to read David Held`s theory of democracy and world order, the world seems more hopeful. The happiness for all. But it is a utopia, right? The world seems to be divided into two afterall. Today and after.
Then I remember that everything in the world is always at balance. Ying and Yang, thay call it in Chinese wisdom. Man and Woman, Male and Female, Son and daugter, two pairs of eyes, two legs, two hands. So, can I make a premise that "whether there is a peace in several place, there will be war in others?" Can we have only peace? Like one nose, one mouth, one heart, and only one life. Now.. I guess I understand why the world can be so different in just two days. Because there is a balance. A balance that I never really understand when it comes to peace and war..
Originally written on November 6, 2008
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