Paris, 16 January 2007
Liberia: on the path to peace
One year after the election of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf as President of Liberia, and at a time where the international community is on the verge of disengaging from the country,Médecins du Monde and the Magnum Agency have got together to raise awareness of the critical moments that have faced Liberia, which is attempting to reconstruct itself after 14 years of conflict.
More widely, Médecins du Monde and this photographic collection is looking to illustrate periods of ‘near peace’, fragile moments where a country is rebuilt away from the lens of cameras.
In 2003, after the war, Liberia was devastated. More than 100,000 child soldiers needed to be reintegrated back into their communities, the country was without water or electricity, and there were less than 100 doctors per 3 million people. Médecins du Monde is based in Bong County, a province in the north of the country, where it is rehabilitating healthcare centres in order to re-establish access to primary healthcare for the community.
Today, despite the country’s hopes and the reconciliation brought on by the election of President Johnson, Liberia’s stability rests on critical stakes for the reconstruction of this country that is among the poorest in the world.
In order to raise awareness of this ‘grey area’ between the end of the war and true peace, Médecins du Monde and Magnum chose to bear witness through the photographs of Paolo Pellegrin who returned to Liberia to illustrate this uncertain situation.
A flash presentation of 80 of these photographs will be put online on Tuesday 16 January 2007 on Médecins du Monde France’s web site (www.medecinsdumonde.org ) and on Magnum’s web site (www.magnumphotos.fr). These images also highlight what all countries have a basic right to: health, infrastructure and stable economy.
Thanks to this educational tool, Médecins du Monde and Magnum intend to give their internet-users the keys to better understand ‘forgotten’ countries, and to demonstrate that the sheer size of their needs demands international mobilisation.
This partnership was written into the advertising campaign launched by Médecins du Monde France more than a year ago about the ‘forgotten’ people and countries where humanitarian needs are immense despite a lack of interest from the media and international donors.
ENDS
Notes to Editors: To obtain JPEGS of the MAGNUM photographs, contact Michelle Hawkins at Médecins du Monde UK on (020) 7516 9103