REZA

Location: Paris, France REZA portrait by Mark Thiessen_National Geographic

Years in the business: I have been a photojournalist since 1978.

Years working in/for non-profit: Since 1983.

Describe your work:
As a photojournalist for the international press, including National Geographic since 1991, I have criss-crossed more than a hundred countries, photographing conflicts, revolutions and human catastrophes but also the beauty of the humanity. My eyewitness testimony has been distributed through the international media, in my books, exhibitions and documentaries.

What’s the attraction to philanthropic work?
As a humanist witness, since 1983 I initiated photographic-training programmes around the world from refugee camps in war-torn countries to European suburbs. In 2001 I founded Aina World, a new generation of NGO committed to children’s education and the training of women in communication and information. Throught many projects and conferences worldwilde, I try to share my belief : the power of image for a social change.

Where was the last place you travelled to?
I was recently in Burkina Faso, Morocco and Nicaragua, to prepare a book about innovative projects in the field of education, for the WISE (World Innovation Summit for Education).

What is your favourite photograph that you have ever taken and why?
I remember this young Afghan boy, holding a plant carefully. A shoot had sprouted out. I asked: "What are you going to do with this plant?" Him : "I am going to make a tree with it.”

Who is your inspiration?
I'm inspired by those who dedicated their lives to peace, like Gandhi or Nelson Mandela, and those I meet who show the way with simple words: from children to people on the street.

REZA’s Philanthropic Projects

Current Project No. 1: Librino pilot-project

Short description: Since 2009, I – with the support of Antonio Presti and the Fiumara d’Arte Foundation – have set up a photography-training program geared toward the youth of Librino, an underprivileged Librino project_REZA-Webistan_www.rezaphotography.org neighborhood outside the city of Catania, in Sicily.

Location: Librino (Catania), Sicily, Italy

Aim: Train 100 teenagers in photography, and the language of image

Affiliated NGO(s): Ainaworld

External Links:

http://www.webistan.com/video/reza-workshop-in-librino/

www.rezaphotography.org

How to get involved (donate or other): You can follow and share it on social media : @ainaworld . You can make a donation to Ainaworld.

Current Project No. 2: Toulouse project

Short description: In september 2012, I present an open-air exhibition of 25 large-format photographs along the banks of the Garonne entitled “Between War and Peace”. In parallel, I offer an educational Toulouse_REZA-Webistan_www.rezaphotography.org program around photography with the youth from Reynerie, a disadvantaged neighborhood of Toulouse.

Location: Toulouse, France

Aim: Spread the language of image in Toulouse

Affiliated NGO(s): Ainaworld

External Links: www.rezatoulouse.org / www.rezaphotography.org

How to get involved (donate or other): You can follow and share it on social media : @ainaworld . You can make a donation to Ainaworld.

Current Project No. 3: 2012 WISE Book

Short description: I will cover 15 innovative projects in the field of education to illustrate a new book, in partnership with WISE (World Innovation Summit for Education). The 2012 WISE Book will highlight the relationship between education and the workforce.

Location: In 15 countries of the world.

Aim: Promote innovative projects in the field of education.

Affiliated NGO(s):

External Links:

http://www.wise-qatar.org/content/making-2012-wise-book

www.rezaphotography.org

How to get involved (donate or other): You can follow and share it on social media : @WISE_Tweets

Current Project No. 4: From Nest to Flight

Short description: In partnership with the Afghan NGO Aschiana, a center serving Kabul's street children, From Nest to Flight promotes an informal system of education through the creation and diffusion of the Parvaz_www.Ainaworld.org educational children’s magazine "Parvaz." Spearheaded by Aina, this project simultaneously aims to give young Afghans practical training in the journalism and publishing industries.