Bringing Human Rights to the Surface
January 14, 2011
Image: © Projekt Desap
THE USE OF GRAFFITI TO HIGHLIGHT HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS is the subject of a new post from the New Internationalist by Filipino journalist Iris C. Gonzales. But this is no ordinary graffiti—Dikit-rato, or “photo-graffiti” are photos pasted on walls.
The practice was developed by members of the group Surfacing, who paste blown-up photos of family members of journalists, activists, and ordinary citizens who were murdered or forcibly disappeared.
Exposing the faces of the victims and their families on this kind of large scale grounds the fight for human rights in everyday conversation. It not only raises awareness, but hopefully brings about action and change.
Read more about the group’s work at their blog, Surfacing, and Facebook page.
More about human rights and the Philippines.
