"Our World at War" international photo exhibit coming to Ann Arbor Art Center

"Our World at War" was launched this year in New York City on May 8, International Red Cross Day, to show audiences around the globe the havoc that warfare can wreak on people and communities the world over.

Featuring the work of five photojournalists who built their careers in conflict photography, "Our World at War" was commissioned as part of the International Committee of the Red Cross's "Our World, Your Move" campaign, the goal of which is to "highlight the challenges faced by people around the world and the actions that can change their lives." More than 80 countries will host "Our World, Your Move" events, and the "Our World at War" exhibit will travel for years, exhibit organizers said.

"Our World at War" was commissioned in honor of both the Red Cross's 150th anniversary and the 60th anniversary of the Geneva Convention, which laid out the rules of modern warfare.

Once the exhibit went up, the International Committee of the Red Cross reached out to local chapters around the country to see if they'd like to bring the exhibit to town. The Washtenaw County branch of the American Red Cross jumped at the opportunity. Friendly relations between leaders of the local Red Cross and decision-makers at the Ann Arbor Art Center gave the exhibit a home.

Klare Finkle, a public and congressional affairs assistant who helps set up "Our World at War" exhibits in new cities, said that she hopes "Our World at War" fosters a dialogue on tragedies and conflicts that are too easy to ignore. Wars and conflicts in Afghanistan, the Philippines, Lebanon, the Congo and beyond are all featured in the exhibit.

Once Finkle leaves town, it falls to the local Red Cross to spread the message. Beyond the exhibit itself, the local Red Cross is hosting a series of discussions throughout the county, titled "Expressions of Humanity," with topics such as "Fleeing Violence, Seeking Asylum," and "Building New Lives - Refugees in Washtenaw County."

Ashley Cieslinski, an emergency services specialist at the local Red Cross, said that the organization is hoping from a major response from area teachers and students, and that the exhibit will help young people in the area see how much they have in common with their counterparts who happen to live in war-torn regions.

One photograph at the exhibit, "Amputee Football," shows a field of young men in Liberia playing soccer. Most of the players, having lost limbs to land mines or in the course of fighting wars against their will. Even though most of the youngsters had never played soccer before, several cited amputee football for giving them the hope to keep living life. (For the record, handballs are called when a player's crutch hits the ball, and the goalie position is played by a young man whose legs are intact but is missing an arm).

"Amputee Football" reinforces the role the geographic lottery plays in determining one's life course. Young men who would be working for college degrees or learning a trade if they lived in America instead found themselves drafted to join guerilla groups at the point of a gun.

Cieslinski said that the local Red Cross would be willing to bring mini-exhibits and even guest speakers into classrooms whenever teachers or students express an interest. And the local Red Cross is always looking for volunteers and donors.

"Our World at War" will run at the Ann Arbor Art Center from Dec. 4 to Jan. 3.

James David Dickson can be reached at JamesDickson@AnnArbor.com, or Twitter.com/JamesDDickson.