“The Central African Republic from the Children’s Perspective”

I brought with me a ton of sketchbooks and crayons with the purpose of holding an art workshop with the children of the Central African Republic.

It was then that I realized something.These children could only draw things they had actually seen.
Unlike children in Japan, the absence of computers and TVs means everything drawn by the children were things they had seen in real life.People, flowers, food, attack helicopters...The drawings truly illustrated the ‘Everyday of the Central African Republic’.

The children drew with my joy. Seeing that gave me hope for the future of this country.The drawings of these children remind us of the reality that this country is in the midst of a civil war.
My hope for them is that they will be surrounded by lots of beautiful things, and be able to draw lots of beautiful drawings.

“Everyone taking pic with smiles!”

A picture of peace conveyed by children
From weapons to cameras: the miraculous moment of overcoming conflict

"Let's take pictures of your friends!"

"Rather than just taking photos of your friends, you take photos of your new friends in front of you. Christian children take photos of their Muslim friends, and Muslim children take photos of their Christian friends.
Of course, when taking pictures of your friends, don't be silent!
Talk to your friends and introduce yourself with a smile before taking the photo. Why do you need to do that? To take pictures of your friends' smiling faces!"

Convey the importance of communication to each child through an instant camera.

At first, all the children were nervous as they were meeting strangers for the first time. What's more, they get scared because they don't know how to use the camera for the first time.
But the kids are amazing!
They quickly learn how to use a camera and make new friends quickly.
The older brothers and sisters take care of the younger children and help with the filming. Once again, I was amazed at the power that children inherently possess.

Children will create the future of this country.
A miracle happened thanks to the camera. It felt like peace was coming a little closer to this country.
Above all, seeing the happy faces of the children makes me realize that it was all worth it.

At the end, we all took a group photo.
Everyone is smiling!

The password is
“Smile and say yes, PEACE〜!”

"Messages of the muddiness"

The photographs are the finest communication.
Of course, I still believed so it, and it has been helped a lot till now.
However, I think recently.
"It is not enough a little bit."
The one way does not consist with the communication.
Through a print, new trust is born while we talk freely together.
And smile and hope.
Dialogue begins without conflict of the religion such as Christian and Muslim.
Tears overflowed I noticed.
This is the essence of the photograph, and of the truth "the photograph means communication".
I show the photographs which I photographed before here.
It is happiness if I have you notice their beauty.

I stop labors and hands them some prints.
I hand them some prints. they are all muddy from head to foot.
Even if a print becomes dirty, I do not mind it.

How will they feel it on seeing oneself photographed?
At first, I was so nervous.
However, the uneasy disappeared immediately.
Smiles overflowed from the face of workers to see the prints.
I thought that the communication was not wrong with photographs when I saw them.
My photographs returned to the original figure which there should be.
All prints became dirty with mud immediately and worn out.

In such photographs, there is one piece that is the muddiest, and became tattered.
In other words, it is the photograph which they like it most and were interested in of the subject.
I believe that this becomes the new message again and reaches Japan and the world.
And I hope that deep communication is exchanged through this photograph.

What is your “PEACE”?

Why not think about “PEACE” from a small imagination around you?

The Central African Republic is literally located in the center of Africa, and there is still a long civil war going on over the diamonds mined in this country.
Most people in Japan, they may have negative images of this country, which is far away both physically and psychologically, and may think that it has no bearing on their lives.

This is one of the our project, PEACEis cards that we are asking everyone to draw.
Each person was asked to draw their own version of the question, ``What does PEACE mean to you?''

I was imagining a realistic and painful answer, but the "PEACE" of the Central Africans was also very philosophical and poetic.
I would be happy if you could imagine each PEACE as you feel them.
Believe that your imagination will connect you with everyone in faraway Africa...