conflict | Christina Felschen

Frantic with worry – why so many men escape without their family

part of the exhibition “…and suddenly there is silence”, on display in the townhall of Wadersloh, Germany, as of April 20, 2016 >>

Sulyman is angry. Angry with himself, because he cannot do anything but “sleep, eat, drink” – in a house with 40 other worrisome men. And he is angry with the authorities. Six months have passed since his application for asylum; six months, in which his wife and small children have persevered between the front lines waiting for a family reunification visa. What, if the Syrian war is faster than the German authorities?

First times – Iranians in a German village

part of the photo exhibition “…und plötzlich diese Stille” (…suddenly there is silence), on display in the townhall of Wadersloh, Germany, as of April 20, 2016 >>

Farkhondeh*, Kurosh and their two daughters were betrayed. While they were on vacation, the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution broke into her house in Tehran and found figures of angels and crosses. Evidence. As Christians, they would have been immediately arrested upon entry. A smuggling truck was their salvation – but first, it was nearly their end.

Borderland – undocumented migrants in the United States

published in the newsletter of the American Coucil on Germany, read full text here >>

Eleven million people live as undocumented migrants in the United States, constantly afraid of deportation. By working off the books and off-hours, they allow the middle class to maintain their American way of life.

Mice and leaves, the taste of war

published October 12, 2015 in the newspaper “Welternährung” by the German NGO Welthungerhilfe, page 10 (in German) >>

Hunger fuels the Syrian Civil War, says Fadi Al-Dairi. His NGO “Hand in Hand for Syria” distributes food to civilians in the hard-hit and hard-to-reach regions – as one of few organisations.

Development aid worker – a job with a high security risk

published on the website of the German NGO “Welthungerhilfe” >> (English), in the newspaper “Welternährung” 2/2015, S. 13 >> and on the German website >>

The security risks for aid workers living and working abroad have risen hugely in the last few years. In an interview, security expert Josef Frei explains which strategies Welthungerhilfe is using so that, wherever possible, staff do not run into danger.

“We are treated like slaves in our own country”

written for the Peace Boat website on January 14th, 2013 >>

Two decades after Nelson Mandela’s release out od prison, the legacy of apartheid prevails in Manenberg, Cape Town’s largest township.

Riots in Gandhi’s neighbourhood

written for the Peace Boat website, January 11, 2013 >>

The Bhambayi township has come a long way after apartheid: In 1992 violent riots broke out between supporters of different political parties – next door to a model settlement created by the icon of non-violence, Mahatma Gandhi. Today Gandhi’s great-granddaughter and a traditional healer help orphans to overcome the trauma

Identities for sale

published in May 2012 in the book “Peace with the Earth”; deutsche Version hier >>

Sumatra and Papua are paradises for certain investors. The indigenous villages aren’t prepared for corporate deception strategies. Now that Sumatra’s rainforest is mainly destroyed, corporations have a go at Papua. Meet a village whose entire land has just been leased to the sugar industry. Or sold? No villager knows for nobody was able to read the contract.

Kopenhagen: UN-Mitarbeiter nehmen Daten von Demonstranten auf

Auf einer spontanen Demonstration im Kopenhagener Konferenzzentrum “Bella Center” haben UN-Mitarbeiter die Daten von zwei Demonstranten aufgenommen. Eine Journalistin wurde gezwungen ihre Fotos zu löschen – meine Kamera ist nicht aufgefallen