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Esther Heller

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We can develop the world through images.

In his talk, Jonathan Klein spoke about images leading to people to act and react. I think that in rural third world countries images could lead to knowledge and development.

I am a first year economics student in Berlin, and in our marketing class we learned that images are always received and processed faster then text. I lived in Kenya for 11 years and I realized that images could literally make people change; in western countries they show images of starving poverty stricken African children and this leads to people donating... but what about showing images to people in Africa about knowledge, or about how to conserve and be environmentally friendly? Or how to build things, how to survive?

I myself am not a photographer but this idea has struck me and I just can't stop thinking about it. With diseases such as AIDS in rural areas, people still aren't well informed. I think that images could solve that faster than long talks with big words that some people don't even understand. I am not just talking about Africa; I think in general images could change the way people live.

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  • Bin Park

    • +1
    Dec 5 2012: I totally agree with you:)

    It is very common that mastering mother tongue at an early age in the country where I live. For example, I do not mean to show off, but I learned to speak and use my mother tongue when I was four years old. People living in this country easily approach to text and study, so most people are literate. However, learning through images are probably much more efficient and productive in the country with, more or less, a lot of illiterate people. (I hope you do not misunderstand my words, because I've never had biased perspective about people who are illiterate.)

    I also agree with the idea, "Images are always received and processed faster than text." Visual impressions through images have a great influence on us, rather than sense of taste, hearing, or touch.

    I am so impressed, in that you have a lot of concern for the society, world, people, and situations around us. Images have been used for centuries, but I agree with your idea that they should be used in places where they could be effective, as you said. I love your adorable and progressive opinions.

    By the way, if you do not mind my asking, is there any specific way in your mind?

    • Esther Heller

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      Dec 6 2012: Thank you.. and i do not misinterpret that at all thats why we have MEDCs and LEDCs there are clear reasons i dislike it when people try to talk so nice about their country when sometimes we just have to face realities and be honest and say the truth i am a biracial my Father is German(MEDC) and my Mum is Kenyan(LEDC) so i can face realities despite me bieng born in berlin i lived in kenya for most of my childhood and teenagehood and i can truly see the realities and differences in literacy rates its not offensive or anything in Kenya they are clearly lower and there are reasons for that and that is what should motivate people to change that and what my initiative is or my opinion is that people can only change and do things on their own....but i believe that we can inspire them to start bringing up their initiative on how they want to live its more about getting the people inspired and hearing their thoughts and exactly what they think once we get that we can look for solutions to make their ideas sustainable realistic, better and finally a reality, because a happy nation is one that will develop a nation built by its own people.

      Well, firstly i am thinking of going to a rural village and most of these villages have a central place were everybody meets up i am not even thinking about going with the craziest of gagdets. i think a projector is enough.. and then just show images like knowledge how there is someone (most probably a stick figure as i do not want to show a racial division i just want to show the basic fundemental importance of knowledge) who has great knowledge could work by showing books and thought bubbles... and then that stick figure helps in his village with sustainable methods of farming and keeps his village hungry free on an unfortunate day someone could have stolen from this character but what i want to show is that the figure continued living and still lived well as knowledge guided him because thats the one thing nobody can steal from you.

    • Esther Heller

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      Dec 6 2012: Nobody can steal your knowledge..i know its a bit rough and needs working on but thats just one thing and thats more for children (it should be more like a comic strip with no text) but i want to show that through knowledge you could help your village also health wise, financially and help the village and country grow making a difference then i would turn off the projector and thats when words can now play a role, and ask them how they interpreted that what their thoughts were...is the education that they are getting enough what would they want to learn etc... i mean llttle children look at lego instructions which have no words and build castles here for adults i would maybe show images of how cutting trees and not regrowing them leads to less rainfall hence no harvest....howto maybe try harvest other things too maybe come up with the idea of how to make boreholes and the Reality of AIDS and unprotected sex... how them producing more children when they themselves have nothing to eat only cripples the world further and further how to spend money how to plan images could litearlly depict all this it will be pretty simple but once that willingness to learn about is created is when we can now move to sharing the knowledge with them to sharing the knowledge that they seek...i am sorry that this explanation is a bit messy but its still all thoughts and i need to sit down and properly think this through and collect my thoughts but thank you for the feedback.

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