Photography Exhibition Rêves d’avenir, an exhibition presented by UNICEF and REZA

UNICEF and REZA invite you to the photo exhibition “Rêves d’avenir”

From May 20 to 24, 2019, photographs by 60 Turkish and Syrian refugees adolescents will be displayed at the Economic, Social and Environmental Council. In this year marking the 30th anniversary of the International Convention on the Rights of the Child, 60 young people between the ages of 11 and 18, Turkish and Syrian refugees, have been able to work and learn together the art of photography. As part of this training under the supervision of Reza, these budding photographers learned the language of the image to be able to tell through the photo their dreams and realities.

Photography, a universal language

Trained on the ground by Reza, these girls and boys have learned to tell through photography their daily realities and the future they see for themselves. Photography becomes an innovative meeting angle for these young people who could then work together and get to know and recognize each other. Thanks to this training, these young people who live in the same districts of Turkey, discovered the other through its images. “Photography is an art that has the ability to put people and cultures face-to-face, thanks to it we can go toward each other. We also need to know ourselves, our photos tell our story, “says Reza. The opening of the exhibition will take place on Tuesday 21 May in the presence of the photographer and some young girls and boys who took part in this training.

Witnesses and actors of their destiny 

Crossroads between East and West, Turkey has a singular place in the context of the Syrian crisis. It hosts 3.6 million Syrian refugees including 1.6 million children, making Turkey the country hosting the largest number of Syrian refugee children. In Turkey, UNICEF’s main areas of action are protection and education. Two challenges, given the scale of the crisis and its aggravation, to prevent these Syrian girls and boys from becoming a lost generation. For nearly a week, part of the current history of these young people will be exposed to the eyes of the French. More than an exhibition, “Rêves d’avenir” is also a story of resilience, the story of a meeting between several worlds: that of the art of photography and that of these Turkish teens and young Syrian refugees, who were also able to discover themselves through training. This program is carried out in partnership with the Turkish Ministry of Youth and Sports, with the support of the European Union.

For more information: https://www.unicef.fr/article/unicef-et-reza-vous-invitent-l-exposition-photographique-reves-d-avenir