August Newsletter

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Sex+ Money: A National Search for Human Worth

If you have been keeping up with Steve and I for longer than like, a day, you have probably heard us talk about Sex + Money: A National Search for Human Worth at some point. We are always talking about Sex+ Money this, Sex+ Money that. This campaign to raise awareness about, and ultimately put an end to, child sex trafficking in the United States of America is very dear to our hearts. A team of our friends and fellow photogenXers have been working on a full length documentary for the past few years and are now in the middle of a 50 state tour to screen the film.

Please, take an hour and a half out of your day to engage with this very important issue. Below is the information for the New York and New Jersey screenings that are taking place in the next few days. Visit the tour page to find out when the film is screening in a city near you, or if you have missed the screening you can purchase the DVD (and other merchandise-proceeds of which go toward rescuing child sex slaves).

New York:

August 21st 6:00pm (Faith Based)

Church at the Gateway

200 Boscombe Avenue

Staten Island, NY 10309

August 22nd 6:30pm (Public)

Times Sq. Art Center

303 W. 42nd St.

New York, NY 10036

Tickets are $10 if purchased online in advance (http://events.sctnow.org/sexandmoney) or $12 at the door.

New Jersey:

August 23rd 6:30pm (Faith Based)

Grace Christian Church

1961 Wayside Rd

Tinton Falls, NJ 07724

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Sex + Money: A National Search for Human Worth OFFICIAL Trailer

Sex+Money is a Documentary about domestic minor sex trafficking and the abolitionist movement that's fighting it.

For more information visit www.sexandmoneyfilm.com

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Grassroots News Piece- Flooding in Pakistan

Since the massive floods hit Pakistan in 2010 more than 21,000,000 people have been affected making it one of the worst natural disasters in human history. Nearly 2 million homes have been destroyed leaving over 8 million men, women and children internally displaced and homeless. Over the past months dysentery and other waterborne illnesses have begun to run rampant among refugee communities.


PhotogenX International received a phone call from our friends in Pakistan asking for help. The result has been the creation of Pure Hope Pakistan, a newly formed cooperative NGO dedicated to distributing 100,000 pure water filters to Pakistani flood victims.


In this piece for Grassroots News International, my husband Steve interviews those affected by the flood. Thanks to Greg Althoff for putting this piece together.

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One of the main ways that we work to raise awareness with PhotogenX is through publications and other materials that we distribute. You may have seen some of these products on our online store . Well, recently I started feeling a bit weighed down by all of the product that we distribute. To us, topics such as sex trafficking, honor killings and infanticide continue to grip our hearts, but have become normal conversation. Sometimes we get dirty looks from bystanders when we discuss our "work" in public and I don't blame them...for instance; "Remind me to call the Sex+ Money film crew about the human trafficking bank account, oh and please pass the butter".

Because researching the horrors of humanity tends to make the heart a bit heavy, I wanted to bring a bit of a lighter tone to the mix. I was really inspired by DIY crafters like Knitta, Please who make the world a bit more colorful in really sweet + simple ways. My creative friend Jannelle and I started to brainstorm and have a lot of new products that will be making their first online appearance very soon.

Around the same time that we started dreaming up projects, crafts and cuteness, the Banyan Tree Cafe on the YWAM campus in Kona asked us to create a PhotogenX store inside of their cafe. Instead of just putting books on a bookshelf, we decided to create a whole lotta' work for ourselves and dreamt up a plan for a sweet bookshelf. I love to create but am sometimes lacking in the skills department (read: I can't draw or paint). Thankfully I have some of the most creative friends in the whole wide world (seriously, they are from all over the world and they are amazing). I knew my friend Cambria (who we traveled to Panama, South Africa and Egypt with last year) would create a masterpiece and she truly has. She lights up when she gets inspired and she is one of the few people I know that would spend 3 hours in the paint store with me staring at samples and talking about all the paint names (seriously, naming the colors "enchanted forest" is a pure marketing scheme...and we fell for it). A new friend, Joel, just so happens to be a master with a jigsaw (he also designs and makes clothes). Cambria, Joel and a few other artists have created the most enchanted bookshelf I have ever seen. They have taken a little idea that I had and turned it into a beautiful reality. I feel really lucky to call these talented artists "amigos"(yeah, I call them that). Check back soon for more photos of the final set up!

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Pure Hope Pakistan Teaser!

Steve and Greg spent the last few weeks in Pakistan working on a campaign to bring safe and clean water to over a million people who have been affected by the disastrous floods (read more about the campaign here). Since they have returned a few days ago they have been putting together photos and video footage to shed light on the problem, the need and how we can respond. Below is a short clip that Greg put together yesterday. Check back in the coming weeks for more updates from Pure Hope Pakistan.

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Pure Hope Pakistan

Pure Hope Pakistan Flood Relief from photogenX International on Vimeo.

We at PhotogenX are often presented with opportunites to partner with amazing people to make BIG changes. These opportunities are why we do what we do. They are opportunities that we cannot ignore. 

In February Youth With a Mission International sent a PhotogenX team to Haiti (of which Steve and I were a part) to develop a presentation that was given to YWAM international leaders, International Diplomats, Business Executives and key media contacts to form a sustainable long-term response to the disaster that shook the nation. The results of the presentation that our team created for are overwhelming and eight months later we are still hearing stories of how influential people are partnering to re-build Haiti because of it.

Again we have an amazing opportunity at hand. Right now Pakistan is facing a disaster that is larger than the last 5 natural disasters combined (like Haiti and Chile). There have been over 

2 million homes destroyed, 

over 7 million people displaced without proper shelter, 

the disaster is affecting 21 million people! 

What makes it worse has been the media blackout for the last month that has kept this information from getting out. The main concern now is the same thing that flooded them, water. Dysentery and other waterborne illnesses are beginning to spread and it is crucial that the people of Pakistan get clean drinking water-SOON!

Steve and Greg (a PhotogenX teammate, filmmaker and web designer) were asked to make a campaign to bring over 100,000 water filters to families that have been affected by this flood. Each filter can help a family of 10 and would be able to produce over 300 gallons of clean drinking water each week if needed. 

Greg has already built a website and a logo and he and Steve will travel to Pakistan NEXT WEEK to help with the distribution of water filters and to film the needs and some of the first families receiving these filters. They will be able to bring back the pictures and footage to make a promo video that will help bring safe and clean drinking water to over a million people who have been affected by the disaster.

Would you prayerfully consider contributing to this great need?

DONATE

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Venturing Out.

"We get one story, you and I, and one story alone. God has established the elements, the setting, and the climax and the resolution. It would be a crime not to venture out, wouldn't it? It might be time for you to go. It might be time to change, to shine out. I want to repeat one word for you: Leave. Roll the word around on your tongue for a bit. It is a beautiful word, isn't it? So strong and forceful, the way you have always wanted to be. And you will not be alone. You have never been alone. Don't worry. Everything will still be here when you get back. It is you who will have changed."- Donald Miller



Over the next two years I will be traveling with a group of artists,photojournalists and missionaries through the Pacific, China, Cambodia, India, Israel, Egypt, Turkey, Greece, South Africa, Chad, Germany, and Venezuela capturing the beauty and culture of each nation and unmasking the desperate issues at hand (human trafficking, sexual slavery, female genital mutilation,gender discrimination and female suicide bombers to name a few). This project will then work towards developing and distributing communication tools to raise social awareness about these issues, hoping to make a dent, through print media, by educating and informing those who have little or no knowledge of the "voiceless".

I am so excited to be a part of this project. I could not do it without YOUR love and support. It means so much to know that I have such an awesome group of family and friends backing me as I venture out. THANK YOU to every single person who has contributed, both financially and prayerfully. I am overwhelmed with graditude and feel so blessed to have you in my life. Your continued support is needed.

From April until June 2008 I can be reached at this address in Hawaii:
Please send any mail "Airmail" (not "ground" or "surface")

Diane Byrnes
PhotogenX DTS
University of the Nations
75-5851 Kuakini Hwy Box 432
Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
USA



www.voiceforthevoiceless.co.za
www.myspace.com/dianebyrnesphotography
diane.byrnes@gmail.com

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