Pamela Parlapiano a Personal Narrative

我的故事—潘美拉 (Pamela Parlapiano)

 

我的攝影生涯是從紐約到華盛頓特區開始的。搬到那兒後，新生活讓我認識許多新朋友、住在街上的新朋友，也遇見許多好人。我約了這些友人作為拍攝主題；隨著殘影，我踏進牆上滿是筆跡的屋中，沒有溫度。但是整個鏡頭傳達了我們對孩子們的夢想。

 

 

許多攝影師把焦點放在困境與挑戰帶給人們的毀壞。拍攝的，是那些人們所失去東西。

 

 

於是我知道，我希望這些作品能傳達出，即便是在貧窮與艱困中，也藏不住人們的尊嚴、勇氣、仁愛以及笑容。

 

 

在南布隆克斯區(South Bronx)，這個紐約市中貧窮的移民區，身為一名在這裡長大的女人，我瞭解這些貧窮或困境並不只是帶來憂傷，其實，每個人都擁有這樣的特性。

 

 

之後，我從事報章雜誌的攝影工作，並試著在工作中創造新意。有一次，我被派到在聖約翰醫院(St. Johns Hospital)，拍攝在印度染上漢生病的患者。

 

 

多年來，這些鏡頭看到的都是漢生病人的病痛，帶來的都是令人傷心的意像。這些被拿來募款的形象，都淪落為加諸在這個疾病上的標籤。

 

 

對我來說，再沒有什麼比我在聖約翰的透過鏡頭所看到的更真實。

 

 

從1994年起，我成為一名IDEA的贊助會員，使得我有機會在三十多個城市裡看到的漢生病友，並且幫他們拍照。他們，是最迷人的一群。

 

 

我認識伯納(Bernard Punikai)，那時他是夏威夷的民眾領袖、也是個鬥士。他曾寫到，「我們，我們的人格，拒絕被他人以一個疾病之名定義」。

 

 

我也遇過伊索比亞的安達吉(Mr. Andarge)先生，他則說︰「麻瘋病是所有東西的附屬品。無論身為一個男人、一名教師、或是人類，痲瘋病都跟隨著我。」

 

 

我還見過山姆跟泰瑞莎(Sam and Theresa Wilson)，他們的的愛情故事曾被改編成美妙的電影作品。

 

 

曾經，我與森本先生(Mr. Morimoto)一同觀看、攝影，我們開懷大笑，使我好奇他那隨時隨地都展現出的親切感是從何而來。

 

 

也在培力與賦權的工作坊上，認識了一個又笑又哭的女性友人，她永遠能接納所有人的想法。

 

 

我也聽過IDEA的董事—齊爾達(Zilda Borges)的讚美，他能將感覺化為最優美的文字。

 

 

我也遇見台灣樂生的人們，他們大方的款待，讓這成為一個讓人們愉快的生活好所在，你們都是為人權而奮鬥的好榜樣。

 

 

我很高興能在這裡以簡介與攝影展將IDEA介紹給各位。

 

 

一旦真切感受到你想了解他們而產生的興趣，人們自然會將內心感受表達出來。對我來說，除了攝影，沒有什麼更好的表達；除了攝影，沒有什麼能表達出人與人之間更堅固的連結。

 

 

我的攝影展都將歸功於那些我曾經遇見的人。

 

 

                          Pamela Parlapiano a Personal Narrative

  

 

I first started photographing when I moved from New York to Washington D.C. Life in my new neighborhood was lived outside on the streets and I got to meet many wonderful people.  As I made appointments to photograph the people I met, I stepped into homes with torn shades and writings on the wall and no heat. But the overall message to the camera was we have a dream for our children.

 

 

Many photographers focus on the devastation of people’s plights and challenges.  They photograph what people don’t have. 

 

I knew then that I wanted to confirm in my photography what I already knew that many people living with poverty or other challenges can and still do emerge with Dignity, Courage, Kindness and Laughter.

 

 As a woman who grew up in the South Bronx, a poor immigrant neighborhood in  New York City, I learned that these traits are available to everyone and poverty or challenges do not always produce sadness.

 

I went on to have a career photographing people for magazines, newspapers always trying to use my work to make a difference.  On one assignment I was sent to St. Johns Hospital for people who had been affected by Hansen’s disease in India.

 

 

For years the images of people who were affected by Hansen’s disease focused on their illness and created very sad imagery.  Those images used to describe people and raise money only added to the stigma surrounding the illness.

 

Nothing could be further from the truth for me and my cameras experience at St. Johns.

 

 

As a founding member of IDEA since 1994, I have now had the opportunity to meet and photograph people who have been affected by Hansen’s disease in more than thirty countries and I have met and photographed the most fascinating people.

I have met Bernard Punikai who became a leader and fighter for all people in Hawaii. His words said it well "We refuse to let others define ourselves, our humanity, by a disease."

I met Mr. Andarge from Ethiopia who said “Leprosy must be second to everything. Second to me being a man, a teacher a human being”

I met Sam and Theresa Wilson whose love story is the stuff that great movies are made of.

I have laughed so hard with Mr. Morimoto watching and photographing with wonder at his friendliness wherever we go

I have met women in empowerment workshops whose tears are always followed by laughter and whose thoughts always include others

I have listened in admiration to Zilda Borges one of IDEA’s presidents to put the most beautiful words to feelings.

And I have met the people of Lo Sheng, Taiwan who are so generous in their hospitality, who have created a welcoming beautiful place to live yet all of you are such an example of how one fights for their human rights.

 

 

I am so excited to introduce the people of IDEA in this manual and photo exhibition.

 

People will reveal to you who they are inside if they feel that is what you are truly interested in. For me no photograph can be stronger than that.  No connection between people can be stronger than that.            

 

 

 

MY EXHIBITION IS IN HONOR   OF THE PEOPLE I HAVE MET

 

 

 

 

 

BACKGROUND AS WRITTEN BY IDEA

 

 

Pamela Parlapiano is a founding member of IDEA and, in the years since IDEA's establishment in 1994, she has traveled to many different countries to photograph individuals whose lives have been personally affected by leprosy, also known as Hansen's Disease. These countries include Brazil, China, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Japan, Nepal, Nigeria. Philippines, South Korea, South Africa and Spain.

One of IDEA's primary goals is to transform the social image of individuals who have had leprosy. Ms. Parlapiano's photographs are an integral part of this effort and IDEA's Global Campaign to Eliminate the Stigma Associated With Leprosy.

When describing Ms. Parlapiano's work, we always talk about her ability to use photography as an empowerment tool. This is because her photographs always challenge traditional stereotypes by looking to the heart of each individual. When one looks at her photographs, be they of someone who has had leprosy or someone living on the edges of society due to poverty, one sees only ability and strength, never disability or weakness.

Ms. Parlapiano's photographs are the foundation for IDEA's Quest for Dignity Exhibit, which was officially launched at the United Nations by Secretary-General Kofi Annan in October, 1997. This exhibit, which includes quotations from individuals who have had leprosy from around the world, has now been translated into several languages, including

Pamela Parlapiano is a founding member of IDEA and, in the years since IDEA's establishment in 1994, she has traveled to many different countries to photograph individuals whose lives have been personally affected by leprosy, also known as Hansen's Disease. These countries include Brazil, China, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Japan, Nepal, Nigeria. Philippines, South Korea, South Africa and Spain.

One of IDEA's primary goals is to transform the social image of individuals who have had leprosy. Ms. Parlapiano's photographs are an integral part of this effort and IDEA's Global Campaign to Eliminate the Stigma Associated With Leprosy.

When describing Ms. Parlapiano's work, we always talk about her ability to use photography as an empowerment tool. This is because her photographs always challenge traditional stereotypes by looking to the heart of each individual. When one looks at her photographs, be they of someone who has had leprosy or someone living on the edges of society due to poverty, one sees only ability and strength, never disability or weakness. One never feels pity when looking at the individuals in Ms. Parlapiano's photographs. On the contrary, one always feels respect for the person in the photograph because Ms. Parlapiano understands how to capture the essence of each individual, rather than allowing their circumstances to define them'.""

 

Bernard K. Punikai'a. IDEA's President for International Advocacy, who was diagnosed with leprosy at the age of 6, always states that: . Ms. Parlapiano  lets people define themselves and assert their own identities rather than take photographs that reflect society's preconceived images of who they should be.

Ms. Parlapiano's photographs are the foundation for IDEA's Quest for Dignity Exhibit, which was officially launched at the United Nations by Secretary-General Kofi Annan in October, 1997. This exhibit, which includes quotations from individuals who have had leprosy from around the world, has now been translated into several languages, including