Fatin and Samir with three of their four children in their two-room apartment in Amman. The family belongs to the Sabian Mandaean minority, and received death threats after Samir did carpentry work for the British during the war. Photo © 2008 Lori Grinker

Nearly a quarter of all Iraqis, more than 4 million people, have fled their homes. 

The panelists will describe this crisis and discuss the potential for photographers and visual artists to bring human rights issues to public attention, and to advocate for policy change.    

A question-and-answer session will follow.

A Public Panel Discussion; Feb 5^th, 2008, at 7pm; Room LL 816, Fordham University at Lincoln Center, 113 W. 60^th St. (Columbus)

Please RSVP by Monday, February 4 to martinezb@humanrightsfirst.org

Fred Ritchin (moderator) is an associate professor of Photography and Imaging at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. He was picture editor of The New York Times Magazine (1978-82) and founding director of the Photojournalism and Documentary Photography Program at the International Center of Photography (1983-86). He is the director of PixelPress, an organization working at the intersection of new media, human rights and documentary. [www.pixelpress.org]

Nour Al-khal was an Iraqi translator who worked with the journalist Steven Vincent. She was forced to flee her country and now works for the Steven Vincent Foundation in New York City. [http://www.stevenvincentfoundation.org%5d/

Matisse Bustos Hawkes is Communications and Outreach Coordinator at WITNESS. She spent two years as the publicist at Aperture, the fine photography foundation, and has worked as Outreach Coordinator for PixelPress.  [www.witness.org]

Lori Grinker is an award-winning photographer represented by Contact Press Images, and author of Afterwar: Veterans from a World in Conflict. Her new exhibition and multimedia piece, at the Nailya Alexander Gallery in New York City from January 9 through February 16, tells the stories of Iraqi refugees and wounded in Amman, Jordan. [www.lorigrinker.com]

Amelia Templeton works in the Refugee Protection Program at Human Rights First for the Lifeline for Iraqi Refugees Project. Her advocacy focuses on advancing policy solutions to address the plight of refugees who have been forced to flee Iraq or are displaced within the country.