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Fund for Peace launches Bottom 100 to share stories of the world's most vulnerable
By Nicole Economos
Clutching her two children close, young Congolese woman Jeanette Johari recalls being sexually assaulted and forced to flee her village after discovering she was pregnant. Ugandan woman Vickie Hope Amwikiriza was sexually assaulted by family members, threatened with beatings and eventually exiled out of her village for being a lesbian.
Rani, is an elderly Indian woman who was disowned by her family and forced to flee her home, because she took a stand against her violent husband. Mustariya Jamal from Kenya is 22 and has lived her whole life in a Kakuma refugee camp in Ethiopia. She has just completed 12 years of study in the camp and is now awaiting her final grades to find out whether she can leave to attend university.
Mustariya Jamal, a 22 year old Kenyan woman who has lived her whole life from birth in Ethopia's Kakuma refugee camp.Credit: Fund for Peace
These stories are among the hundred captured by "passionate" photo journalists across five continents and 23 different nationalities. The stories were collected over two years on behalf of Fund for Peace, which launched a pop-up exhibition in Sydney's Surry Hills this week - the Bottom 100 project.
The organisation, which works with policy makers and local communities, towards preventing violent conflict and promoting sustainable security, launched the world-first list with a difference on Tuesday. In response to many global 'rich lists' that are published each year, the project explores the other side of the wealth spectrum.
Jeanette Johari bravely was sexually assault and forced to flee her village after discovering she was pregnant.Credit: Fund For Peace
Fund for Peace executive director J.J. Messner says that while the project was launched in Sydney, it will certainly not be "confined" to Australia.
The exhibition is a way of sharing hundred stories which represent the "bottom billion" of the world's population. People on the list have experienced impoverished conditions due to war, lack of education, climate change, forced displacement or ethnic, religious or social persecution.
"The project really came to light as as response to lists like the Forbes Top 100 rich people which glorifies particular people in society," says Messner.
"People can often identify the individuals who are part of the top lists, but can't identify stories beyond the statistics when it comes to those affected by impoverished circumstances. Too often poverty is viewed as a faceless issue and this project aims to give people a space to voice their story in hope that others will understand what has led someone to a particular circumstance."
The Australian agency UNCHR estimates around 65 million people worldwide are refugees or displaced - the largest refugee crisis since World War II. As Messner says, many of the individuals profiled for the project were "suffering poverty by virtue. They were victims of their circumstances, forced to uproot their families into the unknown because [of] oppression, conflicting views and violence, rather than not having any drive or desire to work, gain an education and chase their dreams."
Sexual assault, pregnancy, forced combat, disease, war and oppression because of sexual orientation are common issues faced by many of the Bottom 100.
The agency hopes to convey the human element of the crisis, including people's struggles and suffering, but also their courage in the face of adversity. The project explores the concepts of "closeness of human condition through shared experiences" and a sense of "unified community".
It was the consistent blue screen in each image of the exhibition that Messner says brings "a sense of community no matter the different challenges and causes of their circumstances. Messner says the organisation was "surprised by the sheer number" of people who wanted to share their names, stories and circumstances to create an understanding of the humanity behind the issue.
"The resilienc of these people is not something that was in our focus at the beginning of the project, but it became a key finding.These people have real dreams and aspirations for themselves and their children, but lack the means to break out of cycles," he says.
Fund of Peace are urging people to approach their local government representatives, sign petitions and donate in a bid to kickstart the essential actions - such as education, sanitation and shelter- required to break the cycle of poverty.
"There are an unprecedented number of refugees but governments around the world are responding by backing out of foreign aid at a time of crisis. The project is urging people to send messages to government representatives and policy makers to continue funding international development that will mitigate the pressure put on individuals and impoverished communities," says Messner.
The Bottom 100 Exhibiton will be held in Surry Hills from June 21-24. Click here to read each story and find more information on taking action.