“In a war, the normal codes of civilized behavior are suspended. It would be unthinkable in so called normal life, to go into someone’s home, where the family is grieving over the death of a loved one, and spend long moments photographing them. It simply wouldn’t be done.”

In Djenne we met with Amadou, a local man who has taken action to solve the town’s orphan problem. Amadou and other community members recently started an organization to help place the orphans with nearby families that can afford to take in an extra child. The organization wants to take one step further and build an orphanage for their community.

Whether you travel for business or pleasure, you likely interact with communities that depend on tourism to help support their economy. When appropriately distributed, the money tourism brings to a community can dramatically impact the quality of life that residents experience. We’ve outlined several tips below to help ensure you have a positive experience, and provide a positive impact on the communities you visit.

In 2009, the founders of Collective Lens will travel to Africa, the Middle East, and Asia to showcase the cultures, issues, and charitable organizations of third world countries. No matter where you live, there are many stereotypes and assumptions about other cultures that often prohibit one’s ability to make a personal connection. By showing the differences and similarities between cultures, we believe that more people will be encouraged to reach out to their neighbors across the globe.

The UNHCR has partnered with Ben Affleck to bring awareness to the hundreds of thousands of refugees fleeing the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The public is encouraged to share the short film and photos of the living conditions of the refugees in order to help raise money and awareness of the humanitarian crisis.

To survive in this economy, nonprofit organizations will need to find alternative solutions to maintain operations. Here are five reasons why utilizing virtual volunteers will help you survive today’s global economic “crisis”.

Street Photography is often characterized as a snapshot in time of a chaotic street scene. However, it doesn’t always need to be on a street, and the principles of capturing a candid situation can be applied to any number of locations. Likewise, when creating a photo essay, Street Photography techniques can be used to capture a photo that conveys a summary of the situation at hand.

An interview with Adria Mooney and James DiPadua, the founders of Partners with GLOW, an organization working to help AIDS orphans in Zambia in partnership with the GLOW Club. GLOW (Girls Leading Our World) is a loosely defined organization started by a Peace Corps volunteer, and has since spread throughout the Peace Corps. Adria and James visited Adria’s sister, Alyssa Mooney, in Zambia. Alyssa is currently a Peace Corp volunteer in Mushota, Zambia, and her work inspired Adria and James to become involved when they returned home to the U.S.

UNICEF estimates that 6-10% of children in India are born with some form of disability. But if you visit any public park you hardly see any such children because simple things like swinging on swings are extremely difficult for most children suffering from physical disabilities.

Poverty exists in every part of the world. Poverty affects every race and every religion. Many of you have uploaded photos as a cry for help on behalf of those with no way to help themselves.