Challenging perspectives? Three naked boys with their genitals exposed

(Note: The original image on display is uncensored)



Anthropological Voyeurism





Challenging perspectives? An unclothed, unidentified boy lying on the floor with flies on his face

When Martin Luther King Jr, shared his dream of children being able to play not judged by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character, its obvious Chris Pollard, the former School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) director of development didn’t get the message.Walk into the SOAS library anytime before 14 June 2013 and you will be confronted with several large images from Pollards’ photo gallery ironically named “challenging perspectives: A journey through Africa by bicycle”. An astonishingly fetid collection of demeaning images which displays Africans in a dehumanised state as if they were exhibits in a zoo. However look close and you will understand why the panel drawing the most complaint is an image of three naked boys blissfully playing in water. We are not told whether this was captured with their consent or through a long zoom lens.According to this particular Wolfson Gallery Exhibition they do not even have names.All we can see is that they appear unaware of the photographer’s voyeuristic gaze and personal interest in shooting their naked image for his racist and arguably prurient anthropological based study.Pollard for those of you who don’t know was a former student as SOAS before becoming their Head of Development & Alumni Relations. As founder and team leader at Cycle Africa, fundraising manager at the African Medical and Research Foundation (AMREF) UK, and education link for the Guardian’s Katine Community Partnerships Project he clearly sees himself as a philanthropist. There is little doubt that the money he has raised for charitable projects has had some beneficial impact on the lives of impoverished Africans.However despite this laudable background it is important to recognise that many people with odious and racist beliefs often donate money to great causes. The late, Jimmy Saville was an excellent fundraiser and patron of many children’s homes, but we now know that his charitable activity was a front masking his evil intent and deeds.Thus, the question we have to ask ourselves is did the exhibition of Pollards personal photos of full frontal naked images of African children in a public space bring SOAS into disrepute?Having seen the morally inappropriate pictures and read many of the numerous complaints of students that have independently written in protest, I believe the answer to be an incontrovertible - yes.You see in today’s interconnected world it could be argued we are all accidental voyeurs. With a few clicks and swipes on the virtual keyboards of our pc’s and mobile devices we can access or create the most graphic, intimate and emotionally disturbing content within seconds. Like it or not, every time we view or share a video or photo exposing a personal moment in a public space without consent of the participants, we are at risk of infringing the dignity and privacy of another human being. Sometimes this infringement is seen as justified due to public interest needs. The footage of police officers killing Frank Ogboru, Christopher Alder, or PC Simon Harwood striking Ian Tomlinson dead offer such examples.However the release of a ‘celebrity’ sex tape or the nude pictures of young children is never in the public interest even if it is of interest to some deranged individuals in the public.As a society we have rules. We choose to recognise the innocence of children as a sacred and fragile entity deserving of protection from adult corruption. In the UK there are laws protecting children from perverts that would travel to beaches or swimming pools and take photos of innocent children at various states of undress for their personal gratification.Similar laws almost certainly exist in Africa. They may not always be codified, but across the continent you can be sure they are enshrined through customary practices. When it comes to issue of nakedness, Africa typically rejects liberalism and is largely conservative. I write this on the eve of Ugandan politicians considering drawing up ill-conceived laws to prevent women wearing short skirts.Now whilst I don’t agree with this oppression of female expression, I make this point to highlight that the photos taken by Pollard are indicative of illegal behaviour irrespective of the territory they were sourced and ultimately exhibited. Even if the children’s parents gave written permission (which I doubt) or the children signed waivers granting the commercial exploitation of their naked image, it remains both legally and morally wrong to publish the image of any unclothed child with genitalia exposed without first explaining to their parents/guardians the context of the publication and secondly, issuing a warning to the likely audience that the images they will see are likely to cause offence.With any exhibition that reflects contentious, demeaning or dehumanising images, we have a right to be warned of the nature of the content so we can chose to avoid our gaze. That did not happen in SOAS. The images which are at least 80cm in length and 40 cm wide in size were displayed on the library wall with an arrogance that flaunted the humanity of not only the children but also all the African people present in the institution.We were not asked, consulted or considered.No.Instead, we were demeaned and visually assaulted solely on the basis of ethnicity.It seems not to have crossed the minds of the exhibitors that African people would connect, and personally relate to the images on display. I have two sons of my own and if I had walked into a library only to be confronted with the photograph of two naked children in an exhibition claiming to be “challenging perspectives” I would seek to have the pictures immediately removed.I suspect to many who are non-African this must seem like a fuss about nothing. Indeed when questioned on his choice of images Pollard is said to have responded to a complaining student stating;“..is that the only pictures you see? Have you seen the other picture with the fly on a kid's face? (he asked)...there's also picture of the street kid sleeping on the floor... and the one with the fly on the child's face....go and have a look...that's what I saw all on my travel...”It’s difficult to express the utter arrogance and contempt for African humanity encoded in those statements so I won’t even try. But I will comment on the disturbing lack of coverage this story has attracted from the mainstream media. There is no reporting on how SOAS is refusing to admit its wrongdoing and protect the interests and dignity of the children exposed in these pictures.There is no public statement on the SOAS website apologising for the offence caused to its students, staff and visitors. No recognition of the gross misrepresentation of a billion Africans on the Motherland.I have since been told by students that the worst picture was momentarily taken down only to be returned with a caption attached.Pollard is unrepentant in his stance – his images are “challenging perceptions” of Africa.It raises the thought that if these actions are representative of so called friends of Africa, then is it any wonder why ideologues of African inferiority remain so entrenched in the world of academia and the growth of sex tourism continues to plague the Continent.



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