THE LOST CHILDREN OF RWANDA
HISTORY
During the Rwandan war in 1994, Seamus Conlan brought together the resources of the United Nations Children’s Fund, the International Committee of the Red Cross, Eastman Kodak and Life Magazine to help reunite more than 21,000 lost children with their parents, using photographic images as a tracing tool. 80% of the children photographed were reunited with a family member. This process is now a standard form of tracing people in developing nations.
For educational purposes this evolved into one of the largest traveling photo exhibitions in history with 21,000 images standing 240 foot long and 8 feet high. The scale of the exhibit was to reflect the size of the issue so the public could firstly feel the impact from these lost children.
This compilation image was chosen by LIFE Magazine as one of the “100 photos that changed the world” after appearing in thousands of publications and television programs around the world.
This collection was then later honored by the ‘Directors Club’. Seamus was later named the 16th most important person in photography by America Photo.
THE STORY OF THE LOST CHILDREN OF RWANDA
Exhibition Details
1996 September….November ……..ICP – International Center of Photography – New York
1997 February…….April …………….Museum of Tolerance – Los Angeles
1997 May…………..July ……………Holocaust museum – Houston
1997 August………November ……..Photographers Gallery – Dublin Ireland
1998 July…………..December ……..Amnesty International tour of peace – Belfast Ireland
The original installation panels that make up 24 sets of 10 feet x 8 feet images measuring a total 240 feet long by 8 feet high.
OUR PROJECT PARTNERS
We seek partners that have the vision and the ability to help develop and sustain this permanent educational tool understanding the value that a project of this scale brings to the community.
