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Photo: Stuart Hughes
Among the tens of thousands of refugees fleeing into northern Jordan to escape the fighting in Syria are many people who have suffered life-changing injuries. Some of the injured are being treated by the charity Handicap International both in hospital and in towns and villages.
Below are a number of photos of some of the injured and their treatment. Text and photos by Stuart Hughes
Photo: Johannes Makar
When walking through cities like Tehran, Shiraz or Bandar Abbas there is hardly anything that makes you feel like you’re in the world’s top theocratic state. Nothing except for the omnipresent chador and pictures of the country’s clerical leaders. Yet, taking a look behind this gloomy state-imposed cover reveals a glance of a country where the use of VPN connections to bypass Internet restrictions, is more common than the name Mohammed and a country where alcohol bans are routinely circumvented. One by one, clues that hint at a different, unconventional image of Iran’s dynamics emerge.
Source: Defense Department
The renowned Irish Tenor Anthony Kearns opened the 2013 National Memorial Day Parade Program, which took place in Washington, D.C. a little less than two weeks ago. While it may seem erroneous to have an Irish singer open for an innately American holiday, the executive director at the American Veterans Center, Tim Holbert dispelled any doubts, stating, “As one of the most acclaimed tenors currently performing, Anthony Kearns is a perfect fit to open the 2013 National Memorial Day Parade’s telecast.”
Photo: Richard Lyman
April 11, 1964 was the night of the big farewell party for our school director, Ato Ketema Kifle. Several times he made trips to Addis to lobby the Ministry of Education for a promotion and he finally received one and was appointed the director of a school in Harar. Mr. Ooman, the very efficient assistant director of our school took charge of planning the event. At first there was a great debate between those who wanted a sedate cookies and punch affair and those who wished to have an alcohol fueled event. The debate wasn’t even close and the latter event prevailed. Mr. Ooman arranged for the party to be held in the back room of the electric company. The paparrazo from the Foto Vito Shop on the piazza was present so it was a very well documented event. The photographer would line up little groupings for numerous pictures just like in the society pages of a newspaper.
Source: State Department
Shortly after being sworn in as America’s top diplomat, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry launched a new round of Middle East diplomacy as he flew to Israel, Jordan, the West Bank and Afghanistan. He joined his boss, President Barack Obama partly through his trip but went solo when traveling to Afghanistan to meet with Afghan President Hamid Karzai.
Pete Souza/White House
Photos from President Barack Obama’s three-day trip to Israel, the West Bank, and Jordan. While in the Middle East Obama met with several of the regions leaders including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli President Shimon Peres, President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority, Jordan’s King Abdullah II and give an address to Israeli youth in Jerusalem. The trip however is unlikely to jumpstart the stalled Arab-Israeli Peace Process.
Photo: Eric Draper
Photos from this year’s Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) gathering in National Harbor, Maryland. Speakers included the former Governor of Alaska Sarah Palin, Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, Texas Governor Rick Perry and the always entertaining Donald Trump. The speeches were typical for any conservative gathering and didn’t disappoint.
Photo: Richard Lyman
Fifty years ago Gondar was a very different town. We understood that it had a population of a little over 10,000 and was compact enough so almost everyone, ourselves included, could easily walk on most errands. There were the Italian occupation buildings centered on the hill near and above the Piazza and many ancient castles and churches. Weeks after arriving there in September 1962, several of my students agreed to take me on a walking tour to some of the businesses in the town.
Photo: Ethan Wilkes
All photos are the exclusive property of Ethan Wilkes. Photos of North Korea were taken in August 2007 and shots of South Korea in September 2009. The photo sets below are a reflection on this question, showing one shot of North Korea followed by a similar shot of South Korea. They are a testament to life on both sides of the divide and an indication of what currently is in contrast to what might become.
Goran Tomasevic/Reuters
Goran Tomasevic, a Reuters photographer, traveled throughout Aleppo, Syria, taking some vivid photos of the fighting there between fighters from the Free Syrian Army and the Syrian Army.
Below are a selection of Goran Tomasevic’s photographs from August of 2012.
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Photo: Richard Lyman
The Bath of Fasiledes has now been restored with the help of funding from the Government of Norway. When my son, John, and I visited Gondar, Ethiopia in 2006 the work was still in progress with stone masons rebuilding walls. This fascinating structure was created during the reign of Emperor Fasiledes (1632-1667). It is a stone walled compound within which there is a giant rectangular pool. Situated within the pool is a three story castle. The Bath was only a short walk from my house.
Photo: Richard Lyman
Peace Corps volunteers in Ethiopia we were not allowed to own private vehicles. That at least was the rule, however, not so in practice. Only days after landing in Gondar one of our twelve fellow volunteers purchased a very used VW bug for $300 Eth. On September 24th my diary noted that the driver had tried to avoid hitting a cow and as a result the car had ended up in a ditch. When the volunteer went back the next day to retrieve the car it had disappeared. That was the end of that vehicle story.
Photo: Richard Lyman
Days after our arrival in Gondar we were approached by numerous students asking for employment in our house in exchange for a place to stay and a small stipend. While, as I’ve indicated in a previous chapter, we were reluctant to admit we needed help we were impressed by the story of one tenth grade student, Yimer Mekonnen. In exchange for Yimer’s help with laundry and market purchases we converted a “summer kitchen” off of the porch into his room. Like most students Yimer was from a small farming village far away in the province. In my, “Peace Corps Diary: Ethiopia 1962-1964 Part 2,” I wrote of our cross country walk from Lalibela to Debre Tabor. We walked within sight of Yimer’s village, however, although we offered, he declined to visit.
Photo: Richard Lyman
Marty Benjamin, John Stockton, Dallas Smith and I who shared a house in Gondar had the naïve notion that we were going to be self sufficient and live without servants. Little did we realize that in Gondar servants had servants. It took us several months to put aside the quaint notion of complete independence and hire much needed help. The fact that of the four of us only Dallas liked to cook should have been a red flag from the start. Within a week we opened a charge account at Ato Ghile Berhane’s “Ghile’s Store”.
Photo: Richard Lyman
When we arrived in Gondar, Ethiopia on September 21, 1962 we were assigned to houses rented by the Peace Corps office in Addis. John Stockton, Dallas Smith, Marty Benjamin and I were given a house on a hillside surrounded by several acres of fields across from the school. The house was enchantingly reminiscent of a Joseph Conrad novel. It was of frame construction set on a massive elevated stone foundation. Each of the four rooms had louvered doors opening onto a veranda which surrounded the entire house. The metal roof added more to the mystique, especially during the rainy season when the sound of the intense rains made being heard difficult.
