Center gives voice to Vt. refugees

Author: Nicole Lam

Ned Castle's photographs reflect his passion. Each photograph has eyes staring right back at the viewer, just as Castle intends. Each man and woman in the black-and-white photographs wants to tell the audience something. One might never hear their voices, but being aware they have a story is enough.

At "In Their Own Words," an exhibition being held at the Vermont Folklife Center on Main St. from Feb. 25 to June 14, viewers were able to meet the man with the passion.

"In Their Own Words" is a display of photographs and stories from refugees from nations such as Sudan, Vietnam and Rwanda, which were gathered through numerous interviews Castle held with refugees currently living in Vermont.

"From the experience of meeting these people, I gained a new perspective," Castle said. "I realized how different my life is from theirs. I am never going to understand what it is like to be a refugee but I gain a new, complex perspective listening to them."

Photography gave Castle the opportunity to put faces to the stories he compiled.

"Photography is a vehicle for me to explore the world and put me in situations that are exciting and challenging," Castle said. "I see myself as an interested person. Photography is a tool for my passion. My passion is getting to meet these people."

Ultimately, after obtaining a collection of photos, narratives and valuable life-long relationships, Castle sought to feature his findings to the people of Vermont. Castle wanted Vermonters to become aware that there are refugees living among them who are different because of their diverse backgrounds, but yet are similar to them in that they shop at the neighborhood grocery store and attend the town's high schools and colleges. Awareness was the first step. The organizers of the exhibit next wanted local residents and students at the College to be willing to be open-minded and learn from their neighbors.

"These people are a gift to the Vermont community," Castle said. "We should certainly be appreciative and excited to have this in our community."

Boundless time was spent on the project. Each of the photographs are framed and aligned in order on the walls with excerpts of the interviews placed next to them. In addition, there were booklets providing background information about current events in each country mentioned. Castle's willingness to devote this extensive time is fueled by personal gratification.

"My passion is getting to meet these people," Castle said. "If I look back at what was most important, it was what happened without the camera and without the interviews. It was getting to know the people and being with them."

Lily Hamburger '07.5 decided on the exhibit's location, coordinated fundraising and designed the display, committing a year of her time to a project for which she received no academic credit or pay.

"It is something I feel very passionate about," Hamburger said. "I cannot turn a blind eye and not do anything. There are more and more immigrants and refuges in Vermont every day and it is just important for people to acknowledge, be understanding and open-minded. These people in the photographs are the unsung heroes of the world and people need to realize and respect that."

Castle and Hamburger's passion was strong enough to be shared by all those who assisted with the project, including Hannah Burnett '09, who is a member of Stand Up!, a student organization at the College which educates and raise issues about the genocides occurring in other parts of the world.

"This is what makes my life worthwhile," Burnett said. "This is what I am passionate about. I feel like I am making an impact and a difference. We are privileged to be at this school and have all these opportunities given to us. It is important to use the privileges to make a difference and try to encourage other people to get involved and make a difference."

One may get a notion of this powerful yet mysterious love by meeting one of the refugees in person - for instance, Alex Pial, a refugee from Sudan.

Upon first meeting him, countless questions spring to mind: "How was the transition between two different worlds? How do you cope with thinking about the past? What was the past even like? How do you live in a country damaged by war and genocide? What does life mean after surviving atrocities?" His silence may provide the best answer to these questions, and betray the immensity of the powerful story he does not share with everyone, but which is contained upon the walls of the exhibit.

"We will see each other again," Pial told a Campus reporter, suggesting that time and trust will allow others to understand his tale.