2008 Woodie Awards
Photojournalist speaks on Gaza Strip violence
Michael Bauer
Issue date: 12/7/06 Section: News
On Dec. 2, photojournalist Skip Schiel talked to a small group in the Bangor Room of Memorial Union about the conflict in Gaza.
Schiel has visited the Gaza Strip three times and witnessed the conflict first hand. By sharing his experience through photographs and stories, Schiel said he hopes to help "end the siege Israel holds on Gaza."
Schiel shared many photographs from his June 2006 trip to the Gaza Strip. Many pictures documented the violence occurring on a daily basis during the siege.
Schiel took pictures of victims who suffered injuries due to the violence in the area, as well as those who could not get proper medical attention due to a lack of funding provided to Gaza.
Although these pictures detailed the reality and horrors of war, Schiel said the most important picture is titled "Gaza." It is an image of three children riding on one bicycle.
"It is contradictory," Schiel said. "Most people think of Gaza as a place of terror, not somewhere children can play."
Schiel also presented the problem of a water shortage being faced by inhabitants of Gaza. With virtually no sewage treatment, water-borne disease is an epidemic in the area. Schiel used pictures of people drilling illegal wells, untreated sewage draining into the Mediterranean Sea and fishermen netting sardines in the runoff sewage to illustrate this problem.
Illegal wells allow sea salt to enter the water supply, adding to the contamination of drinking water. The fishermen are forced to work in the contaminated water while under siege. "They fear being shot at by Israeli boats if they fish more than 50 feet from shore," Schiel said. When the Palestinians are not under siege, it is safe to fish up to 10 kilometers out at sea.
Schiel has been following the conflict between Palestine and Israel since the Six Day War in 1967, when Israel gained control of the Gaza Strip. At the time he was impressed by Israel and the pre-emptive attack it had launched to protect itself from Egypt.
Schiel has visited the Gaza Strip three times and witnessed the conflict first hand. By sharing his experience through photographs and stories, Schiel said he hopes to help "end the siege Israel holds on Gaza."
Schiel shared many photographs from his June 2006 trip to the Gaza Strip. Many pictures documented the violence occurring on a daily basis during the siege.
Schiel took pictures of victims who suffered injuries due to the violence in the area, as well as those who could not get proper medical attention due to a lack of funding provided to Gaza.
Although these pictures detailed the reality and horrors of war, Schiel said the most important picture is titled "Gaza." It is an image of three children riding on one bicycle.
"It is contradictory," Schiel said. "Most people think of Gaza as a place of terror, not somewhere children can play."
Schiel also presented the problem of a water shortage being faced by inhabitants of Gaza. With virtually no sewage treatment, water-borne disease is an epidemic in the area. Schiel used pictures of people drilling illegal wells, untreated sewage draining into the Mediterranean Sea and fishermen netting sardines in the runoff sewage to illustrate this problem.
Illegal wells allow sea salt to enter the water supply, adding to the contamination of drinking water. The fishermen are forced to work in the contaminated water while under siege. "They fear being shot at by Israeli boats if they fish more than 50 feet from shore," Schiel said. When the Palestinians are not under siege, it is safe to fish up to 10 kilometers out at sea.
Schiel has been following the conflict between Palestine and Israel since the Six Day War in 1967, when Israel gained control of the Gaza Strip. At the time he was impressed by Israel and the pre-emptive attack it had launched to protect itself from Egypt.
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