John Stanmeyer, a Berkshire-based photographer, has worked extensively with National Geographic over the past decade. He has long focused on exposing social injustice, eradicating global poverty, promoting human rights, and raising awareness of vanishing cultures. His latest works can be seen in Questions Without Answers (Phaedon, 2012), a collective book from his photo agency, VII, that chronicles the past 30 years of global conflict and change. Stanmeyer has received numerous honors for photojournalism, including the Robert Capa, NPPA, and National Magazine awards, and, most recently, the World Press Award, the most prestigious global recognition in photojournalism. Stanmeyer is among the artist/activists participating in a panel discussion at WAM Theatre’s upcoming anniversary benefit event Change Makers, on August 24. Here is how he creates change…

What got you interested in working with WAM?

It was Claire Williams [Claire is on the benefit committee for our Change Makers event] who first introduced me to WAM. She and her husband, Victor, have been coming to my gallery in West Stockbridge over the last year and in the process building a wonderful friendship and realizing we shared significant interest — that of education and awareness on important issues facing our collective society, both here in the Berkshires and with our sisters and brothers around the world. When Claire told me about the work WAM was involved in, there was an immediate connection with the work I do in visual communication. When asked to participate in this year’s gathering, it was an immediate and emphatic yes, as I share the same passions and interests as WAM, thrilled to be collaborating locally here in our beloved Berkshires.

Can you talk about a time when you experienced or participated in positive change being made through the arts?

Countless moments to remember. Tragically even a few times where change didn’t take place. Where to begin…

Having documented more wars and conflicts then my consciousness can process, I would hope some change was effected by the photography myself and colleagues have done. One event would be the fight for independence in East Timor and a photographic series I took of Joachim Bernardino Guterres being gunned down by Indonesian police on the streets of Dili a few days before the vote in 1999. On contract with Time magazine, the photographs were simultaneously published on their sister company TV station, CNN. The images affected Indonesian foreign policy and solidified the purpose for Timorese independence.

Other work effecting change would be that of project done for National Geographic on the global malaria pandemic. The cover story raised enormous funding and investment for bed netting in many parts of Africa while raising additional awareness of how simple prevention can be for the prevention of our planet’s largest killer.

Often collaborating with MSF (Doctors Without Borders), I went to South Sudan two years ago to raise awareness of how renewed fighting with Sudan had caused a massive health crisis for nearly 70,000 displaced Sudanese. Leveraging the modern tool of communication, Instagram, I was able to connect to (at the time) nearly 1 million people via National Geographic’s Instagram account, another 10,000 though personal subscribers at the time and MSF’s 100,000 followers, raising not only a wave of awareness through what we call Social Media; it helped raise money to fund the operations MSF was doing both in country and elsewhere. Today that Nat Geo feed has nearly 6 million followers, where I often publish other important issues affecting us today.

These are a few examples, yet it’s important to know that not all efforts lead to positive change. In 2002 I produced an in-depth essay on the mental health crisis in South Asia and Asia for Time magazine. We looked at mental health conditions in Afghanistan, Pakistan, China, Cambodia and Indonesia, often focusing on the mental health of women. The conditions and situation were difficult in all countries but nowhere more acute than Indonesia, where the Asian economic crisis has caused a massive cut in health funding — there was only $1 USD available for each patient in most mental hospitals. Photographing in the Cipayung mental hospital, where patients are chained, naked and forgotten… once the story appeared in Time, the government was shocked, angry and promised to increase funding. There was indeed hope. Unfortunately, a few years later word (and photography) came out by a local photographer that little if anything had changed.

All work does not necessarily produce change. More so, myself nor anyone else can change the world.

What we can do is attempt — with passion and purpose — to collectively turn the wheel of change. We all must help. No one is less or more important in this act of implanting awareness and, yes, hopefully change.

 How do you see the role of artist as activist affecting our world today?

I would look at this another way: how do we see the role of all as activists effecting our world today?

I’m a fellow human being. Artist or not, there is little interest in self-importance. Whether I take the labels of photographer, artist or journalist is unimportant. What we should be caring about is how collectively we can make change.

We are standing at a crossroads of our collective humanity where we must truly ask ourselves where are we going as fellow human beings — what is truly important for the betterment of all, not just one, and what is important and balanced for the only place we can call home: earth.

Activism is about engagement. We must all be engaged, whether in the arts, finance, farming or widget making. No one is more important.

What are you most looking forward to at WAM Theatre’s fifth season celebration Change Makers?

Hoping to connect and interact with others in my own community rather than always on a global scale — acting local while knowing global. 

Do you have a favorite quote–from a song, movie, book, poem, TV show, etc.–that seems relevant to the subject of activism and art creating social change?

Nearly every song, most movies, all books and poems, even some television shows, all tend to leave an impact.

One bit of babble which was given to me when I was very young (around 18 years old) was a poem or tome of sorts. It took decades later to learn it came from a well-known inspirational narrative titled (I believe) Success or what I’ve actually always felt should be called Purpose.

There are two sentences from this piece that continues to resonate:

“Whatever your mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.”

“You are unique. In all the history of the world, there was never anyone exactly like you, and in all the infinity to come there will never be another you.”

The question I then ask myself is — What can I do within this space and time I’ve been given?

What fictional, historical, or current public figure inspires you to take action and create positive change?

Everyone I meet.

What advice would you give to women who are just starting to establish themselves in their artistic careers and looking to create positive change?

Firstly, I do not believe in gender differences.

Change comes from being a relentless dog on a bone related to the interests and passions one has. Whether you’re a women or man, child or an adult, engage with the deepest purpose and fire within to achieve whatever it is one needs to accomplish.

Yes, I DO understand the issue of gender inequality. Do I agree with it?

NO. We are all equals.

One day we as humans might be able to muster enough simple mindfulness to realize our equality so that collectively we can actually move forward in humanity.

I do believe women should run countries, be significantly empowered; in turn we maybe then would meet around tables to discuss our problems or indifference rather then send our children off to war.

What current world issues are you most excited about exploring over the next year? Do you plan to use art in this exploration?

The last 8-10 years has been a movement towards understanding and documenting what leads to conflict, rather then actual human conflict — conflict is when humanity breaks down to its lowest subhuman level and potential.

Food sustainability and rising food prices as our global population reaches 9 billion (and more) is of grave concern. So is potable water.

Affordable healthcare — and access to healthcare on global and local level — is of paramount importance.

Our environment, our planet, the only place we can call home, is now more than ever in need of rebalanced due to our heavy footprint.

These topics and a few others are not what I’m excited about. Rather deeply engaged with and will be for the foreseeable future.

 Reserve your place now for WAM Theatre’s Change Makers benefit on Sunday, August 24th at 7:00 pm.