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365-INTERNATIONAL NIEDERBARNIMSTR. 6 10247 BERLIN

about the project

GERMANY www.365-international.com info@365-international.com

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On the 01. of June 2012 people from 25 countries began to take a photo every day, combined it with the title headline of a national daily news paper they had picked and posted both on 365-international.

O pen eyes and open m inds

The photos give a very personal insight of the lives of the photographers. The most relevant aspect about these photos is not aesthetics but this personal perspective. With these photos they document what was most relevant and remarcable, every single day of the year. Some of them will be very personal moments with friends and family, others will be just things which caught their attention during that day. The pictures are accompanied by news paper headlines as a kind of caption. The headlines also document what was considered remarkable that day. But while the choice of the photos is based on very personal criterias, the motivation of a news paper is the exact opposit: Every headline has been carefully chosen by the editorial staff because they expect it to get the attention and arouse the interest of as many people as

O vercom ing boundaries The motto for the project is: Because there is more that connects us than separates us. It is an open project. Which means every member has a voice to be heard and shared. 365-international is more than a mere art project. This may sound ambitious for a photo project, but for those who became part of it, it is also a statement. A statement that borders or boundaries are irrelevant. No matter if they are geographical, religious, social or economical. It is beautiful for us to see that there are other like-minded people in the world. And by allowing others to peer into our lives, prejudices and the fear of differentness, can be replaced by understanding. That despite differences, there is nothing to be afraid of on one side and nothing which needs to be hidden on the other.

The roots of 365-international365-international started in 2012. Within six weeks a mere idea turned into the global project. At the very beginning there was neither a website nor a platform for the upload or any form of structure. Det Nissen was simply overrun by the huge interest and response he caused with the idea. Without the voluntary support from many hands and minds during those six weeks of preparation, it would have been very unlikely that 365-international had made it from the spot. The spirit and energy of these first weeks and months shaped 365-international. From the very beginning it was a peoples project. A global network of like-minded. The very origin of the project was a summer evening in the midnineties when two friends (Stephan Beyer and Det Nissen) sat together in Hamburg, St.Georg and had a nice philosophical talk while they enjoyed a rich dinner and a couple glases of wine.

There is m ore that connects than separates us But despite or may be even because of the simplicity of the concept, the project and its wiggle room are far from being simple. Besides the artistic it also has a social aspect . Social in form of the true meaning of the word and in the virtual way. Social because we get very personal insights of the lives of people from all five continents and their individual cultures, environmental conditions, political systems and age groups. But also social because the entire project was set up and organized with social networks. Hardly any member of the project has met others face to face. It works due to the willingness of the people to take over organizational duties and responsibilities, They make sure that the pr work for the project is covered in every country and look for galleries, museums and sponsors. Every artist supports, helps, learns and shares her or his knowledge. Within less than six weeks a single mans project has turned into global joint project.

Project without borders This project also allows a political interpretation. Because it is a project without borders. And from the very beginning it was clear that 365-international is more than a photo project. The motto fort he project is: Because there is more that connects than separates us. Its an open project. What means any body sees and talks to any body. No matter if he is from Iran, Israel, Brazil, Germany, Papa New Guinea, Indonesia, China ort he USA. No matter if he is Moslem, Jew, Christian, Buddhist or what ever.

Yes we can There is one more thing this project teaches us: if it is possible, that people, who never met personally, who dont even know each other are able to organize themselves that well that they manage to execute a global project like this, it is also possible to shake off the feeling of powerlessness vis-a-vis politicians and companies and to influence their way of thinking and dealing by coordinating our behavior and actions. But no matter how much somebody wants to interpret into this project there is a lot to discover for any body!

social-labs

Generating awareness Taking a picture each day changes the way you look at your surroundings. Because you are always looking for that shot of the day. While we are usually sleepwalking through life, visual arts sharpen your senses and forces you to observe things with much more awareness. It changes you from passive to active. As the project started to grow and to become more and more successful, we realized that the concept of 365-international could be used to in a philanthropic way to benefit a less fortunate and often overlooked population. Through the project, adolescents and young adults in difficult environments could bring the worlds attention to their struggles and triumphs. The idea for 365-social-labs was born. In 2014 we will start to set up the first Social-Lab for up to 25 adolescents and young adults who will become 365-International Junior Members. They will be introduced to theory and praxis of photography by 365-international photographers and/or local photographers in cooperation with a local institution or organization.

Food for the m ind Each participant will get a simple digital camera for this purpose. During the workshop hours they will get the chance to discuss their photos, receive help with the translation of the headlines and have the chance to upload their photos to the 365international project site. 365-international will promote an opportunity for expression.The kids will have time to comment on their pictures. This is important, because along with the discussion about technical aspects, they may also wish to talk about their lives. They will take pictures during the workshop hours and will also be give a chance to bring their camera home to extend their freedom of expression. This could be done using disposal cameras. Their work will be enhanced through the publication of their pictures. The social-labs shall become a way for the kids to reflect on their personal situation, to be listened to, be taken seriously and to get a fixed point where structures and rules are usually missing. They will see and connect to a world outside their usual limitations, meet and talk to people they usually wouldnt because they would be too far away in every aspect of the word. They will receive encouragement and inspiration.

Learning from Sim on Bolivar youth orchestra and Kids w ith Cam eras We are proud to admit that we were inspired by others. The Simon Bolivar youth orchestra has proven, how much art can help to get kids from the street and to bring meaning and enthusiasm into their lives. The West Eastern Divan Orchestra (www.west-eastern-divan.org) shows that it may even bridge extremes were anything else seems to fail. But we can also see that we could need more projects like this. We are also inspired by Kids with with Cameras, a project initiated by the photograher Zana Briski in 2002, when she started to teach photography to children in Calcuttas red-light district. This project has shown that photography is an effective tool in igniting childrens imagination and building self-esteem. Kids with Cameras is a wonderful example of how the power of art can transform lives. Thanks to financial support, this project educates numbers of children (www.kids-with-cameras.org ).

give a hand

ANYBODY No matter if you think about joining the project, becoming a team member, a sponsor or if you just want to support 365-international, there are many ways to support the project. The more people who know about 365-international the better because it will help to increase awareness and raise the profile of the project. Like us Please like us on facebook and ask your friends to like us too: http://www.facebook.com/365international Promote us Write a mail to your favorite newspaper, magazine or radio station about the project and tell them what you like about the project and why you think it would be relevant to other people too and worth an article. Tell friends Tell your friends about the project, how they can support it and why you think they it would be great idea for them to do it.. M ake a Donation We are in the process of turning into an NGO. As soon as we are done (hopefully by May 2013) you can make donations.

STUDENTS AND GRADUATES If you are a student studying or interested in photography Join the project (the next one will start on 01. 01. 2014) or tell others about it who might be interested in joining. If you are a student or graduate studying public relations We are building up a world wide PR team right now and all assistance is welcome. If you are interested, send an email to p.o.supporter@365international.com and a member of the PR team will contact you. If you are a developer (student or professional) you can join our developer team and help to improve frontend or backend. One of the key instruments of the project is our website. We started this project with no funds at all and built it with the help of one frontend and backend developer who would be more than happy to be supported by others. Send an email to p.o.supporter@365-international.com and a member of the developer team will contact you.

PROFESSIONALS If you are a journalist, write an article or do a documentary piece about us. Depending on where you are located well check if there is a 365international photographer or somebody from the team in your area you can meet. In any case we can do an interview by phone, skype or google+ hangout. If you work for a social, environmental, humanitarian or any other NGO We would love to see you join the project (the next one will start on 01. 01. 2014). Maybe there is a also a way to inform other people in your organisation about this project If you work in the photo industry, we are looking for camera sponsors to donate digital cameras. Not everyone in the world owns one and we would also like to invite people from countries and areas, who cant afford to buy one, to join the project. We want their contribution as we think their world is unknown to many of us in the richer countries.

thank you

Thank you for reading this and for your interest. Thank you for telling others about the project. Thank you for your donation or for giving a hand. It is because of people like you that this project exists, grows and gets more and more attention.