GreenJean

There are days when recycling and changing lightbulbs feels hopelessly trivial. 

Miss Landmine is a beauty pageant for Angolan women who have lost limbs in landmine accidents. This project, by norwegian artist, Morton Traavik, has generated some debate. Shouldn’t this be the purpose of art? Creating dialogue, provoking thought, moving people to action?

THE MISS LANDMINE MANIFESTO (from the project website)
(in no particular order)

* Female pride and empowerment.

* Disabled pride and empowerment. * Global and local landmine awareness and information.

* Challenge inferiority and/or guilt complexes that hinder creativity-
historical, cultural, social, personal, African, European.

* Question established concepts of physical perfection.

* Challenge old and ingrown concepts of cultural cooperation.

* Celebrate true beauty.

* Replace the passive term ‘Victim’ with the active term ‘Survivor’

Look at the smiles and read about the lives of the candidates at Miss Landmine.

Imagine, for a moment, living that life, having those dreams.