South Africa is experiencing problems with its border and neighbor similar to those the U.S. is experiencing with Mexico. CoJMC is able to offer its photojournalism, video and reporting students the opportunity to travel to South Africa during the first five-week summer session, June 9-July 11, 2008. The group will be in South Africa for two weeks. Exactly which two weeks of the five-week session we will be in South Africa has not yet been determined.

We will do research about South Africa and some of the issues facing its people before we go on the trip. While there, we will participate in an orientation session to help us understand the South African context and get to know some of the country's leading documentary photographers. In a workshop, we will learn about the migration and refugee issues in South Africa, including the Forced Migration Program. We will draw comparisons to the U.S.-Mexico situation.

We will travel to the border areas to work on our stories. Once we return to Lincoln, we will begin editing, re-editing and processing our material into audio photo slideshows, video stories and the written story(ies). Our material will then be posted to a Web site. In the future, this material could be published as a photo book, using the still images and story(ies). The photos and text could also be published in newspapers or magazines.Details of this trip are still being worked out.

This will be a three credit-hour class. Depending on how the trip details shape up, we may separate the three credits, possibly using one credit this spring to do independent study as research and the remaining credits for the class. Once the group is selected we can make those decisions. There is no special fee for this project, although students may be asked to pay for some of their own meals.

An informational meeting is set for Friday, Feb. 1, 2008, in Andersen 15 at 2:45 p.m. You must attend this meeting to be considered. We will circulate a sign-up sheet for students to be interviewed. After the interviews are concluded, you will be notified as to whether or not you have been accepted for this project.

If you have further questions, please contact me.

Cheers,

Bruce Thorson, Associate Professor
234 Andersen Hall
402-472-8279 Office
bthorson2@unl.edu