In these postcards, farmers from Santa Anita La Unión, a coffee cooperative in Guatemala, and Sanjukta Vikas Sanstha, a tea cooperative in India, exchange messages inspired by photographs of each other. Both communities have participated in local armed struggles and now engage with the world market through fair trade agriculture.
When the communities saw my photographs of each other in exhibitions and informal albums, they asked questions about their commonalities and differences. To open up a direct dialogue, I turned my photographs into postcards. The communities could exchange messages linked to the images that motivated them to be in touch. The farmers use the postcards to discuss their lived experiences, describe what they hope for from the future, and ask what life is like for the other community.
Funding for this project came from the India China Institute, the Parsons Communication Design + Technology Department, the Parsons Student Senate, and the Eugene Lang Student Union. Organizational support came from Darjeeling Ladenla Road Prerna in India and Cafe Conciencia in Guatemala. Maral Minassian and Samuel Strick designed the booklets.