Anthrow Circus

The Surprising Instrument of World Peace

STORY AND PHOTOS BY DAN GLEASON

“It’s a dangerous business—going out your door,” someone once said to me. But maybe that person didn’t have a ukulele like I do.

I named my uke “Strad” (diminutive of Stradivarius), thanks to a totally unscripted interaction in Vienna when I insisted upon its gentle handling while declaring that I had an appointment with the Vienna Philharmonic that evening. Strad has gotten me through doors in countries as diverse as Kenya, Tajikistan, the Republic of Georgia, and so many others.

Trauma-Informed Art-Making: An Interview

ARTICLE BY HEATHER M. SURLS
PHOTOS BY SARAH RACINE

Over the last decade Sarah Racine has worked internationally as a trauma-informed art-maker, helping a spectrum of individuals—from victims of human trafficking to refugees—find healing from trauma, abuse, and war. Though Racine calls Lancaster, Pennsylvania, “home” in the U.S., she recently relocated to Amman, Jordan, to study Arabic and explore options for working long-term in the region. Racine sat with Anthrow Circus’s Jordan correspondent, Heather Surls, to talk about her profession and how the arts can bring healing and hope to adults and children affected by trauma.

MicroView: Khuruskhul, Cox’s Bazar

STORY AND PHOTOS BY NIHAB RAHMAN

Our View From Here series is back as Nihab Rahman takes us inside a little moment of Bangladeshi life.

Near Chowfol-Dondi Bridge in Khuruskhul, Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, Ziyaul Haque, 21 years old, repairs his five-year-old boat for its next destination, which is Sundarbans, the only mangrove forest in Bangladesh.

I Am a Neighbor

STORY AND PHOTOS BY JOEL CARILLET

With this article from Joel Carillet, we wrap up a four-article series from contributors who have entered in various ways into the lives of the Rohingya people who have sought refuge in Bangladesh. In the height of their crisis last fall, Joel spent time photographing and listening to people living in several refugee camps in Bangladesh, specifically Jamtoli, Kutupalong, Shamlapur, Chakmarkul, and Balukhali. He shares with us one of the questions that has persisted for him since then.

Cox’s Bazar: An Aid Worker’s Journal – Part 1

STORY BY SCOTT J. WILL

Physician assistant Scott Will recently spent a month providing medical care to Rohingya people from Myanmar living in a large refugee camp outside Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. This journal-style article from him offers a behind-the-scenes view of aid worker life as well as offering a small introduction to the Rohingya people. He previously wrote for Culture Keeper about the family he gained while living in South Sudan for five years.