Project Empowerment - Phil Borges

Joining Project Empowerment is artist and author Phil Borges. For over twenty years Phil Borges has lived with and documented indigenous and tribal cultures around the world. Through his work, he strives to create a heightened understanding of the issues faced by people in the developing world. Through his exhibits and award-winning books, Phil attempts to create a relationship between the audience and his photographic subjects. His book TIBETAN PORTRAIT: The Power of Compassion, introduces individuals from a deeply spiritual culture who have been marginalized and displaced by the occupation of their homeland. In 1998 he joined Amnesty International to present ENDURING SPIRIT, an exhibit and book celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. His exhibit and book The Gift highlights the work of medical teams that provide facial reconstructive surgery to children in the developing world. Phil’s current project, Stirring the Fire is a call to action and a celebration of women and girls, mostly in the developing world, who have broken through barriers of tradition and oppression to become catalysts for change in their communities. With the traveling exhibition and website of the same name, the goal of STF is to raise awareness about the issues women and girls face and to inspire individuals to get involved. Phil’s photographs are collected and exhibited in museums and galleries worldwide. Phil teaches and lectures internationally and is co-founder of Blue Earth Alliance, a 501c3 that sponsors photographic projects focusing on endangered cultures and threatened environments. To learn more about his work, please visit http://stirringthefire.com/