WHERE IS THE LIGHT OF HOPE WHEN
LIVING SEEMS POINTLESS?
OPEN CALL FOR CREATIVE REFLECTIONS
ONLINE EXHIBITION
A poem, a song, a drawing, a story, a photo, a sculpture, a video…
The ways we express ourselves are as complex as our struggles and as manifold as are our reasons to live.
Through an online exhibition, we want to break the silence around suicide and transform stories into messages of hope for those who feel trapped, for those who sense that dealing with life becomes more and more overwhelming and for those who want to support but are helpless as to how they can do so.
Help us raise awareness on suicide prevention in Jordan by submitting your creative reflections until DEADLINE.
BECAUSE TOO MANY STORIES GO UNHEARD
What is this Project About?
Suicides can be prevented. Most people want to live. But for some, there are moments in
life that make us want to escape the pain and we feel like we have no place on earth. Every year, more people die by suicide than through car accidents, or through war and homicide combined. In many cultures it is hard to share how dark our feelings can be at times. But talking about them and experiencing that someone cares can generate hope and even save
a life.
This is why we invite you to share your story of hope, to help others understand what kind
of support is needed the most in moments of pain. Your submissions will be screened
ccording to the ethical guidelines below and with your consent, all contributions will become part of an online exhibition that aims at giving voice to everyone who cares and to provide information around suicide prevention.
In parallel, a group of persons with lived expertise will join a series of creative workshops
accompanied by artists and mental health experts. Their inputs will also contribute to this exhibition.
IF YOU ARE CURRENTLY STRUGGLING WITH THOUGHTS OF SUICIDE, PLEASE CALL +962 (0)79 578 5095 (IMC 24/7 HELPLINE)
Who can Submit?
Persons who have lived or are living with the risk of suicide know best what they need in
times of crisis, therefore…
If you care about others who are suffering,
If you had moments where you felt utterly alone,
If there was a time where you thought that life seems pointless,
If you have lost a friend, a family member, or a colleague to suicide,
If you managed to move through the pain and decided to stay,
If you have empowered a loved one to live,
If none of the above applies, but you would like to encourage and empower others to
choose life…
…this is a great platform to inform and connect us as a society in supporting each other.
WE ARE NOT LOOKING FOR PROFESSIONAL ART,
BUT FOR CONTRIBUTIONS THAT SPEAK FROM
THE HEARTS OF PEOPLE WHO CARE AND WANT
TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
How to Submit?
All contributions will be published anonymously. Nonetheless, we will provide an option for visitors to e-mail us with any comments or requests they would like to put to the artists. We will forward such messages, thus protecting your anonymity. The choice to respond to any messages will be yours, and we will never reveal your identity or contact details without your express permission.TO SUBMIT YOUR ART WORK, KINDLY SEND AN EMAIL ALONG WITH YOUR ATTACHMENT TO:
CONTACT-RP-MHPSS@GIZ.DE
What is in it for me?
Your contribution will help to raise public awareness of the importance of prevention, which we hope will eventually make it easier for those who need care to find it. We also believe that expressing feelings through art is a unique opportunity for artists and their audience to discover, create, and understand meaning in a context where it is desperately needed. There will be no remuneration for submitting a work of art since we wish to encourage people to participate through a yearning to express themselves, and do not want to commercialise this initiative.
Guidelines for Selection
SAFE LANGUAGE AND IMAGES
We have a responsibility for people who are currently struggling with suicidal thoughts, for people with lived experience, for every member in our society. When using inappropriate language or imagery around suicide, stigma, prejudice and fear might increase. This in turn can prevent people from seeking help, and even reaching out to help others, too.
WE CANNOT ACCEPT SUBMISSIONS WHICH…
- …Use language or images which sensationalize or normalize suicide
- …Depicts a person who could thus be recognized by others (e.g. a face)
- …Present suicide as a solution to problems
- …Show or describe the method used in a completed or attempted suicide (methods also include the mentioning of locations/ sites)
- …Use explicit photographs or video footage
- …Disregard feelings of people bereaved by suicide
- …Use inappropriate language:
DO USE
A suicide
Ended/ taken his/her/their own life
Die by/death by suicide
Attempted suicide/ suicide attempt
Person at risk of suicide
DON’T USE
Suicide hotspots/ waves
Commit suicide
Cry for help/ seeking attention
Successful/ unsuccessful/ failed attempt
The “body”, suicide victim
Who is behind this initiative?
This project is a pilot initiative implemented and supported by the following agencies and programmes:
GIZ Regional Programme Psychosocial Support for Syrian and Iraqi Refugees and IDP
GIZ Regional Programme Social Participation and Community Engagement by Youth- SPACE
GIZ Sector Project Forced Displacement
CONTACT INFORMATION
Regional Programme Psychosocial Support for Syrian and Iraqi Refugees and IDP:
contact-RP-MHPSS@giz.de
RESOURCES
Roses in the Ocean Lived Experience Insight for Suicide Prevention IASP Home – IASP
Anxiety, depression and suicide prevention support – Beyond Blue
LIVE LIFE: An implementation guide for suicide prevention in countries (who.int)
IMPRINT
REGISTRATION INFORMATION
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale
Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH
REGISTERED OFFICES
Bonn and Eschborn
Germany
Friedrich-Ebert-Allee 32 + 36
53113 Bonn
Germany
T +49 228 44 60-0
F +49 228 44 60-17 66
Dag-Hammarskjöld-Weg 1 – 65760 Eschborn
Germany
T +49 61 96 79-0
F +49 61 96 79-11 15
info@giz.de
www.giz.de
REGISTERED AT
Local court (Amtsgericht) Bonn, Germany: HRB 18384
Local court (Amtsgericht) Frankfurt am Main,
Germany: HRB 12394 VAT no. DE 113891176
CHAIRPERSON OF THE SUPERVISORY BOARD
Martin Jäger
State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for
Economic Cooperation and Development
MANAGEMENT BOARD
Tanja Gönner (Chair of the Management Board)
Ingrid-Gabriela Hoven
Thorsten Schäfer-Gümbel