Welcome to the first Humanity in Reality Newsletter.

This is a safe space for budding humanitarians who want to meet others and grow like-minded communities. Each week we will focus on a trending humanitarian topic and open valuable discussions up around some of the most important issues facing humanity today.

What is the Humanity in Reality Project?

The humanity in reality project is a humanitarian art project at its core.

We strive to tell the real human stories behind photographs and shed light on issues facing real people.

Our ethos is simple.

We want to encourage our 'Humanity in Reality Project' family to join us on a pilgrimage to the very heart of the Earth.

We aim to share snapshots into the lives of our subjects and invite you on a journey of discovery with us.

We want to broaden your spectrum of reality and uncover the uncomfortable truths, along with the evident beauty of this world.

How Can You Help?

Make sure that you stand up for people that are different or don't look like you.

Remember it's not really kind at all to only 'love thy neighbour'.

Break out of your comfort zone and do things that make you question the status quo.

Whether in your job, whilst out socialising with friends or at home, positively challenge authority and ask yourself a fundamental question. Is this right?

Ask yourself how you can help make a difference that benefits you and the people around you. Start off small in your communities, bringing people together and uniting for the greater good. Once you've gained your footing and are confident in your ability, move on to something bigger.

Travel the world and talk to people. Find out their histories and engage in their cultures. Empathise with them and walk in their shoes. Truly remove yourself from the comfortability factor in your life and do something selfless.

Lastly, try to make a positive impact on their lives. For example, if you are travelling to a developing country, do some research on how you can impact the poorer communities by taking part in cultural events and getting to know them. Ask them how they are treated and if they have what they need to live decent lives.

Offer to help out with work on the farm in exchange for dwellings or write an article, make a petition or a social media post supporting a cause that you care about.

Just try to show that you care. It's a little ask for a world that asks for nothing from us and gives us everything that we need to survive and thrive.

Editors Letter

Hello Fellow Humanitarians,

My name is Ashley Mangtani and I am the founder of the Humanity in Reality Project. I started research on this project with my small team almost three years ago now in 2018.

I am a photojournalist from the UK and I was honestly getting fed up with the lack of real human stories available on the mainstream media platforms. It looked to me as though money, greed and ulterior motives had become the main motivating factor for pushing out content.

It's daunting to think that the big corporations weld so much power over us, from what we think and say to what we eat and drink. Misleading advertising, subliminal messaging and the lobbying of politicians is the real business of the corporation so that they can bleed the system dry and make as little effort and as much money as possible.

I didn't start this project for the people who already have voices in our society today, I think you'll agree that there are already way too many of those kinds of people not spreading a decent kind of message. Nor did I start this project for corporation's and big wigs to take advantage of.

I started this project for the millions of people who live their whole lives in the shadows, too afraid to come out into the light for fear of reprisal from the very people who are supposed to be pillars of society and know better.

It won't all be good news I'm afraid. We've had to take the positive and negative aspects of people's lives and then them into poignant and unforgettable stories detailing lived experiences in a way that is fair, honest and compelling.

I want the photographs we take and the articles that we write to spark conversations and inspire you to find out more about the subjects. Living in such a fast-paced modern environment can sometimes be damaging to some of us.

So, I invite you to sit back and indulge us. Put your time and energy into something inherently positive and real.

I hope that our content will provide you with a progressive look at humanity in all of its splendour. The black, the white & all of the technicolour in-between.

In The Next Issue

We will be covering the role of football in the developing world and how it has impacted communities, the economy and culture.

SNEAKY PEAK

Football, whilst enjoyed throughout the world, is the fastest-growing sport within developing nations. The sport has climbed its way up the ranks and challenges the generally perceived notion that it's only popular in developing countries. In fact, the role of football continues to bridge gaps in some of the most economically disparate places in the world.