February 1, 2009, Washington, DC: A story is often more lasting, more true when told by an insider. So goes the philosophy behind The Clean Hands Project, a collaboration of 13 Dalit photographers from the Jagaran Media Center (JMC) in Nepal.

The photographers’ work will be on display for the first time in the United States from February 6 to February 28 at the Healing Arts Gallery on U Street. An opening reception will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. February 6. A short documentary film and presentation will occur from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, February 28.

JMC is a partner of The Advocacy Project (AP). The Clean Hands Project was created by Jes Therkelsen, who trained the photographers while volunteering as an AP Peace Fellow in Nepal this past summer.

“The immediacy of visual media and its ability to elicit emotion makes it such a powerful tool for advocacy,” Mr Therkelsen said. “Enormous distances can be crossed in an instant.”

The photographers in the project were born on the bottom rung of the Nepali caste system. They are teachers, students, soap opera stars, activists, and journalists who want to show the world the inequality and need for social change in their country. Many had left their homes and families to pursue education and activism for Dalit causes before getting involved with the photography project.

Almost half of Dalit in Nepal live below the poverty line, subsisting on less than a dollar a day. Literacy rates are 23 percent, well below the national average of 54 percent. Dalit remain underrepresented in the bureaucracy, legislature, and political parties of Nepal.

The 13 photographers in the project are part of a growing youth movement in Nepal dedicated to ensuring equality among all peoples. Their country currently faces its most serious crisis in its 250-year history. In the past two years, the monarchy has collapsed and a new constitution is being drafted.

The photographs capture the lush Nepali countryside, colorful outfits of agricultural workers and piercing, playful eyes of children. Fifteen prints will be on sale during the exhibit, as well as a Clean Hands book.