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  • KOLHAPUR, INDIA - MARCH 22: Indian men practice the three thousand year old sport known as "Kushti", a form of wrestling, in its traditional form at the fight club Shahupuri in Kolhapur, India.  In this south-eastern Indian city Kushti has a long tradition. It used to be supported by local maharajas and is financed by the government. But its days are numbered. Last year, the Indian Fighters Federation in the capital of New Delhi stunned thousands of fighters when it announced prohibition of fighting on red soil and ordered fight clubs to buy mattresses for their arenas. Ending the traditional red clay wrestling was an idea sprouted from the aspiration to achieve more Olympic medals since the last and only medal India brought home in wrestling was a bronze in 1952. So far no one here in Kolhapur is buying the mattresses and instead they continue the rigorous schedule of waking up at 3:30am six times a week and practicing more than 6 hours every day. They live together in one small room above the arena and their only belongings are a blanket, a few items of clothes and some books about the art of Kushti. They have been compared to holy men because of their celibacy and dedication and they practice exercises like standing on one's head for lengths of time to expel "filthy" thoughts. (Photo by Ami Vitale)
    Wrestling026.jpg
  • KOLHAPUR, INDIA - MARCH 22: Indian men practice the three thousand year old sport known as "Kushti", a form of wrestling, in its traditional form at the fight club Shahupuri in Kolhapur, India.  In this south-eastern Indian city Kushti has a long tradition. It used to be supported by local maharajas and is financed by the government. But its days are Last year, the Indian Fighters Federation in the capital of New Delhi stunned thousands of fighters when it announced prohibition of fighting on red soil and ordered fight clubs to buy mattresses for their arenas. Ending the traditional red clay wrestling was an idea sprouted from the aspiration to achieve more Olympic medals since the last and only medal India brought home in wrestling was a bronze in 1952. So far no one here in Kolhapur is buying the mattresses and instead they continue the rigorous schedule of waking up at 3:30am six times a week and practicing more than 6 hours every day. They live together in one small room above the arena and their only belongings are a blanket, a few items of clothes and some books about the art of Kushti. They have been compared to holy men because of their celibacy and dedication and they practice exercises like standing on one's head for lengths of time to expel "filthy" thoughts. (Photo by Ami Vitale)
    Wrestling025.jpg
  • Women carry wood and water on their backs to their homes in Barentu, eritrea. Getting wood and water can take half the day without a donkey because they have to walk huge distances to find the resources.
    DSC_0150.TIF
  • India Tsunami:back to the Ocean: A girl tries to pull her sister into the ocean for the first time since the deadly tsunami devastated the entire coastline of Tamil Nadu in Nagapattinum, August 2005. The recovery process is slow and difficult since many got no compensation at all, do not have homes or jobs and live in unhealthy living conditions. The situation still grim for many of the worlds poorest who were most affected by the deadly wave.
    00008773-DPS-TSUNAMI-012.jpg
  • A 14 year old panda named YeYe holds her young cub at Wolong Giant Panda reserve. The mother is captive born and her baby is being trained to be released back into the wild. Thanks to hunting and the destruction of their natural habitat, there are now only an estimated 1,600 giant pandas left in the wild.
    CHI_2634.jpg
  • A panda who is training to be put back into the wild climbs a tree and his every move is tracked by some 200 closed-circuit in the Wolong National Nature Reserve in China.  There are now only an estimated 1,600 giant pandas left in the wild. In 2005, scientists at China’s Wolong National Nature Reserve, in Sichuan province, attempted to release a young male into the wild, but it soon died, likely as a result of a fight with wild pandas. That’s when the reserve’s director, Zhang Hemin—dubbed Papa Panda—and his team realized that the captive-born animal didn’t really know how to behave like a panda, and revamped the reserve’s program nearly from scratch. They eventually decided that the best way to raise captive pandas that act like wild ones was to erase all traces of humans from their world and allow the mothers to raise their cubs on their own.
    KEN_4366.jpg
  • Bird Researcher Marisa Lipsey brings her horses back after working on a cattle drive at the Matador ranch "grass bank". The “grass bank" is an innovative way to leverage conservation gains, in which ranchers can graze their cattle at discounted rates on Conservancy land in exchange for improving conservation practices on their own “home” ranches. In 2002, the <br />
Conservancy began leasing parts of the ranch to neighboring ranchers who were suffering from  severe drought, offering the Matador’s grass to neighboring ranches in exchange for their  participation in conservation efforts. The grassbank has helped keep ranchers from plowing up native grassland to farm it; helped remove obstacles to pronghorn antelope migration; improved habitat for the Greater Sage-Grouse and reduced the risk of Sage-Grouse colliding with fences; preserved prairie dog towns and prevented the spread of noxious weeds. (Photo By Ami Vitale)
    MON_7031.jpg
  • Bird Researcher Marisa Lipsey brings her horses back after working on a cattle drive at the Matador ranch "grass bank". The “grass bank" is an innovative way to leverage conservation gains, in which ranchers can graze their cattle at discounted rates on Conservancy land in exchange for improving conservation practices on their own “home” ranches. In 2002, the <br />
Conservancy began leasing parts of the ranch to neighboring ranchers who were suffering from  severe drought, offering the Matador’s grass to neighboring ranches in exchange for their  participation in conservation efforts. The grassbank has helped keep ranchers from plowing up native grassland to farm it; helped remove obstacles to pronghorn antelope migration; improved habitat for the Greater Sage-Grouse and reduced the risk of Sage-Grouse colliding with fences; preserved prairie dog towns and prevented the spread of noxious weeds. (Photo By Ami Vitale)
    MON_6936.jpg
  • Bird Researcher Marisa Lipsey brings her horses back after working on a cattle drive at the Matador ranch "grass bank". The “grass bank" is an innovative way to leverage conservation gains, in which ranchers can graze their cattle at discounted rates on Conservancy land in exchange for improving conservation practices on their own “home” ranches. In 2002, the <br />
Conservancy began leasing parts of the ranch to neighboring ranchers who were suffering from  severe drought, offering the Matador’s grass to neighboring ranches in exchange for their  participation in conservation efforts. The grassbank has helped keep ranchers from plowing up native grassland to farm it; helped remove obstacles to pronghorn antelope migration; improved habitat for the Greater Sage-Grouse and reduced the risk of Sage-Grouse colliding with fences; preserved prairie dog towns and prevented the spread of noxious weeds. (Photo By Ami Vitale)
    MON_6927.jpg
  • Bird Researcher Marisa Lipsey brings her horses back after working on a cattle drive at the Matador ranch "grass bank". The “grass bank" is an innovative way to leverage conservation gains, in which ranchers can graze their cattle at discounted rates on Conservancy land in exchange for improving conservation practices on their own “home” ranches. In 2002, the <br />
Conservancy began leasing parts of the ranch to neighboring ranchers who were suffering from  severe drought, offering the Matador’s grass to neighboring ranches in exchange for their  participation in conservation efforts. The grassbank has helped keep ranchers from plowing up native grassland to farm it; helped remove obstacles to pronghorn antelope migration; improved habitat for the Greater Sage-Grouse and reduced the risk of Sage-Grouse colliding with fences; preserved prairie dog towns and prevented the spread of noxious weeds. (Photo By Ami Vitale)
    MON_6917.jpg
  • Bird Researcher Marisa Lipsey brings her horses back after working on a cattle drive at the Matador ranch "grass bank". The “grass bank" is an innovative way to leverage conservation gains, in which ranchers can graze their cattle at discounted rates on Conservancy land in exchange for improving conservation practices on their own “home” ranches. In 2002, the <br />
Conservancy began leasing parts of the ranch to neighboring ranchers who were suffering from  severe drought, offering the Matador’s grass to neighboring ranches in exchange for their  participation in conservation efforts. The grassbank has helped keep ranchers from plowing up native grassland to farm it; helped remove obstacles to pronghorn antelope migration; improved habitat for the Greater Sage-Grouse and reduced the risk of Sage-Grouse colliding with fences; preserved prairie dog towns and prevented the spread of noxious weeds. (Photo By Ami Vitale)
    MON_6819.jpg
  • Lindytown was once home to dozens of families, many with roots dating back generations. In 2008, residents started moving away because of a nearby mine. Today, only one original family remains: Quinnie Richmond and her son, Roger. Mountaintop Removal is a method of surface mining that literally removes the tops of mountains to get to the coal seams beneath. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. Many argue that they have brought wage-paying jobs and modern amenities to Appalachia, but others say they have only demolished an estimated 1.4 million acres of forested hills, buried an estimated 2,000 miles of streams, poisoned drinking water, and wiped whole towns from the map. © Ami Vitale
    DSC_8459.jpg
  • An home sits abandoned in Lindytown, West Virginia. Lindytown was once home to dozens of families, many with roots dating back generations. In 2008, residents started moving away because of a nearby mine. Today, only one original family remains: Quinnie Richmond and her son, Roger. Mountaintop Removal is a method of surface mining that literally removes the tops of mountains to get to the coal seams beneath. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. Many argue that they have brought wage-paying jobs and modern amenities to Appalachia, but others say they have only demolished an estimated 1.4 million acres of forested hills, buried an estimated 2,000 miles of streams, poisoned drinking water, and wiped whole towns from the map. © Ami Vitale
    DSC_8513.jpg
  • Quinnie Richmond walks around inside her home in Lindytown, West Virginia. Lindytown was once home to dozens of families, many with roots dating back generations. In 2008, residents started moving away because of a nearby mine. Today, only one original family remains: Quinnie Richmond and her son, Roger. Mountaintop Removal is a method of surface mining that literally removes the tops of mountains to get to the coal seams beneath. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. Many argue that they have brought wage-paying jobs and modern amenities to Appalachia, but others say they have only demolished an estimated 1.4 million acres of forested hills, buried an estimated 2,000 miles of streams, poisoned drinking water, and wiped whole towns from the map. © Ami Vitale
    DSC_8384.jpg
  • Lindytown was once home to dozens of families, many with roots dating back generations. In 2008, residents started moving away because of a nearby mine. Today, only one original family remains: Quinnie Richmond and her son, Roger. Mountaintop Removal is a method of surface mining that literally removes the tops of mountains to get to the coal seams beneath. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. Many argue that they have brought wage-paying jobs and modern amenities to Appalachia, but others say they have only demolished an estimated 1.4 million acres of forested hills, buried an estimated 2,000 miles of streams, poisoned drinking water, and wiped whole towns from the map. © Ami Vitale
    TAN_6054.jpg
  • Roger Richmond and his mother, Quinnie, pose outside their home in Lindytown, West Virginia. Lindytown was once home to dozens of families, many with roots dating back generations. In 2008, residents started moving away because of a nearby mine. Today, Roger and Quinnie Richmond are the only original residents that remain. Mountaintop Removal is a method of surface mining that literally removes the tops of mountains to get to the coal seams beneath. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. Many argue that they have brought wage-paying jobs and modern amenities to Appalachia, but others say they have only demolished an estimated 1.4 million acres of forested hills, buried an estimated 2,000 miles of streams, poisoned drinking water, and wiped whole towns from the map. © Ami Vitale
    TAN_6002.jpg
  • Just down the road from Lindytown, West Virginia, Leo Cook looks out a window of the now-vandalized building that once served as the meeting hall for members of Local 8377 of the United Mine Workers of America. Back when the building was in use, Cook sometimes polished its wooden floors. Mountaintop-removal mines are now abundant in the area. Mountaintop Removal is a method of surface mining that literally removes the tops of mountains to get to the coal seams beneath. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. Many argue that they have brought wage-paying jobs and modern amenities to Appalachia, but others say they have only demolished an estimated 1.4 million acres of forested hills, buried an estimated 2,000 miles of streams, poisoned drinking water, and wiped whole towns from the map. The mountaintop-removal mine near Blair caused the population to fall from 700 in the 1990s to fewer than 50 today, according to the Blair Mountain Heritage Alliance. "I saw Lindytown disappear," Leo Cook said. "Three people up there that died, and I believe in my soul -- I'll go to my grave believin' this?that aggravation's what caused it." © Ami Vitale
    DSC_7948.jpg
  • Just down the road from Lindytown, West Virginia, Leo Cook stands in the doorway of the now-vandalized building that once served as the meeting hall for members of Local 8377 of the United Mine Workers of America. Back when the building was in use, Cook sometimes polished its wooden floors. Mountaintop-removal mines are now abundant in the area. Mountaintop Removal is a method of surface mining that literally removes the tops of mountains to get to the coal seams beneath. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. Many argue that they have brought wage-paying jobs and modern amenities to Appalachia, but others say they have only demolished an estimated 1.4 million acres of forested hills, buried an estimated 2,000 miles of streams, poisoned drinking water, and wiped whole towns from the map. The mountaintop-removal mine near Blair caused the population to fall from 700 in the 1990s to fewer than 50 today, according to the Blair Mountain Heritage Alliance. "I saw Lindytown disappear," Leo Cook said. "Three people up there that died, and I believe in my soul -- I'll go to my grave believin' this?that aggravation's what caused it." © Ami Vitale
    DSC_7917.jpg
  • Dene First Nation James Lockhart, back and Leroy Catholique, 21, paddle down the Thelon river In the middle of the largest and most remote game sanctuary in North America, in the Northwest Territories, just south of the Arctic Circle. Its fate now hangs in the balance, protected on paper, but with little management, no money, and no voice for the Dene, its most ardent advocate for protection, while mining (for diamonds, gold, and uranium) threats, buoyed by recent prices, loom.  Dene youth have rarely been deep into the Thelon, yet the caribou is still their life blood, reverentially important.  These Dene are amongst the last hunter/gatherers in the Northern Hemisphere.   (Photo by Ami vitale)
    DSC_7474.TIFF
  • Dene First Nation youth Shonto Catholique, 21, back and Amber Lynn Powder, 20 paddle down the Thelon river In the middle of the largest and most remote game sanctuary in North America, in the Northwest Territories, just south of the Arctic Circle. Its fate now hangs in the balance, protected on paper, but with little management, no money, and no voice for the Dene, its most ardent advocate for protection, while mining (for diamonds, gold, and uranium) threats, buoyed by recent prices, loom.  Dene youth have rarely been deep into the Thelon, yet the caribou is still their life blood, reverentially important.  These Dene are amongst the last hunter/gatherers in the Northern Hemisphere.   (Photo by Ami vitale)
    DSC_7455.TIF
  • Dene First Nation youth Shonto Catholique, 21, back and Amber Lynn Powder, 20 paddle down the Thelon river In the middle of the largest and most remote game sanctuary in North America, in the Northwest Territories, just south of the Arctic Circle. Its fate now hangs in the balance, protected on paper, but with little management, no money, and no voice for the Dene, its most ardent advocate for protection, while mining (for diamonds, gold, and uranium) threats, buoyed by recent prices, loom.  Dene youth have rarely been deep into the Thelon, yet the caribou is still their life blood, reverentially important.  These Dene are amongst the last hunter/gatherers in the Northern Hemisphere.   (Photo by Ami vitale)
    DSC_5033.TIFF
  • RUKUM DISTRICT, NEPAL, APRIL 17, 2004:  Nepalese villagers carry wheat back to their homes in Rukum District April 17, 2004. Most families in the Western part of the country must give a percentage of their crops to the Maoists as tax and Ill-equipped security forces in politically unstable Nepal are unable to control  the rebels. The insurgents have captured most of the Western part of Nepal in their attempt to make it a Communist State. Analysts and diplomats estimate there about 15,000-20,000 hard-core Maoist fighters, including many women, backed by 50,000 "militia".  In their remote strongholds, they collect taxes and have set up civil administrations, and people's courts. They also raise money by taxing villagers and foreign trekkers.  They are tough in Nepal's rugged terrain, full of thick forests and deep ravines and the 150,000 government soldiers are not enough to combat this growing movement that models itself after the Shining Path of Peru. (Ami Vitale/Getty Images)
    ami237.jpg
  • RUKUM DISTRICT, NEPAL, APRIL 24, 2004:  A Nepali woman carries a basket back to her village in Rukum District April 24 2004.  Most of this district that has no roads, cars, bicycles or any mode of tranport other than donkeys an mules is completely under the control of Maoists who require farmers to make donations for their efforts to create a Communist state. Analysts and diplomats estimate there about 15,000-20,000 hard-core Maoist fighters, including many women, backed by 50,000 "militia".  In their remote strongholds, they collect taxes and have set up civil administrations, and people's courts. They also raise money by taxing villagers and foreign trekkers.  They are tough in Nepal's rugged terrain, full of thick forests and deep ravines and the 150,000 government soldiers are not enough to combat this growing movement that models itself after the Shining Path of Peru. (Ami Vitale/Getty Images)
    ami147.jpg
  • A remote area inside an Assamese national park and reserved land that has been encroached on is shown December 28, 2003 The encroachers are causing tremendous deforestation as they sell the wood and clear the land for agriculture. Forsetry officials chase them off the land but they come back almost immediately after the clearing operation and continue to live in this protected area. (Ami Vitale)
    Elephants049.jpg
  • Villagers, many of whom lost their homes, crops, and even a man who was killed by elephants perform a "puja" or holy ceremony to the Hindu God Lord Ganesha who is half human and half elephant to ask him to protect the village from real elephants coming back and causing more destruction  near Tezpur in Assam, eastern India January 6, 2004.  Villagers have been forced to stay up lighting fires, banging tin cans, throwing firecrackers to keep elephants from destroying their crops, homes and somtimes killing people. India and its sacred elephants are threatened by the deforestation caused by encroachment of the reserved land and natural forests.  As a result, wild elephants are rampaging through villages, killing people and destroying their homes and crops. (Ami Vitale)&#xA;
    Elephants046.jpg
  • Indian Forest rangers take a man accused of murder and illegal logging back to the murder scene in Sonitpur district in Assam, eastern India  December 29,2003.   India and its elephants are threatened by deforestation because of encroachment of the reserved land and natural forests.  As a result, wild elephants are rampaging through villages, killing people and destroying their homes and crops. (Ami Vitale)
    Elephants030.jpg
  • A panda who is training to be put back into the wild climbs a tree and his every move is tracked by some 200 closed-circuit in the Wolong National Nature Reserve in China.  There are now only an estimated 1,600 giant pandas left in the wild. In 2005, scientists at China’s Wolong National Nature Reserve, in Sichuan province, attempted to release a young male into the wild, but it soon died, likely as a result of a fight with wild pandas. That’s when the reserve’s director, Zhang Hemin—dubbed Papa Panda—and his team realized that the captive-born animal didn’t really know how to behave like a panda, and revamped the reserve’s program nearly from scratch. They eventually decided that the best way to raise captive pandas that act like wild ones was to erase all traces of humans from their world and allow the mothers to raise their cubs on their own.
    KEN_4491.jpg
  • Villagers wait for fishermen to bring back their catch to sell to the local market in the village of Katumbi on Lake Tanganyika in Tanzania August 27, 2011. (Photo by Ami vitale)
    TAN_2004.jpg
  • Villagers wait for fishermen to bring back their catch to sell to the local market in the village of Katumbi on Lake Tanganyika in Tanzania August 27, 2011. (Photo by Ami vitale)
    TAN_1962.jpg
  • Villagers wait for fishermen to bring back their catch to sell to the local market in the village of Katumbi on Lake Tanganyika in Tanzania August 27, 2011. (Photo by Ami vitale)
    TAN_1951.jpg
  • Girls come back from carrying water form Lake Tanganyika to their village of Nkonkwa, on Lake Tanganyika in Tanzania.
    TAN_1876.jpg
  • Bird Researcher Marisa Lipsey brings her horses back after working on a cattle drive at the Matador ranch "grass bank". The “grass bank" is an innovative way to leverage conservation gains, in which ranchers can graze their cattle at discounted rates on Conservancy land in exchange for improving conservation practices on their own “home” ranches. In 2002, the <br />
Conservancy began leasing parts of the ranch to neighboring ranchers who were suffering from  severe drought, offering the Matador’s grass to neighboring ranches in exchange for their  participation in conservation efforts. The grassbank has helped keep ranchers from plowing up native grassland to farm it; helped remove obstacles to pronghorn antelope migration; improved habitat for the Greater Sage-Grouse and reduced the risk of Sage-Grouse colliding with fences; preserved prairie dog towns and prevented the spread of noxious weeds. (Photo By Ami Vitale)
    MON_7009.jpg
  • Bird Researcher Marisa Lipsey brings her horses back after working on a cattle drive at the Matador ranch "grass bank". The “grass bank" is an innovative way to leverage conservation gains, in which ranchers can graze their cattle at discounted rates on Conservancy land in exchange for improving conservation practices on their own “home” ranches. In 2002, the <br />
Conservancy began leasing parts of the ranch to neighboring ranchers who were suffering from  severe drought, offering the Matador’s grass to neighboring ranches in exchange for their  participation in conservation efforts. The grassbank has helped keep ranchers from plowing up native grassland to farm it; helped remove obstacles to pronghorn antelope migration; improved habitat for the Greater Sage-Grouse and reduced the risk of Sage-Grouse colliding with fences; preserved prairie dog towns and prevented the spread of noxious weeds. (Photo By Ami Vitale)
    MON_7002.jpg
  • Bird Researcher Marisa Lipsey brings her horses back after working on a cattle drive at the Matador ranch "grass bank". The “grass bank" is an innovative way to leverage conservation gains, in which ranchers can graze their cattle at discounted rates on Conservancy land in exchange for improving conservation practices on their own “home” ranches. In 2002, the <br />
Conservancy began leasing parts of the ranch to neighboring ranchers who were suffering from  severe drought, offering the Matador’s grass to neighboring ranches in exchange for their  participation in conservation efforts. The grassbank has helped keep ranchers from plowing up native grassland to farm it; helped remove obstacles to pronghorn antelope migration; improved habitat for the Greater Sage-Grouse and reduced the risk of Sage-Grouse colliding with fences; preserved prairie dog towns and prevented the spread of noxious weeds. (Photo By Ami Vitale)
    MON_6909-3.jpg
  • An home sits abandoned in Lindytown, West Virginia. Lindytown was once home to dozens of families, many with roots dating back generations. In 2008, residents started moving away because of a nearby mine. Today, only one original family remains: Quinnie Richmond and her son, Roger. Mountaintop Removal is a method of surface mining that literally removes the tops of mountains to get to the coal seams beneath. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. Many argue that they have brought wage-paying jobs and modern amenities to Appalachia, but others say they have only demolished an estimated 1.4 million acres of forested hills, buried an estimated 2,000 miles of streams, poisoned drinking water, and wiped whole towns from the map. © Ami Vitale
    DSC_8635.jpg
  • Just down the road from Lindytown, West Virginia, Leo Cook visits the now-vandalized building that once served as the meeting hall for members of Local 8377 of the United Mine Workers of America. Back when the building was in use, Cook sometimes polished its wooden floors. Mountaintop-removal mines are now abundant in the area. Mountaintop Removal is a method of surface mining that literally removes the tops of mountains to get to the coal seams beneath. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. Many argue that they have brought wage-paying jobs and modern amenities to Appalachia, but others say they have only demolished an estimated 1.4 million acres of forested hills, buried an estimated 2,000 miles of streams, poisoned drinking water, and wiped whole towns from the map. The mountaintop-removal mine near Blair caused the population to fall from 700 in the 1990s to fewer than 50 today, according to the Blair Mountain Heritage Alliance. "I saw Lindytown disappear," Leo Cook said. "Three people up there that died, and I believe in my soul -- I'll go to my grave believin' this?that aggravation's what caused it." © Ami Vitale
    DSC_8493.jpg
  • Just down the road from Lindytown, West Virginia, Leo Cook visits the now-vandalized building that once served as the meeting hall for members of Local 8377 of the United Mine Workers of America. Back when the building was in use, Cook sometimes polished its wooden floors. Mountaintop-removal mines are now abundant in the area. Mountaintop Removal is a method of surface mining that literally removes the tops of mountains to get to the coal seams beneath. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. Many argue that they have brought wage-paying jobs and modern amenities to Appalachia, but others say they have only demolished an estimated 1.4 million acres of forested hills, buried an estimated 2,000 miles of streams, poisoned drinking water, and wiped whole towns from the map. The mountaintop-removal mine near Blair caused the population to fall from 700 in the 1990s to fewer than 50 today, according to the Blair Mountain Heritage Alliance. "I saw Lindytown disappear," Leo Cook said. "Three people up there that died, and I believe in my soul -- I'll go to my grave believin' this?that aggravation's what caused it." © Ami Vitale
    DSC_8478.jpg
  • Quinnie Richmond walks around inside her home in Lindytown, West Virginia. Lindytown was once home to dozens of families, many with roots dating back generations. In 2008, residents started moving away because of a nearby mine. Today, only one original family remains: Quinnie Richmond and her son, Roger. Mountaintop Removal is a method of surface mining that literally removes the tops of mountains to get to the coal seams beneath. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. Many argue that they have brought wage-paying jobs and modern amenities to Appalachia, but others say they have only demolished an estimated 1.4 million acres of forested hills, buried an estimated 2,000 miles of streams, poisoned drinking water, and wiped whole towns from the map. © Ami Vitale
    DSC_8390.jpg
  • Quinnie Richmond holds an old photo of herself inside her home in Lindytown, West Virginia. Lindytown was once home to dozens of families, many with roots dating back generations. In 2008, residents started moving away because of a nearby mine. Today, only one original family remains: Quinnie Richmond and her son, Roger. Mountaintop Removal is a method of surface mining that literally removes the tops of mountains to get to the coal seams beneath. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. Many argue that they have brought wage-paying jobs and modern amenities to Appalachia, but others say they have only demolished an estimated 1.4 million acres of forested hills, buried an estimated 2,000 miles of streams, poisoned drinking water, and wiped whole towns from the map. © Ami Vitale
    DSC_8368.jpg
  • Quinnie Richmond walks around her home in Lindytown, West Virginia. Lindytown was once home to dozens of families, many with roots dating back generations. In 2008, residents started moving away because of a nearby mine. Today, only one original family remains: Quinnie Richmond and her son, Roger. Mountaintop Removal is a method of surface mining that literally removes the tops of mountains to get to the coal seams beneath. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. Many argue that they have brought wage-paying jobs and modern amenities to Appalachia, but others say they have only demolished an estimated 1.4 million acres of forested hills, buried an estimated 2,000 miles of streams, poisoned drinking water, and wiped whole towns from the map. © Ami Vitale
    DSC_8349.jpg
  • An home sits abandoned in Lindytown, West Virginia. Lindytown was once home to dozens of families, many with roots dating back generations. In 2008, residents started moving away because of a nearby mine. Today, only one original family remains: Quinnie Richmond and her son, Roger. Mountaintop Removal is a method of surface mining that literally removes the tops of mountains to get to the coal seams beneath. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. Many argue that they have brought wage-paying jobs and modern amenities to Appalachia, but others say they have only demolished an estimated 1.4 million acres of forested hills, buried an estimated 2,000 miles of streams, poisoned drinking water, and wiped whole towns from the map. © Ami Vitale
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  • Lindytown, West Virginia is almost completely abandoned. It was once home to dozens of families, many with roots dating back generations. In 2008, residents started moving away because of a nearby mine. Today, only one original family remains: Quinnie Richmond and her son, Roger. Mountaintop Removal is a method of surface mining that literally removes the tops of mountains to get to the coal seams beneath. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. Many argue that they have brought wage-paying jobs and modern amenities to Appalachia, but others say they have only demolished an estimated 1.4 million acres of forested hills, buried an estimated 2,000 miles of streams, poisoned drinking water, and wiped whole towns from the map. © Ami Vitale
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  • An home sits abandoned in Lindytown, West Virginia. Lindytown was once home to dozens of families, many with roots dating back generations. In 2008, residents started moving away because of a nearby mine. Today, only one original family remains: Quinnie Richmond and her son, Roger. Mountaintop Removal is a method of surface mining that literally removes the tops of mountains to get to the coal seams beneath. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. Many argue that they have brought wage-paying jobs and modern amenities to Appalachia, but others say they have only demolished an estimated 1.4 million acres of forested hills, buried an estimated 2,000 miles of streams, poisoned drinking water, and wiped whole towns from the map. © Ami Vitale
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  • Quinnie Richmond poses inside her home in Lindytown, West Virginia. Lindytown was once home to dozens of families, many with roots dating back generations. In 2008, residents started moving away because of a nearby mine. Today, only one original family remains: Quinnie Richmond and her son, Roger. Mountaintop Removal is a method of surface mining that literally removes the tops of mountains to get to the coal seams beneath. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. Many argue that they have brought wage-paying jobs and modern amenities to Appalachia, but others say they have only demolished an estimated 1.4 million acres of forested hills, buried an estimated 2,000 miles of streams, poisoned drinking water, and wiped whole towns from the map. © Ami Vitale
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  • Roger Richmond and his mother, Quinnie, pose outside their home in Lindytown, West Virginia. Lindytown was once home to dozens of families, many with roots dating back generations. In 2008, residents started moving away because of a nearby mine. Today, Roger and Quinnie Richmond are the only original residents that remain. Mountaintop Removal is a method of surface mining that literally removes the tops of mountains to get to the coal seams beneath. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. Many argue that they have brought wage-paying jobs and modern amenities to Appalachia, but others say they have only demolished an estimated 1.4 million acres of forested hills, buried an estimated 2,000 miles of streams, poisoned drinking water, and wiped whole towns from the map. © Ami Vitale
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  • Charles Bella of Blair, West Virginia plays with his dog outside his home. "I worked on the mountaintop mine," Bella said. "That comes back and haunts me to this day. I was part of destroying my own community." Mountaintop Removal is a method of surface mining that literally removes the tops of mountains to get to the coal seams beneath. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. Many argue that they have brought wage-paying jobs and modern amenities to Appalachia, but others say they have only demolished an estimated 1.4 million acres of forested hills, buried an estimated 2,000 miles of streams, poisoned drinking water, and wiped whole towns from the map. © Ami Vitale
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  • Roads through Lindytown, West Virginia have been nearly silent since residents moved away in 2008, when a nearby mine was created. Lindytown was once home to dozens of families, many with roots dating back generations. Today, only one original family remains: Quinnie Richmond and her son, Roger. Mountaintop Removal is a method of surface mining that literally removes the tops of mountains to get to the coal seams beneath. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. Many argue that they have brought wage-paying jobs and modern amenities to Appalachia, but others say they have only demolished an estimated 1.4 million acres of forested hills, buried an estimated 2,000 miles of streams, poisoned drinking water, and wiped whole towns from the map. © Ami Vitale
    DSC_8247.jpg
  • Quinnie Richmond poses outside her home in Lindytown, West Virginia. Lindytown was once home to dozens of families, many with roots dating back generations. In 2008, residents started moving away because of a nearby mine. Today, only one original family remains: Quinnie Richmond and her son, Roger. Mountaintop Removal is a method of surface mining that literally removes the tops of mountains to get to the coal seams beneath. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. Many argue that they have brought wage-paying jobs and modern amenities to Appalachia, but others say they have only demolished an estimated 1.4 million acres of forested hills, buried an estimated 2,000 miles of streams, poisoned drinking water, and wiped whole towns from the map. © Ami Vitale
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  • Just down the road from Lindytown, West Virginia, Leo Cook looks out a window of the now-vandalized building that once served as the meeting hall for members of Local 8377 of the United Mine Workers of America. Back when the building was in use, Cook sometimes polished its wooden floors. Mountaintop-removal mines are now abundant in the area. Mountaintop Removal is a method of surface mining that literally removes the tops of mountains to get to the coal seams beneath. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. Many argue that they have brought wage-paying jobs and modern amenities to Appalachia, but others say they have only demolished an estimated 1.4 million acres of forested hills, buried an estimated 2,000 miles of streams, poisoned drinking water, and wiped whole towns from the map. The mountaintop-removal mine near Blair caused the population to fall from 700 in the 1990s to fewer than 50 today, according to the Blair Mountain Heritage Alliance. "I saw Lindytown disappear," Leo Cook said. "Three people up there that died, and I believe in my soul -- I'll go to my grave believin' this?that aggravation's what caused it." © Ami Vitale
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  • Just down the road from Lindytown, West Virginia, Leo Cook looks out a window of the now-vandalized building that once served as the meeting hall for members of Local 8377 of the United Mine Workers of America. Back when the building was in use, Cook sometimes polished its wooden floors. Mountaintop-removal mines are now abundant in the area. Mountaintop Removal is a method of surface mining that literally removes the tops of mountains to get to the coal seams beneath. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. Many argue that they have brought wage-paying jobs and modern amenities to Appalachia, but others say they have only demolished an estimated 1.4 million acres of forested hills, buried an estimated 2,000 miles of streams, poisoned drinking water, and wiped whole towns from the map. The mountaintop-removal mine near Blair caused the population to fall from 700 in the 1990s to fewer than 50 today, according to the Blair Mountain Heritage Alliance. "I saw Lindytown disappear," Leo Cook said. "Three people up there that died, and I believe in my soul -- I'll go to my grave believin' this?that aggravation's what caused it." © Ami Vitale
    DSC_7947.jpg
  • Just down the road from Lindytown, West Virginia, Leo Cook visits the now-vandalized building that once served as the meeting hall for members of Local 8377 of the United Mine Workers of America. Back when the building was in use, Cook sometimes polished its wooden floors. Mountaintop-removal mines are now abundant in the area. Mountaintop Removal is a method of surface mining that literally removes the tops of mountains to get to the coal seams beneath. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. Many argue that they have brought wage-paying jobs and modern amenities to Appalachia, but others say they have only demolished an estimated 1.4 million acres of forested hills, buried an estimated 2,000 miles of streams, poisoned drinking water, and wiped whole towns from the map. The mountaintop-removal mine near Blair caused the population to fall from 700 in the 1990s to fewer than 50 today, according to the Blair Mountain Heritage Alliance. "I saw Lindytown disappear," Leo Cook said. "Three people up there that died, and I believe in my soul -- I'll go to my grave believin' this?that aggravation's what caused it." © Ami Vitale
    DSC_7944.jpg
  • Just down the road from Lindytown, West Virginia, Leo Cook stands in the doorway of the now-vandalized building that once served as the meeting hall for members of Local 8377 of the United Mine Workers of America. Back when the building was in use, Cook sometimes polished its wooden floors. Mountaintop-removal mines are now abundant in the area. Mountaintop Removal is a method of surface mining that literally removes the tops of mountains to get to the coal seams beneath. It is the most profitable mining technique available because it is performed quickly, cheaply and comes with hefty economic benefits for the mining companies, most of which are located out of state. Many argue that they have brought wage-paying jobs and modern amenities to Appalachia, but others say they have only demolished an estimated 1.4 million acres of forested hills, buried an estimated 2,000 miles of streams, poisoned drinking water, and wiped whole towns from the map. The mountaintop-removal mine near Blair caused the population to fall from 700 in the 1990s to fewer than 50 today, according to the Blair Mountain Heritage Alliance. "I saw Lindytown disappear," Leo Cook said. "Three people up there that died, and I believe in my soul -- I'll go to my grave believin' this?that aggravation's what caused it." © Ami Vitale
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  • Steve Ellis, back and Tristen Jade Lockhart, 14 from the Dene First Nation paddles in the Thelon Sanctuary August, 2011. It is a place ruled by the biggest and smallest--the grizzly and the mosquito--and by the extremes of sub-arctic seasons. The Thelon is the largest and most remote game sanctuary in North America, which almost no one has heard of. (Photo by Ami Vitale)
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  • Dene First Nation James Lockhart, back and Leroy Catholique, 21, paddle down the Thelon river In the middle of the largest and most remote game sanctuary in North America, in the Northwest Territories, just south of the Arctic Circle. Its fate now hangs in the balance, protected on paper, but with little management, no money, and no voice for the Dene, its most ardent advocate for protection, while mining (for diamonds, gold, and uranium) threats, buoyed by recent prices, loom.  Dene youth have rarely been deep into the Thelon, yet the caribou is still their life blood, reverentially important.  These Dene are amongst the last hunter/gatherers in the Northern Hemisphere.   (Photo by Ami vitale)
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  • Dene First Nation youth Shonto Catholique, 21, back and Amber Lynn Powder, 20 paddle down the Thelon river In the middle of the largest and most remote game sanctuary in North America, in the Northwest Territories, just south of the Arctic Circle. Its fate now hangs in the balance, protected on paper, but with little management, no money, and no voice for the Dene, its most ardent advocate for protection, while mining (for diamonds, gold, and uranium) threats, buoyed by recent prices, loom.  Dene youth have rarely been deep into the Thelon, yet the caribou is still their life blood, reverentially important.  These Dene are amongst the last hunter/gatherers in the Northern Hemisphere.   (Photo by Ami vitale)
    DSC_7458.TIFF
  • Dene First Nation youth Shonto Catholique, 21, back and Amber Lynn Powder, 20 paddle down the Thelon river In the middle of the largest and most remote game sanctuary in North America, in the Northwest Territories, just south of the Arctic Circle. Its fate now hangs in the balance, protected on paper, but with little management, no money, and no voice for the Dene, its most ardent advocate for protection, while mining (for diamonds, gold, and uranium) threats, buoyed by recent prices, loom.  Dene youth have rarely been deep into the Thelon, yet the caribou is still their life blood, reverentially important.  These Dene are amongst the last hunter/gatherers in the Northern Hemisphere.   (Photo by Ami vitale)
    DSC_7451.TIFF
  • Steve Ellis, back, Hawke Ellis Williams, 4, middle and Dene First Nation youth Tristen Jade Lockhart, 14, paddle down the Thelon river In the middle of the largest and most remote game sanctuary in North America, in the Northwest Territories, just south of the Arctic Circle. Its fate now hangs in the balance, protected on paper, but with little management, no money, and no voice for the Dene, its most ardent advocate for protection, while mining (for diamonds, gold, and uranium) threats, buoyed by recent prices, loom.  Dene youth have rarely been deep into the Thelon, yet the caribou is still their life blood, reverentially important.  These Dene are amongst the last hunter/gatherers in the Northern Hemisphere.   (Photo by Ami vitale)
    DSC_7417.TIFF
  • Steve Ellis, back, Hawke Ellis Williams, 4, middle and Dene First Nation youth Tristen Jade Lockhart, 14, paddle down the Thelon river In the middle of the largest and most remote game sanctuary in North America, in the Northwest Territories, just south of the Arctic Circle. Its fate now hangs in the balance, protected on paper, but with little management, no money, and no voice for the Dene, its most ardent advocate for protection, while mining (for diamonds, gold, and uranium) threats, buoyed by recent prices, loom.  Dene youth have rarely been deep into the Thelon, yet the caribou is still their life blood, reverentially important.  These Dene are amongst the last hunter/gatherers in the Northern Hemisphere.   (Photo by Ami vitale)
    DSC_7406.TIF
  • Dene First Nation youth Shonto Catholique, 21, back and Amber Lynn Powder, 20 paddle down the Thelon river In the middle of the largest and most remote game sanctuary in North America, in the Northwest Territories, just south of the Arctic Circle. Its fate now hangs in the balance, protected on paper, but with little management, no money, and no voice for the Dene, its most ardent advocate for protection, while mining (for diamonds, gold, and uranium) threats, buoyed by recent prices, loom.  Dene youth have rarely been deep into the Thelon, yet the caribou is still their life blood, reverentially important.  These Dene are amongst the last hunter/gatherers in the Northern Hemisphere.   (Photo by Ami vitale)
    DSC_5038.TIFF
  • RUKUM DISTRICT, NEPAL, APRIL 17, 2004:  A Nepali woman carries wheat back to her village in Rukum District April 17, 2004.  Most of this district is completely under the control of Maoists who require farmers to make donations for their efforts to create a Communist state.Analysts and diplomats estimate there about 15,000-20,000 hard-core Maoist fighters, including many women, backed by 50,000 "militia".  In their remote strongholds, they collect taxes and have set up civil administrations, and people's courts. They also raise money by taxing villagers and foreign trekkers.  They are tough in Nepal's rugged terrain, full of thick forests and deep ravines and the 150,000 government soldiers are not enough to combat this growing movement that models itself after the Shining Path of Peru. (Ami Vitale/Getty Images)
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  • This is one of the villages that was established after the Moroccans threatened to kill anyone possessing manuscripts in Timbuktu. The Kati family escaped and came to this place along the Niger river and has been living here since. Recently, a library was established in Timbuktu and the hidden manuscripts were brought back to be catalogued and preserved in the Fondo Kati Library.
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  • Massilimani and his wife Punitha put up photographs of their children and relatives who died in the tsunami inside the temporary shelter where they sleep. They wanted to move back to Arynatu beach but are afraid to after a man said he saw ghosts.  Life goes on inside the temporary shelters despite the searing temperatures and daily struggles as families try to  recover from the deadly tsunami in  Nagapattinum district in Tamil Nadu, India August  13, 2005. The recovery process is slow and the situation still grim for many of the worlds poorest who were most affected by the deadly wave.  (Ami Vitale)
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  • A remote area inside an Assamese national park and reserved land that has been encroached on is shown December 28, 2003 The encroachers are causing tremendous deforestation as they sell the wood and clear the land for agriculture. Forsetry officials chase them off the land but they come back almost immediately after the clearing operation and continue to live in this protected area. (Ami Vitale)
    Elephants045.jpg
  • A remote area inside an Assamese national park and reserved land that has been encroached on is shown December 28, 2003 The encroachers are causing tremendous deforestation as they sell the wood and clear the land for agriculture. Forsetry officials chase them off the land but they come back almost immediately after the clearing operation and continue to live in this protected area. (Ami Vitale)
    Elephants044.jpg
  • A remote area inside an Assamese national park and reserved land that has been encroached on is shown December 28, 2003 The encroachers are causing tremendous deforestation as they sell the wood and clear the land for agriculture. Forsetry officials chase them off the land but they come back almost immediately after the clearing operation and continue to live in this protected area. (Ami Vitale)
    Elephants024.jpg
  • Chitrakoot District, Uttar Pradesh, India: Woman use the top of their heads to help carry wood back to the village to be used for heating and cooking. In India woman are responsible for carrying out many hard labored tasks. Chitrakoot District in Uttar Pradesh, India.  (Photo by Ami Vitale)
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  • RUKUM DISTRICT, NEPAL, APRIL 20, 2004:  Maoist insurgents take a group of children for a cultural education program  in Rukum district April 20, 2004   Maoist rebels continue to abduct thousands of villagers for forcible indoctrination and military training.  The Maoists mainly target students, teachers and youths. The victims are usually released after a few days of indoctrination. Analysts and diplomats estimate there about 15,000-20,000 hard-core Maoist fighters, including many women, backed by 50,000 "militia".  In their remote strongholds, they collect taxes and have set up civil administrations, and people's courts. They also raise money by taxing villagers and foreign trekkers.  They are tough in Nepal's rugged terrain, full of thick forests and deep ravines and the 150,000 government soldiers are not enough to combat this growing movement that models itself after the Shining Path of Peru. Analysts and diplomats estimate there about 15,000-20,000 hard-core fighters, including many women, backed by 50,000 "militia".  In their remote strongholds, they collect taxes and have set up civil administrations, and "people's courts" to settle rows. They also raise money by taxing villagers and foreign trekkers. Though young, they are fearsome fighters and  specialise in night attacks and hit-and-run raids. They are tough in Nepal's rugged terrain, full of thick forests and deep ravines and the 150,000 government soldiers are not enough to combat this growing movement that models itself after the Shining Path of Peru. (Ami Vitale/Getty Images)
    ami186.jpg
  • A Malawian girl carries beans back to her village of Murela in the Phalombe District which is east of Blantyre, Malawi, July 3, 2002.   After the droughts and flooding in the last year, half of the students stopped goign to school because of  the ongoing food shortage in the region. The World Food Program estimates that 3.2 million people in Malawi alone will be affected before March 2003.
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  • Kashmiri children load themselves up in a rickshaw on their way back from school in the city of Srinagar   in  Kashmir during Ramadan November 21.  Kashmir has seen nearly 1000 civilians killed this year alone and 1,765 wounded in a brutal conflict that the United Nations calls the most dangerous place in the world.  (Photo by Ami Vitale)
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  • Naitemu Letur pushes a jug of water back to her manyatta. "Before, we would walk for hours every day just to get water. Sometimes it was not safe but now we have plenty of water near our homes and this has made our lives more secure. " The Northern Rangelands Trust in Northern Kenya  is a group of conservanices that make conservation a self-sustaining proposition—financially and socially—by providing water, health care, education and jobs for the local community through responsible tourism and complementary agro-pastoralism. Ths makes the community deeply invested in the effort’s success. In earlier conservation efforts, threatened forests and endangered species were protected by uniformed guards. In the NRT, they are protected by women and school children, who have a vested interest in a healthy environment because they benefit directly. Rather than something that has to be guarded from local communities, the environment becomes a source of sustainable economic activity for those communities.
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  • MURELA, MALAWI - JULY 2: A Malawian girl carries beans back to her village of Murela in the Phalombe District which is east of Blantyre, Malawi, July 3, 2002.   After the droughts and flooding in the last year, half of the students stopped goign to school because of  the ongoing food shortage in the region. The World Food Program estimates that 3.2 million people in Malawi alone will be affected before March 2003.   (photo by Ami Vitale)
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  • Chitrakoot District, Uttar Pradesh, India: Women use their heads to carry wood back to their villages in the Chitrakoot District of Uttar Pradesh. In India woman are responsible for carrying out many hard labored tasks.  (Photo by Ami Vitale)
    2005_India_UP_028.jpg
  • Chitrakoot District, Uttar Pradesh, India: Children uses their heads to carry wood back to their villages in the Chitrakoot District of Uttar Pradesh. In India woman are responsible for carrying out many hard labored tasks.  (Photo by Ami Vitale)
    2005_India_UP_027.jpg
  • Chitrakoot District, Uttar Pradesh, India: Children uses their heads to carry wood back to their villages in the Chitrakoot District of Uttar Pradesh. In India woman are responsible for carrying out many hard labored tasks.  (Photo by Ami Vitale)
    2005_India_UP_026.jpg
  • Chitrakoot District, Uttar Pradesh, India: Children uses their heads to carry wood back to their villages in the Chitrakoot District of Uttar Pradesh. In India woman are responsible for carrying out many hard labored tasks.  (Photo by Ami Vitale)
    2005_India_UP_025.jpg
  • Chitrakoot District, Uttar Pradesh, India: Woman use the top of their heads to help carry wood back to the village to be used for heating and cooking. In India woman are responsible for carrying out many hard labored tasks. Chitrakoot District in Uttar Pradesh, India.  (Photo by Ami Vitale)
    2005_India_UP_017.jpg
  • Chitrakoot District, Uttar Pradesh, India: A man and a young child use their heads to carry wood back to their village to be used for heating and cooking. In India woman are responsible for carrying out many hard labored tasks. Chitrakoot District in Uttar Pradesh, India.  (Photo by Ami Vitale)
    2005_India_UP_015.jpg
  • Chitrakoot District, Uttar Pradesh, India: A man and a young child use their heads to carry wood back to their village to be used for heating and cooking. In India woman are responsible for carrying out many hard labored tasks. Chitrakoot District in Uttar Pradesh, India.  (Photo by Ami Vitale)
    2005_India_UP_014.jpg
  • BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA: Plaza de Mayo in Buenos Aires, Argentina is the city's most significant square from a historical perspective which dates back to the 16th century. Plaza de Mayo is the centre of political affairs within Buenos Aires and the home to a series of buildings each serving as physical reminder of a different era in the city's history..(Photo by Ami Vitale)
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  • KABUL,AFGHANISTAN - AUGUST 29: An Afghan construction worker walks among the debris littering the Presidential palace, August 29, 2002 in Kabul, Afghanistan.  The palace was destroyed by the Taliban and now that Mohammad Zaher Shah has moved back in, it is being reconstructed. (Photo by Ami Vitale/Getty Images)
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  • KABUL,AFGHANISTAN - SEPT. 11:  American Marines walk back into the American Embassy after they listened to a speech in Kabul, Afghanistan September 11,2002 where remains of the World Trade Center were laid as a symbolic gesture for those that died in the attack one year ago.While Americans are remembering the attack, most Afghans are trying to forget the decades old war which killed more than a million people here in Afghanistan. (Photo by Ami Vitale/Getty Images)
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  • GERESHK,AFGHANISTAN - SEPT. 4: An Afghan man with a gun strapped to his back watches as UNICEF workers monitoring the last day of a three-day nation wide immunisation campaign speak to villagers September 5, 2002 near Gereshk, Afghanistan.  The latest campaign targeted 5.9 million children under the age of five and teams of vaccinators went from village to village to ensure that all children in that age bracket were immunised. (Photo by Ami Vitale/Getty Images)
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  • GERESHK,AFGHANISTAN - SEPT. 4: An Afghan man with a gun strapped to his back watches as UNICEF workers monitoring the last day of a three-day nation wide immunisation campaign speak to villagers September 5, 2002 near Gereshk, Afghanistan.  The latest campaign targeted 5.9 million children under the age of five and teams of vaccinators went from village to village to ensure that all children in that age bracket were immunised. (Photo by Ami Vitale/Getty Images)
    kan104B.jpg
  • RUKUM DISTRICT, NEPAL, APRIL 20, 2004:  Maoist insurgents take a group of children for a cultural education program  in Rukum district April 20, 2004   Maoist rebels continue to abduct villagers for indoctrination and military training.  The Maoists mainly target students, teachers and youths. The victims are usually released after a few days of indoctrination. Analysts and diplomats estimate there about 15,000-20,000 hard-core Maoist fighters, including many women, backed by 50,000 "militia".  In their remote strongholds, they collect taxes and have set up civil administrations, and people's courts. They also raise money by taxing villagers and foreign trekkers.  They are tough in Nepal's rugged terrain, full of thick forests and deep ravines and the 150,000 government soldiers are not enough to combat this growing movement that models itself after the Shining Path of Peru. Analysts and diplomats estimate there about 15,000-20,000 hard-core fighters, including many women, backed by 50,000 "militia".  In their remote strongholds, they collect taxes and have set up civil administrations, and "people's courts" to settle rows. They also raise money by taxing villagers and foreign trekkers. Though young, they are fearsome fighters and  specialise in night attacks and hit-and-run raids. They are tough in Nepal's rugged terrain, full of thick forests and deep ravines and the 150,000 government soldiers are not enough to combat this growing movement that models itself after the Shining Path of Peru. (Ami Vitale/Getty Images)
    ami206.jpg
  • A remote area inside an Assamese national park and reserved land that has been encroached on is shown December 28, 2003 The encroachers are causing tremendous deforestation as they sell the wood and clear the land for agriculture. Forsetry officials chase them off the land but they come back almost immediately after the clearing operation and continue to live in this protected area. (Ami Vitale)
    Elephants023.psd
  • A remote area inside an Assamese national park and reserved land that has been encroached on is shown December 28, 2003 The encroachers are causing tremendous deforestation as they sell the wood and clear the land for agriculture. Forsetry officials chase them off the land but they come back almost immediately after the clearing operation and continue to live in this protected area. (Ami Vitale)
    Elephants022.jpg
  • A Malawian trader carries a pig on the back of his bike through the village of Makhwata in Malawi, July 1, 2002.  Because of the droughts and flooding in the last year, most Malawians were unable to buy seeds to grow their own food and are suffering from malnutrition because of the ongoing food shortage in the region. The World Food Program estimates that 3.2 million people in Malawi alone will be affected before March 2003.   (photo by Ami Vitale/Getty Images)
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  • Israeli settlers in Gaza  raise their one-year-old daughter in their new home, Wednesday, October 25, 2000. One Israeli soldier was wounded in an attack at a nearby checkpoint after a suicide bomber strapped 5 kilos of TNT to his back on Thursday. (Photo by Ami Vitale)
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  • 2927309: JODPHUR, INDIA, FEB. 10, 2004: Indian Border Security Force constables perform their morning duties at a training center in Jodphur, India February 10,2004.  The constables train camels who are able to survive the harsh conditions in the desert region of Rajasthan and along the border with Pakistan. India and Pakistan have fought three wars that date back to the partition of the British Indian Empire  in 1947 but are now warming up to eachother and will have peace talks this month. (Ami Vitale/Getty Images)
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  • 2927309: JODPHUR, INDIA, FEB. 10, 2004: Indian Border Security Force constables perform their morning duties at a training center in Jodphur, India February 10,2004.  The constables train camels who are able to survive the harsh conditions in the desert region of Rajasthan and along the border with Pakistan. India and Pakistan have fought three wars that date back to the partition of the British Indian Empire  in 1947 but are now warming up to eachother and will have peace talks this month. (Ami Vitale)
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  • Camel fair-water-Camel traders from India water their livestock and carry the precious liquid back to their camp site in traditional clay pottery at the largest camel fair in the world in Pushkar, India in the state of Rajasthan November 27, 2001.
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  • SRINAGAR, INDIA, MARCH 10, 2004:Children cry as Indian army bring back the bodies of  five people who were killed when a grenade exploded in the hands of a man who was seeking to extort money from a family in Budgam district of Kashmir, March 10, 2004.   Locals said the man was a former militant who was extorting money from villagers and thousands came out to mourn the deaths. Tens of thousands of people have died in Kashmir since the eruption of anti-Indian revolt in the region in 1989. Separatists put the toll at between 80,000 and 100,000.
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  • An elderly Muslim woman's body whose throat was slashed and then set on fire lies outside of her home March 2, 2002 in Ahmedabad, India. Her home sat next door to a local police station but she and an untold number of others were brutally killed by angry mobs on a spree of vengeance. Troops arrived in India's riot-torn western state of Gujarat but were unable to quell the religious violence that brought back stark memories of Partition in 1947.
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  • RUKUM DISTRICT, NEPAL, APRIL 15, 2004:  Children carry their siblings in a small village in Rukum District April 15, 2004. Ill-equipped security forces in politically unstable Nepal are unable to control  Maoist rebels, who continue to abduct thousands of villagers for forcible indoctrination and military training.  The Maoists mainly target students, teachers and youths. The victims are usually released after a few days of indoctrination, unless they actively resist the "training attempts," in which case the rebels torture or sometimes kill them. Maoist insurgents have capture most of the Western part of Nepal in their attempt to make it a Communist State. Analysts and diplomats estimate there about 15,000-20,000 hard-core Maoist fighters, including many women, backed by 50,000 "militia".  In their remote strongholds, they collect taxes and have set up civil administrations, and people's courts. They also raise money by taxing villagers and foreign trekkers.  They are tough in Nepal's rugged terrain, full of thick forests and deep ravines and the 150,000 government soldiers are not enough to combat this growing movement that models itself after the Shining Path of Peru. (Ami Vitale/Getty Images)
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  • SALYAN DISTRICT, NEPAL, APRIL 23, 2004: An Army hospital and barracks destroyed by Maoists two years ago in Bagchaur village in Salyan district sits empty April 23, 2004. Maoist insurgents have been looting banks, barracks, destroying health facilities, jails and torching government office buildings as they attempt to build their own autonomous state, to topple the constitutional monarchy and install a communist republic. The guerrillas' strength is hard to gauge. Analysts and diplomats estimate there about 15,000-20,000 hard-core fighters, including many women, backed by 50,000 "militia".  In their remote strongholds, they collect taxes and have set up civil administrations, and "people's courts" to settle rows. They also raise money by taxing villagers and foreign trekkers. Though young, they are fearsome fighters and  specialise in night attacks and hit-and-run raids. They are tough in Nepal's rugged terrain, full of thick forests and deep ravines and the 150,000 government soldiers are not enough to combat this growing movement that models itself after the Shining Path of Peru. (Ami Vitale/Getty Images)
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  • RUKUM DISTRICT, NEPAL, APRIL 22, 2004:  Radna Bahadur Rana, right, who murdered a relative works inside a mill in an "open prison"  established by Maoists who have created an autonomous state with their own judicial sysytem in a village in Rukum District April 22, 2004. The prison was once a farm owned by a relative of the King but was taken over by Maoists. The Maoists believe that criminals can be reformed through labor and cannot be be corrected confined within a jail with bars. They beleive that crime is a social evil and the main cause is a class system.   Analysts and diplomats estimate there about 15,000-20,000 hard-core fighters, including many women, backed by 50,000 "militia".  In their remote strongholds, they collect taxes and have set up civil administrations, and "people's courts" to settle rows. They also raise money by taxing villagers and foreign trekkers. Though young, they are fearsome fighters and  specialise in night attacks and hit-and-run raids. They are tough in Nepal's rugged terrain, full of thick forests and deep ravines and the 150,000 government soldiers are not enough to combat this growing movement that models itself after the Shining Path of Peru. (Ami Vitale/Getty Images)
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  • RUKUM DISTRICT, NEPAL, APRIL 22, 2004:  Maoist insurgents meet in Rukum district April 22, 2004 weeks after their attack on government troops in Beni when they overran the district headquarters, looting a bank, destroying the jail and torching government office buildings. The government said that 32 security personnel died in the clash and 37 were kidnapped. The clash was one of the deadliest since 1996 when fighting began to topple the constitutional monarchy and install a communist republic. The guerrillas' strength is hard to gauge. Analysts and diplomats estimate there about 15,000-20,000 hard-core fighters, including many women, backed by 50,000 "militia".  In their remote strongholds, they collect taxes and have set up civil administrations, and "people's courts" to settle rows. They also raise money by taxing villagers and foreign trekkers. Though young, they are fearsome fighters and  specialise in night attacks and hit-and-run raids. They are tough in Nepal's rugged terrain, full of thick forests and deep ravines and the 150,000 government soldiers are not enough to combat this growing movement that models itself after the Shining Path of Peru. (Ami Vitale/Getty Images)
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  • RUKUM DISTRICT, NEPAL, APRIL 15, 2004:  Nepalese cross a bridge controlled by Maoists in Rukum district April 15, 2004. The infrastructure of Western Nepal is nonexistant and government troops have a hard time manoevering through the difficult terrain to combat the growing Maoist insurgency. Analysts and diplomats estimate there about 15,000-20,000 hard-core Maoist fighters, including many women, backed by 50,000 "militia".  In their remote strongholds, they collect taxes and have set up civil administrations, and "people's courts" to settle rows. They also raise money by taxing villagers and foreign trekkers. Though young, they are fearsome fighters and  specialise in night attacks and hit-and-run raids. They are tough in Nepal's rugged terrain, full of thick forests and deep ravines and the 150,000 government soldiers are not enough to combat this growing movement that models itself after the Shining Path of Peru. (Ami Vitale/Getty Images)
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  • RUKUM DISTRICT, NEPAL, APRIL 22, 2004:  Maoist insurgents celebrate in Rukum district April 22, 2004 weeks after their attack on government troops in Beni when they overran the district headquarters, looting a bank, destroying the jail and torching government office buildings. The government said that 32 security personnel died in the clash and 37 were kidnapped. The clash was one of the deadliest since 1996 when fighting began to topple the constitutional monarchy and install a communist republic. The guerrillas' strength is hard to gauge. Analysts and diplomats estimate there about 15,000-20,000 hard-core fighters, including many women, backed by 50,000 "militia".  In their remote strongholds, they collect taxes and have set up civil administrations, and "people's courts" to settle rows. They also raise money by taxing villagers and foreign trekkers. Though young, they are fearsome fighters and  specialise in night attacks and hit-and-run raids. They are tough in Nepal's rugged terrain, full of thick forests and deep ravines and the 150,000 government soldiers are not enough to combat this growing movement that models itself after the Shining Path of Peru. (Ami Vitale/Getty Images)
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  • RUKUM DISTRICT, NEPAL, APRIL 22, 2004:  A battalion of Maoist insurgents gather in Rukum district April 22, 2004 weeks after their attack on government troops in Beni when they overran the district headquarters, looting a bank, destroying the jail and torching government office buildings. The government said that 32 security personnel died in the clash and 37 were kidnapped. The clash was one of the deadliest since 1996 when fighting began to topple the constitutional monarchy and install a communist republic. The guerrillas' strength is hard to gauge. Analysts and diplomats estimate there about 15,000-20,000 hard-core fighters, including many women, backed by 50,000 "militia".  In their remote strongholds, they collect taxes and have set up civil administrations, and "people's courts" to settle rows. They also raise money by taxing villagers and foreign trekkers. Though young, they are fearsome fighters and  specialise in night attacks and hit-and-run raids. They are tough in Nepal's rugged terrain, full of thick forests and deep ravines and the 150,000 government soldiers are not enough to combat this growing movement that models itself after the Shining Path of Peru. (Ami Vitale/Getty Images)
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