Wings of peace

New York is a city of extremes.

Because there is no other place on the planet where optimistic
expectations and dreams, unfulfilled hopes and longings come
together.

No where else can you see the "country of unlimited possibilities"
more clearly expressed - and no city could provide a better
window through which Panja Jürgens captures in her
photographs, a kaliedscope of the ardent, yet elusive, dream of
mankind - peace.

Driving through New York, a "melting pot" of cultures, Panja
Jürgens documents the visions of peace, which each one of us
carries within ourselves.

Some expressed their ideals in poetic, often moving words, while
others reveal their hidden feelings and hopes by acting out.
Whether prostitutes or war veterans, people immaterial of
religions persuasion - they all put on the wings of peace for just
one moment and are carried away, leaving the troubles of
everyday life behind.

After 30 years of professional photography, Panja still continues
to dream...

    
       
   
       
   
       
   
             
     
             
     
             
     
             
     
             
Humanity should, indeed must, unite all cultures. A multicultural society is enriched by its diversity, its lifestyles, imagery,
peoples, goals, tolerance.

It is, of course, not enough that many people from different backgrounds live in one country, they must co-exist; which
means that all races, all religions, irrespective of gender must feel understood; they must be a part of our society. We do
not need more regulations, we need tolerance and respect for each other.

The universal truth is that we are all human.

Panja Jürgens, 2002