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Eric Fichtl
<p>Two well-armed national police officers patrol the streets of Tame, passing sun-beaten election murals for the then-mayor.</p>

Thanks for visiting. This website features my photography, writing, and a bit about me.

PHOTOS

Here is a random sample of my photos. Visit my galleries for many more.


<p>Farm fields in subdued light early on a Christmas morning.</p>
<p>Zoila stands in the middle of her kitchen, which doubles as a bakery in central Havana.<br /></p>
<p>A group enjoying a spot of window shopping on a quiet night in Bressanone.</p>
<p>Morning breaks over the ruins of the mountaintop fortress at Calascio.</p>
<p>Golden hour and some dirty plate glass windows make for a dramatic train platform.<br /></p>
<p>Darkness envelopes two tents in the Norwegian wilderness.</p>
<p><em>Autoconvocados</em> (self-organised protestors) from Corrientes province, in Buenos Aires' Plaza de Mayo. Argentina has a rich tradition of autonomous worker movements who eschew formal affiliations with unions or political parties, yet can successfully mount sustained popular protests around shared concerns. <br /></p> <p>In these protests in 1999, a diverse front of teachers, state employees, farmers, pensioners, healthcare workers, small business owners, transport workers, and the un(der)employed organised months-long demonstrations against government corruption, unpaid wages, and diminishing quality of life in their province. Using tactics such as strikes, roadblocks, <em>escraches</em> (loud demonstrations outside the homes of targeted individuals), and mass marches, they amplified their call for reforms. Six months in, the Corrientes <em>autoconvocados</em> had even brought their protests to the national capital. <br /></p> <p>Their concerns and protests were an early indicator of the grim politico-economic meltdown that was about to ravage the entire country. </p>
<p>A woman and her children on a backstreet of Tunis's Medina. <br /></p> <p>The date on the wall refers to the Tunisian general election from the previous year, which (unsurprisingly) saw the highly corrupt president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali 're-elected' for a fourth time – with a mere 94.9 percent of the vote. A few years later, Ben Ali's flagrant misrule sparked the Arab Spring that permanently removed him from power.</p>
TEXTS

A lot of what I write professionally carries no byline. Here are some of the works I have put my name to.

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An Introduction to the Third Sector in Hong Kong: Historical Developments and Current Outlook

A brief history of Hong Kong’s nonprofit sector, examining the parallel development of Chinese and Western charities as well as local philanthropy.
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When Disaster Strikes: Considerations for Helping Relief Efforts

The decision to head to a disaster area is not one that should be taken without first considering the complexities of the situation.
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On Laura Alcoba's 'The Rabbit House'

A unique exploration of a childhood interrupted by the onset of dictatorship and widespread repression.