Invisible people

Largely inspired by the recent posts on mad daps concerning homlessness, I realized that avanti popolo rarely directly involves pressing social issues. Motivated by a general interest in paradigm shifts of cultural perspectives ushered in by the creative minds behind technological and artistic evolution, the topics at most involve a mere instrumental step toward social transformation. I hope to aggregate notions pertaining to culture properly-so-called and not the passing masquerade of dreams and diversions taken as culturally relevant.

Homelessness is a global issue that has been exacerbated by the current economic crisis. As more enter a state of financial panic, fewer are looking at the circumstances of others. Although little media attention is given to the issue other than an index for our economic zeitgeist, social media has stepped in to fill the void. The availability of cameras and social networking is an impetus toward the decentralization of mass media and at the forefront of this movement are the initiatives of those like Mark Horvath.

Horvath was once a TV executive in Hollywood. Fourteen years ago, a drug addiction, a lost job and a house foreclosure sent him out onto the streets. Sober and off the streets, now equipped with little more than a car, a laptop, and a digital camera, he utilizes social media outlets like twitter to show the realities behind homelessness and the people afflicted with the stigma. Further, he created a website, Invisible People, which is a video blog interface with the shunned voices and unseen faces of homeless individuals from all walks of life. In spite of warnings and threats from government officials and homeless service agencies for Horvath not going through the "proper channels" to expose the issues around homelessness, he has remained committed to his project. While it might not be a solution to put a roof over anyone's head, hopefully it transforms ideas about who these people are.