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JMJ

JMJakus

J.M.Jakus is a wordsmith who works as an independent writer, researcher, and editor with a focus in Human Rights, Geopolitics, Global Political Economy, and International Relations. With a deepening  background in photojournalism and empirical research, Jakus writes to tug at the threads of ideas we may have absent-mindedly taken for granted. 

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  • Carpets displayed in a marketplace outside of the ancient underground city, Derinkuyu, in Central Turkey.

  • The Sahn (courtyard harbors the fountain of ablutions (ritual cleansing) done before prayer. (Süleymaniye Camii in İstanbul, Turkey)

  • The decorative interior of the Qubba (dome) of Sülemaniye Camii in Istanbul, Turkey. Outside the frame of this photo is the Mihrab (niche) which is angled toward the direction of Mecca.

  • As one enters or exits the mosque through this passage, they will notice special features: Sahn (courtyard), Minaret (tower), and Qubba (dome).

  • A Turkish flag hangs outside of the Eyüp camii in Istanbul, Turkey. The external ceramic tile arrangement known in Turkish as “Çinli Mosaic” directly translates to Chinese Mosaic. However, the concept of mosaic techniques in architectural art reaches back over 4,000 years into Mesopotamia. Colored stones and glass were arranged this way near Susa (present day Iran), and these techniques spread throughout the world over time.

  • A man and woman walk together through the rain toward the warmth inside Süleymaniye Camii.

About

 Alongside her work as a writing and editing consultant, J.M.Jakus is pursuing an M.A. in International Relations: Europe, Turkey, and the Middle East at Boğaziçi Üniversitesi in İstanbul, Turkey. Previously, Jakus studied International Studies and Economics before venturing to Cauca, Colombia to fulfill a photojournalistic position serving victims of the armed conflict. Through this textual and visual portfolio, JM Jakus offers writing and editing services as well as guest-writing and co-authoring opportunities for underrepresented voices.

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  • A lone man prays and reflects in the evening at Sülemaniye Camii in Istanbul, Turkey. Outside, the rainy and cold are a sharp contrast to the warmth of the mosque. He stands in the middle of a candle lit universe.

  • Men pray in the mosque.

  • A couple prays together.

THE DEEP DIVE into THE HUMAN STORY

  • Marco, el hacedor de milagros

    A community activist and victim of the Colombian internal armed conflict, Marco, stands proudly beside a newly made friend in front of the Catedral Basilica Nuestra Señora de la Asunción de Popayán. In the background, a man purchases a picture of the Virgin Mary.

  • Paz Sin Esclavitud

    A police office delivers a brief speech on behalf of the awareness-raising campaign, Paz Sin Esclavitud (Peace without Slavery,) in an effort to combat human trafficking.

  • The Newlywed Adventurer

    A newlywed climbs to the peak of a volcano on her adventurous honeymoon.

This project has three focal points: writing, photography, and you.


Although Jakus' native artistic language is writing, photography is a close second. Expressing the diversity of life itself and the human story that thrives within it is an endeavor that demands both mediums. There is a reason why the subtitle above declares the singular «the human story» as opposed to (a multitude) of «human stories». Jakus writes according to the philosophy that there is only one story, albeit with an unimaginably rich and diverse cast of characters. In this way, we are far more connected than we are divided:  communally, regionally, and internationally.


With this philosophy in view, producing this content has not been an isolated effort. Many thanks are extended to all of those who have made this project possible, from the interviewees featured in the article, the models who allowed a piece of their souls to be immortalized within these photos, the many editors who volunteered to review this site and all others who have participated in the production of this content. This would be impossible without your support.


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 Photographically, many of these pieces are inspired by the unflinchingly documentary work of conflict photographers such as Lynsey Addario, Sebastião Salgado, and Raymond Depardon. Their work speaks to the photojournalistic content that Jakus aspires toward.


Documentarily, the content of this site features geopolitical analyses, reports, and reflections that juxtapose contemporary regional developments with the evolving body of international relations theory, empirical political science research, and raw reporting.  


Do you have a story to share?

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The Light of Luz

"Now I dream of being a great lawyer, and defending the rights of the most vulnerable populations in my country." Luz, whose very name means light, may have lost her leg and several members of her family from paramilitary assaults, but she has not lost her sense of hope.

  • Maya Angelou

    During bad circumstances, which is the human inheritance, you must decide not to be reduced. You have your humanity, and you must not allow anything to reduce that. We are obliged to know we are global citizens. Disasters remind us we are world citizens, whether we like it or not.

  • Rumi

    Raise your words, not your voice. It is rain that grows flowers, not thunder. 

  • Oscar Wilde

    It takes a great deal of courage to look at the world in all its tainted glory, and still to love it. 

  • Dalai Lama

    World belongs to humanity, not this leader or that king or prince or religious leader. World belongs to humanity. 

18-dsc0416-min.jpg

Gustavo, a former child soldier, is receiving his second of several home-tattoo sessions. The lone wolf emblazoned on his upper arm symbolizes his personal fortitude and commitment to providing human rights to others where they were taken from him. In addition to international activism, he facilitates investigations for Los Desaparecidos, the disappeared. The wolf, like its master, has only one eye.

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Unless otherwise indicated,  all work that you find here is from the pixel and pen of J.M.Jakus.

(All rights reserved).


Thank you for your respect! 


JMJ