World Press Photo Contest 2011

World Press Photo recently announced the winners of its 2011 photojournalism contest. Top honors went to Jodie Bieber for her image of Bibi Aisha, a disfigured Afghan woman, taken for Time magazine. A non-profit organization based in the Netherlands, World Press Photo supports the development of photojournalism internationally, by holding this annual contest and exhibition, by organizing workshops and classes -- please visit the WPP website to see them all.

Above photo: A man and a boy, displaced by floods, walk through flood waters on August 22, 2010 in the village of Baseera near Muzaffargarh in Punjab, Pakistan. This photograph is part of a series that took the 1st Prize for People In The News Stories of the 2011 World Press Photo Contest.(Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images)

Macro Kingdom III by Clemento

Perspective is what we see when we stand outside ourselves.

The Courage of Responsibilty

Responsibility for one's actions is at the heart of courage. I was moved as much by the courage of the protester in Cairo cleaning up in Tahrir Square, as by the their non-violent protests the days before.

Volunteers repainted black and white striped street curbs around a monument by the Egyptian Museum, which had been on the front line in street battles between Mubarak's foes and supporters. Police were starting to move barricades and trying to restore vehicle traffic at Tahrir Square, where many protesters vowed to remain, CNN reported.

"We're taking care of the square, and then we'll clean up the whole country," Mohammed El Tayeb said while standing amid the volunteer cleaning crews sweeping up Tahrir Square. "This is a beautiful country. Now it's ours and we're going to take care of it."

Across the crowded square, young men walked with paper signs taped to their chests that read: "Sorry for the disturbance, we're building Egypt." After days of protests that had such names as the "Day of Rage" and "Day of Millions," today's gathering was called the "Day of Cleaning," AOL News said.

Congratulation Egypt!

"Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance."

From a speech by Robert F. Kennedy, on June 6, 1966, in his Day of Affirmation Address at Cape Town University

To all my friends in Egypt, the Egyptian people, and all those that imagine another world, achieved through peace - stand up for an ideal, or act to improve the lot of others, or strike out against injustice - keep dreaming.

There are other forces at work in this world,

Frodo: I wish none of this had happened.

Gandalf: So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to

decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.

There are other forces at work in this world, Frodo, besides the will of evil.

.... And that is an encouraging thought.