Christopher Olssøn / Photojournalist

India: Photovoltaic technology in rural areas.

On April the 6th 2009 at 3.32 a.m, a powerful earthquake struck a huge part of the Abruzzo region of central Italy killing 295 people. The dead were mainly in L'Aquila, a 13th century mountain city about 100 miles east of Rome that has a population of 80,000, and surrounding villages. This photodocumentary follows life in a small village outside L'Aqulia that lost 1/3 of its population in the quake. Onna was completely destroyed by the quake, and left the every single citizen to live in army tents outside the village. Photo: Christopher Olssøn

On April the 6th 2009 at 3.32 a.m, a powerful earthquake struck a huge part of the Abruzzo region of central Italy killing 295 people. The dead were mainly in L'Aquila, a 13th century mountain city about 100 miles east of Rome that has a population of 80,000, and surrounding villages. This photodocumentary follows life in a small village outside L'Aqulia that lost 1/3 of its population in the quake. Onna was completely destroyed by the quake, and left the every single citizen to live in army tents outside the village. Photo: Christopher Olssøn

Ali Al Jabiri is an Iraqi painter and sculpturer. Ali is the man behind the official portraits and sculptures of Saddam Hussein, that were destructed by US forces in the early stages of the invasion of Iraq. Today Ali lives outside Rome in the Fiumicino area.

The kenyan capital of Nairobi has long been a destination for somali refugees fleeing the fighting betwen African Union troops (AU) and Al-Shabab fighters. Most of the refugees end up living in a suburb of Nairobi by the name of Eastleigh. Today Eastleigh is known as little Mogadishu, and is the core of the khat exports in Nairobi. Rumors say that Al-Shabab recruits from islamic schools and mosques in the suburb, and that ransom money from piracy along the coast of Somalia is invested here. Photo: Christopher Olssøn.

The transgender society of Nepal is one of a conciderable large community. They have been supressed by the public and abused by security forces for decades and denied public services such as schools etc. In 2001. Sunil Pant returned from Belarus after studies, and was shocked by the violence and supression against his fellow transgender friends. He later founded the Blue Diamond Society, an NGO working for the rights of homosexuals, lesbians and transgender people.

John Olav Nilsen & Gjengen er et norsk band fra Loddefjord i Bergen. Bandet spiller en blanding av flere stilarter som pop, rock, soul og punk, som de selv kaller «gatepop». Tekstene til John Olav Nilsen er utelukkende på norsk. Foto: Christopher Olssøn.

Artist Morten Traavik calls on both locals and visitors to Barents Spektakel to take part in a pioneering record attempt and a test of our ability to act together as one: with the help of North Korean mass games instructors we will try to create Norway's biggest living picture, hopefully with several hundred participants. Following the signals of the North Korean instructors, every participant turns over pages of a colorful flip-book, becoming one of the hundreds of living pixels forming huge, shifting mosaic pictures of well-known motives from the High North. ME/WE also puts our communal spirit to the test: Are we western individualists able to subordinate ourselves to the collective discipline necessary to act together as one, if only just for some hours? The ME/WE performance is accompanied live by the virtuosos of Kum Song (Gold Star) Music School Ensemble from the North Korean capital Pyongyang.

The president of the United States, Barack H. Obama pays a visit to Oslo to collect one of history's most debated Nobel Peace Prize's. These photographs portrays Oslo in the days before his arrival, and his short stay in Oslo. Photographs by Christopher Olssøn ©2009.

A strong feeling of electronic radiation mixed together with the perfume of fast food and Coca Cola is the first impression that hits your mind entering the 1994 Olympic ice skating arena in Hamar. Five thousand two hundred young people are gathered here for a long weekend of eating trash and playing games. Sleeping is not given the highest priority. The Gathering (TG) is the largest computer party in the world. It is held annually in Vikingskipet Olympic Arena in Hamar, Norway, and lasts for five consecutive days during the easter holiday. Every year TG attracts more than 5000 mostly young computer and gaming interested people that choose to go indoors in a dark and noisy atmosphere while most norwegians choose the more classic easter celebration wich consists of spending a week in the spectacular norwegian mountains skiing.

According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Sierra Leone is one of the poorest nations on the face of earth. Recently it saw the end of a decade of civil-war, that caused an extreme suffering for the population. Tens of thousands became victims of armed forces on amphetamine, that cut limbs for fun, child soldiers armed to the teeth with Kalashnikows. An entire population was driven away from their homes and the infrastructure was completely destroyed. Today thanks to some 15.000 soldiers from the UN-AMSIL peacekeeping force, order is restored and dailylife is again more or less as it once was. Many of those who saw the horrors of the war can manage to move on with their lives, many cant manage. Kissy Mental Hospital is located on a small hilltop on the north part of the capitol Freetown in a small suburbia named Kissy, The hospital compound was constructed in the mid 1800s under the bristish colonny empire. It has served several different purposes in the past, today it serves as the only institution for individuals suffering from mental illness in the whole country. The chief nurse tells that few turns back to narmality, altogh some of the young boys are examples of success. He admits that its not the easiest place to become sane, rather a place that makes you insane.

Thailand is struggling to keep up appearances as the land of smiles has to face up to its troubled south. Since 2004 more than 3500 people have been killed and 4000 wounded in a war we never hear about. In the early hours of January 4th 2004 more than 50 armed men stormed a army weapons depot in Narathiwat taking assault rifles, machine guns, rocket launchers, pistols, rocket-propelled grenades and other ammunition. Arsonists simultaneously attacked 20 schools and three police posts elsewhere in Narathiwat. The raid marked the start of the deadliest period of armed conflict in the century-long insurgency. Martial law was declared on January 5th 2004, covering every district in Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat alongside massive mobilisation of the security forces to the southern provinces. Soldiers and police were authorized to search and arrest without judicial warrant in order to find the weapons and perpetrators within seven days. A number of police investigation teams and army Special Warfare teams were combing through villages, private islamic schools, rubber plantations, orchards and mountains in an attempt to recover the stolen weapons and capture those responsible for the raid. They quickly resorted to extrajudicial means and human rights violations to meet the deadlines and objectives set by Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Today five years after the insurgengency uprising, despite some 30,000 Thai troops being deployed in the region, the shootings, grenade attacks and car bombings happen almost daily, with 90 per cent of those killed being civilians.

Detroit was once known as the Paris of the midwest. Recognized for it's fine architecture and considered a promised land, in the era of the american automobile industry adventure. Due to the financial crisis and the partial collapse of the local industry, the middle class has moved out. Today what remains is the super rich that still holds key positions in the automobile industry, and the poor, that lack the means for actually moving out. The entire state of Michigan is now on the brink of economic and social colapse. Fifty years ago, the city of Detroit was home of two million residents. In 2012 only 700.000 residents remain, and the gap between rich and poor in Detroit are as great as in the Philipines.

Leaving Michigan - once concidered a promised land, in the era of the american automobile industry adventure. Due to the financial crisis, the state is now on the brink of economic and social colapse. Fifty years ago, the city of Detroit was home of two million residents. In 2012 only 700.000 residents remain, and the gap between rich and poor in Detroit are as great as in the Philipines.