Everyone knows that unemployment is one of the most serious problems that plagues society today. Yet, even though this problem is widely acknowledged, it remains difficult for many people to relate to and truly understand the personal hardships that unemployment gives rise to.
Wafaa Bilal's childhood in Iraq was defined by the horrific rule of Saddam Hussein, two wars, a bloody uprising, and time spent interned in chaotic refugee camps in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. Bilal eventually made it to the U.S. to become a professor and a successful artist, but when his brother was killed at a U.S. checkpoint in 2005, he decided to use his art to confront those in the comfort zone with the realities of life in a conflict zone.