GIJN Webinar: Documenting War Through Photography with Ron Haviv
29 October 2024
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Photojournalism plays a crucial role in documenting the horrors of war and conflict, providing powerful evidence for investigations into human rights violations and war crimes. In this GIJN webinar, award-winning photojournalist Ron Haviv shared his insights into capturing images that serve both as historical records and tools for justice. From conflict zones to courtrooms, Haviv’s work has been instrumental in documenting atrocities and ensuring accountability. This session focused on how journalists can use photography to investigate war crimes, shining a light on how images can be critical pieces of evidence in the search for truth.
Haviv used the session to explore the ethical and practical challenges of documenting conflict. He discussed his experience capturing iconic images in some of the world’s most dangerous war zones, and the importance of visually documenting crimes in a way that upholds journalistic integrity. The webinar also provided practical advice on how to work in conflict areas, the role of visuals in investigative reporting, and how photojournalists can contribute to global efforts to expose war crimes. Haviv also contributed a chapter to the GIJN Reporter’s Guide to Investigating War Crimes, where he details best practices for documenting atrocities with photo and video.
Ron Haviv is an award-winning photojournalist and co-founder of The VII Foundation. He has covered more than 25 conflicts worldwide, producing some of the most iconic images of war and humanitarian crises. Haviv’s work in the Balkans, which spanned over a decade of conflict, was used as evidence to indict and convict war criminals at the international tribunal in The Hague. US President George H.W. Bush cited Haviv’s chilling photographs documenting paramilitary violence in Panama as one of the reasons for the 1989 American intervention.
The moderator was Majdoleen Hassan, editor of GIJN Arabic.
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