From the series ISIS' Yazidi Child Soldiers © Newsha Tavakolian / Magnum Photos
Women peace campaigners at the Second International Congress of Women in Zürich 1919 © Peace Museum Bradford
'Masterful essays... a groundbreaking volume. A must-read!' - Lilie Chouliaraki, Chair in Media & Communications, LSE
With colleagues Dr Tom Allbeson (Cardiff University) and Prof. Jolyon Mitchell (Durham University), I've co-edited a book for Bloomsbury that explores this very topic. The book brings together voices and viewpoints from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences. These include international scholars such as Heidi Fehrenbach and Frank Möller, as well as photographers including Jacques Nkinginzabo (Kigali Center for Photography, Rwanda); Newsha Tavakolian (Magnum Photos); and Martina Bacigalupo (Agence Vu).
Together, we explore questions such as: how can the media convey narratives of peace and not just stories of war? How might photography be used in campaigns? Can photography play a part, not just in documenting what happens when conflict ends, but in promoting justice and helping societies heal?
As well as interviewing contemporary Iranian photographer Newsha Tavakolian, I've written about the photography of women pacifists in the First World War, through the work of the Women's International League of Peace and Freedom. This visionary organisation (which thrives today) brought courageous women together to campaign for change at a time when women still did not have the right to vote.
In today's global climate of suspicion, terrorism, and rising nationalism, it is more important than ever to consider how people might be inspired to oppose armed conflict and rebuild societies.
Picturing Peace is co-edited by Tom Allbeson, Pippa Oldfield and Jolyon Mitchell and is available in hardback, paperback and eBook from Bloomsbury.
Praise for Picturing Peace:
"An engaging and thought-provoking read." - Media, War & Conflict Journal
'Wide-ranging and insightful...an innovative volume that sheds light on photography's complex and understudied engagement with peace.' - Parvati Nair, Professor of Hispanic, Cultural and Migration Studies, University of London
'This collection brings together many leading writers to open up new imaginaries.' - David Campbell, The VII Foundation
'This excellent book confronts viewers and readers with a number of searching and difficult questions [...] this shift brings something very new.' - Patricia Hayes, Chair in Visual History and Theory, University of the Western Cape, South Africa