Description
There has been extensive literature that discusses the role of photography in war and conflict but scant research that considers the intentional use of images and image-making as a means to combat division, recover histories and embed a culture of peace. An emerging agenda for visual peace research asks the question, what does a photography of peace consist of (Ritchin 2013, Möller 2019)? This article presents case studies of strategic visual peace-building from cultural organisations and NGOs in countries dealing with recent histories of conflict and violence and considers the multiple ways that visual practitioners and peacebuilders are harnessing photography to recover histories, to catalyse dialogue and to create shared narratives that are required for post-conflict justice. It proposes that often overlooked participatory and community engaged photography initiatives are central to a conception of peace photography that not only depicts and represents, but actively serves to shape, catalyse and embed peace and justice.
