A PERSISTING WITNESS
PHOTOVILLE, NYC, 2019

 
 
 

Part of a photojournalist’s work is to visually report the struggles and successes of a complicated world. They see the range of human experience from joy and jubilation to conflict and devastation, and to bear witness to such powerful intimacy and emotion is an incredible responsibility.

In their reporting, photojournalists confront stories, communities and issues that have the ability to make them question the world around them. A Persisting Witness reflects on the times these photojournalists faced challenges or risks on assignment that led to a profound change in how they understand the issues they cover.

The Chris Hondros Fund (CHF) has awarded these photojournalists for their work documenting stories that bring shared human experiences into the public eye with a compassionate lens. As attacks on the press intensify at an alarming rate, CHF believes more than ever in supporting photojournalists who remain diligent and continue to report on issues critical to our world, inform the public, and defend press freedom. A Persisting Witness hopes to show the vital role photojournalists play, often at great personal risk, in securing our access to stories that might go otherwise unnoticed or unreported.

 
 
 

CHRIS HONDROS

 
 
 
 

“Liberia in the summer of 2003, during the desperate last month of the civil war, embodied every cliché one hears about battle and armed conflict: terrifying, frenetic, devastating, and horrifying. But that time there were also other things alive — energizing, even life-affirming -a mixture of conflicting emotions that is the reality of war, rather than the usual simple platitudes. Death and life, commingling — a place and time where survival was arbitrary and justice meted out by force of arms, if at all.” – Chris Hondros

Trapped with Liberian dictator Charles Taylor’s forces in besieged Monrovia in the summer of 2003, Chris braved artillery and rocket fire to send frontline pictures of women and children being killed by the hundreds. His photos ran on front pages around the world and provoked outrage at a brutal war whose victims were almost entirely non-combatants. His work, along with Tim Hetherington, helped alert the world to Liberia’s humanitarian disaster and helped to build the international momentum that brought the war to a close.

 
 
 
 

ANDREA BRUCE

 
 

In my work, I attempt to break through the cliches and stereotypes that divide our world by concentrating on the emotions that humanity has in common. No one will care about a culture different from their own unless they can relate to it first. Empathy is the goal.

 
 

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BRYAN DENTON

 
 

In 2016, the Chris Hondros Fund awarded photojournalist Bryan Denton for his unyielding commitment to create work that embodies the rare ability to capture both the complexities and daily lives of those living in conflict and its aftermath.

Denton has extensively covered the conflict in Syria and in these photographs, he documented the Lions of Tawhid - —a fighting group within the Free Syrian Army, led by Abdel Hakim Yassin, is waging war against the Syrian regime from their base in Tal Rifaat. The group, which is part of a growing network of armed opposition, is comprised mainly of defected Syrian soldiers from Sunni families hailing from around the country. Operating primarily under the cover of darkness, the Lions of Tawhid have adopted guerrilla tactics to fight the regime—large truck bombs, driven unknowingly by captured pro-regime partisans (Shabeeha), and hit and run attacks against regime armored vehicles.

 
 

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KIANA HAYERI

 
 
 

“Resilience Trilogy” is a long-term project by Kiana Hayeri that illustrates the lives of youth and their culture in war-torn countries illuminating the dreams and desires that youth share even in the midst of conflict and war.

Resilience is an ineffable quality that allows people to be knocked down by life and come back stronger than ever. Rather than letting failure overcome them and drain their resolve, they find a way to rise from the ashes.

Iran and Afghanistan are neighboring countries with predominantly Muslim populations that have experienced tumultuous recent histories. With youth accounting for more than 50% of these populations, the youth is known for their resilience, optimism, and for sharing their voices through social media - ensuring that the marginalized and vulnerable are not left behind. I attempt to represent their realities as they strive to push cultural and political boundaries and live a life different than the one dictated by a limiting culture and oppressive government.

Having grown up in Iran, where the youth dream in the face of oppression, I am of this generation- one that refuses to adhere to national or cultural expectations in the face of ongoing conflict. I hope Resilience Trilogy brings awareness to current events, make connections, and develops empathy.

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MERIDITH KOHUT

 
 

In 2017, CHF Awardee Meridith Kohut investigated one of the most devastating effects of the Venezuelan crisis: extreme malnutrition and death among infants.

At the time, it was largely unknown that so many infants were dying from lack of food. The Venezuelan government refused journalists access to hospitals and it kept the country’s health statistics secret.

My team built a network of doctors who secretly compiled statistics about infant deaths and connected us with the mothers of infants who had died. We documented the families’ struggles with food insecurity, when their children fell ill, and eventually their children’s deaths and funerals. Those who were photographed put their careers and families in danger of government retaliation when they allowed us to record this intimate part of their lives.

That incredible community of doctors and families was vital to expose these deaths and the government’s attempt to hide them. This work appeared on the front page and in a special section of The New York Times. This story is recognized as a tipping point in understanding the severity of the Venezuelan crisis. It was the first documentation that people were actually dying from the crisis. The CHF award and the caring embrace of the CHF family were fundamental to helping me complete the most important, and meaningful journalism work I’ve ever done.

 
 

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TAMARA MERINO

 
 

In "Underland," Tamara Merino documents communities around the world living in caves and underground dwellings.

Human beings and the ways they co-exist inspires me to tell stories through photography. I believe that telling visual stories in a humble way helps question established ideas, show new perspectives, create awareness and stimulate debates on sociocultural issues.

My fascination with counter-cultures motivates me to tell untold stories through a humanistic approach that aims to teach us about the lives of others. I am passionate about understanding different ways of living, religions, ideologies, and customs. And because of this passion, I love to cultivate mutual trust and genuine respect with the people I photograph.

 
 

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