You have probably noticed that we do not publish images of our guests when describing our activities related to assistance for people fleeing war in Ukraine. Why did we decide on such a way?
When offering shelter to people fleeing war, danger and violence, we think first of their safety and comfort.
People fleeing war experience violence and danger, which they will not always tell us about. In a country that is still at war, their family members are often left behind in a state of emergency, and some of them are fighting on the frontline. We cannot predict how the situation will develop or what consequences these people or their relatives will face if they return home.
That is why we do not take or publish photographs that could in any way make people who have found refuge with us identifiable and their whereabouts identifiable.
Escaping and experiencing extreme danger to one's life and the life and health of their loved ones often involves traumatic experiences. We want to provide our guests with maximum comfort, which is problematic when there is a "photographer" on one side and a "subject of the photograph" on the other.
The hosting situation also creates inequality and dependency: our guests may feel dependent on their hosts by the very nature of their stay in Krzyżowa. We want to reduce this distance and to give our guests the opportunity to feel as comfortable as possible in Krzyżowa, which is why we choose not to take any pictures that could introduce an element of "observation" or "surveillance", and all the pictures you will see of our guests are very general, anonymised and have been taken with respect for safety and privacy.
Recommended article:
https://www.curiositymag.com/2019/06/20/humanitarian-work-refugees-no-photo-policy/
Compiled by: Liubov Shynder, educational project specialist of the IYMC Krzyżowa
