Press Release for "Imagine: Reflections on Peace"

Imagine: Reflections on Peace opens October 5 at Harvard’s Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, 1730 Cambridge Street, Concourse Level, Cambridge, MA. 

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Imagine: Reflections on Peace, an exhibition of photographs and short films by leading photojournalists documenting war and the long aftermath of conflict, will open October 5 through November 30 at Harvard University. The exhibition is a collaboration between the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs at Harvard University and The VII Foundation, Sarajevo.

The images document lived experiences of people from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cambodia, Colombia, and Lebanon. The exhibition is the culmination of decades of global reporting by The VII Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting visual journalism, education, and documentary projects that deepen understanding of conflict, peacebuilding, and human rights. The foundation does this by empowering new voices from regions where press freedom is limited and journalists are vulnerable. Since 2019 it has trained more than 1,400 practitioners to cover their local communities.  

Imagine: Reflections on Peace examines what happens in postconflict societies after peacemakers and diplomats leave—and what those experiences can teach us about rebuilding communities and creating lasting peace.

Ron Haviv, director of The VII Foundation, Emmy-nominated filmmaker, and award-winning photojournalist, is a central figure in the project and is represented in the exhibition. On Thursday, October 22, Haviv will deliver the Samuel L. and Elizabeth Jodidi Lecture at the Weatherhead Center, titled “Testimony (1989–2026).” Through a visual presentation, he will examine the realities of conflict and the ethical, practical, and personal challenges of visual journalism—from Central America and the Balkans to the Arab Spring, Ukraine, and an increasingly polarized United States. A public viewing of the exhibition will take place immediately preceding the Jodidi Lecture, from 4:00–4:45 p.m. on Thursday October 22. Additional public viewings are offered on Sunday, October 25, 10:00–2:00 p.m., and Saturday, November 7, 12:00–4:00 p.m.

Content advisory: This exhibition includes graphic photographs and video documenting armed conflict, violence, and their aftermath. Viewer discretion is advised. Harvard ID is required to access; otherwise, please contact the Weatherhead Center to make viewing arrangements directly.

Media inquiries:
Michelle Nicholasen, Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, Harvard University
michelle_nicholasen@wcfia.harvard.edu