War reporters question the repetitive coverage of persistent conflicts, highlighting the importance of reporting on underlying dynamics such as corruption, bad governance, and meddling by those who profit from it. And, the role of war reporting and its ability to generate empathy beyond the lens.

From 1988 to 1999, Capa Gold Medal winner and Pulitzer Prize–nominated photographer Corinne Dufka covered some of the bloodiest conflicts of the late twentieth century.

Starting in El Salvador during the Cold War, Bosnia, and then Africa, where Dufka reported on the Rwandan genocide and conflicts in South Sudan, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Burundi, Ethiopia, and the Congo. Her photographs are as brutal as they are tender, as mournful as they are meaningful, and are, above all, a testament to the profound toll conflict leaves in its wake. Her images interrogate abuse of power, celebrate defiance, and seek out the humanity of civilians and combatants who lives were torn apart by war.

Dufka, initially drawn to war photography's potential political impact, had a significant change after missing the 1998 al-Qaida bombings, when instead of empathy for victims, she felt regret for not documenting the carnage. This led her to shift focus, moving away from photography, she transitioned to taking testimonies and working as a criminal investigator for the UN war crimes court.

Speakers:

Matthew Mpoke Bigg is the New York Times correspondent covering international news. Previously he reported and edited international politics, business and economic news for the Reuters news agency. He reported from across Africa during postings in Accra, Abidjan and Nairobi. He also covered the deep south of the United States during five years as bureau chief based in Atlanta and worked as bureau chief in Jakarta. He was part of a team that won a Loeb prize for investigative reporting on U.S. shell companies.

Corinne Dufka is the Sahel Director at Human Rights Watch and in charge of the organization’s work on West Africa with expertise in Sierra Leone, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Mali, Burkina Faso and Côte d’Ivoire. Prior to joining Human Rights Watch, Dufka worked as a photojournalist for the Reuters News Agency and from 1987-1999 covered conflicts in El Salvador, Nicaragua, Panama, Bosnia, Rwanda, Somalia, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Before becoming a photojournalist, Dufka worked as a psychiatric social worker in San Francisco. Ms. Dufka holds a Masters in Social Work degree from the University of California at Berkeley.

Nima Elbagir is CNN's multi-award winning Chief International Investigative Correspondent.

Moderated by Lindsey Hilsum, Channel 4 News' International Editor and the author of In Extremis; the Life of War Correspondent Marie Colvin, which won the 2019 James Tait Black Prize for biography. Lindsey has reported on the war in Ukraine, and the return of the Taliban in Afghanistan. She has covered the major conflicts and refugee movements of the past three decades, including Syria, Iraq, Kosovo and Rwanda, winning many awards. She is a regular contributor to newspapers and literary journals.

This is War: A Decade of Conflict: Photographs will be available on sale at the venue.

This is an On Front Line event in collaboration with The Conduit London.