The Football field at Nova Kasaba.

The Nova Kasaba football field is the locations where more then 1000 men were held prisoners and then later killed. 

The Nova Kasaba football field is located just off the road that goes between Belgrade and Sarajevo, along the river Jadar.

#genocide #neveragain #photography #nikon #d810 #documentary #photojournalism #reportage #d4 #webster #nikonpro #fifdh #marsmira #srebrenicagenocide #bosnia #srebrenica #sandefjord #potocari #sb #norway #norge #fotograf #webster #novakasaba #srebrenica2015 

The Culture Centre (Dom Kulture) in Pilica.

Around 500 innocent people were killed at this cultural centre in July 1995, including the twin brother of my friend Hasan Hasanovic.

Inside the Pilica Cultural Centre where around 500 men and boys, including Hasan's twin brother, were killed.  

#genocide #neveragain #photography #nikon #d810#documentary #photojournalism #reportage #d4 #webster #nikonpro #fifdh #marsmira #srebrenicagenocide #bosnia #srebrenica #sandefjord #potocari #sb #norway #norge #fotograf #webster #pilica

Srebrenica: Execution site; Lazete 1 and Lazete 2

"A large group of the prisoners who had been held overnight in Bratunac were bussed in a convoy of 30 vehicles to the Grbavci school in Orahovac early in the morning of 14 July 1995. When they got there, the school gym was already half-filled with prisoners who had been arriving since the early morning hours and, within a few hours, the building was full. Survivors estimated that there were 2,000 to 2,500 men there, some of them very young and some quite elderly, although the ICTY Prosecution suggested this may have been an over-estimation and that the number of prisoners at this site was probably closer to 1,000. Some prisoners were taken outside and killed. At some point, a witness recalled, General Mladić arrived and told the men: "Well, your government does not want you, and I have to take care of you." - Wikipedia

Hasan Hasanovic near the Lazeta 1 and 2 fields.

Grbavci School. Only the marks, the four crew holes, from the Memorial plaque can be seen as the actual plaque describing what happened here has been removed. 

#genocide #neveragain #photography #nikon #d810#documentary #photojournalism #reportage #d4 #webster #nikonpro #fifdh #marsmira #srebrenicagenocide #bosnia #srebrenica #sandefjord #potocari #sb #norway #norge #fotograf #webster

The boy in Musha

Going with my friend John to his village, Musha, we went to a field in order to see where he had been with his cousin, little brother and grandmother in 1994. This little boy was curious about what we were doing there...

The boy in the field, Musha, Rwanda, 2014

#genocide #storytelling #humanrights #photojournalism #documentary #potocari #july11 #20years #nikon #d4 #reportage #d810  #lifeaftergenocide #humanrights #postwar #rwanda #neveragain #africa #photography #d810 #d4 #58f14g #kigali #webster #reverienrurangwa #nikonpro #bisesero #webster #rwandagenocide #april7 

Boy at Kimoronko Market

Going through lots of work and then I was reminded about the boy I met the Kimoronko Market on my first visit to Rwanda. It was great having a guide that took me through everywhere... At the end I had a flag/ scarf as a souvenir.

The Market Boy from Kimirionko

#genocide #storytelling #humanrights #photojournalism #documentary #potocari #july11 #20years #nikon #d4 #reportage #d810  #lifeaftergenocide #humanrights #postwar #rwanda #neveragain #africa #photography #d810 #d4 #kigali #webster #reverienrurangwa #nikonpro #bisesero #webster #rwandagenocide #april7 

Reverien: Home. Back home again, 20 years later.

Révéraien Rurangwa, a good friend, a Genocide survivor and a travel companion is back at his place, his home, in La Chaux-de-Fonds, the small town in the canton of Neuchâtel. The pictures bellow shows some of the moments we spent together when we went back and visited his home village of Mugina, about an hour outside of Kigali. Just over 20 years before, on April 20th 1994, 43 members of his closest family was brutally murdered in the Rwandan genocide. This short photo essay is short listed for the EWZ, Swiss Photo Award. The opening is this coming Wednesday at 17:00, in Zurich http://www.facebook.com/swissphotoaward 

Révéraien at home, in La Chaux-de-Fonds, the first time we met.

Reverien, Kigali, Rwanda, January 2015

Not being dead, Reverien walked across the strewn bodies to a nearby fruit garden. Meeting the killers, he begged also to be killed. Instead, they cut his eye out.

At home. Again in Mugina. 

20 years later, a new generation plays outside the house.

With what is left of family, at the house in Kigali. 

Reverien met Janvier Uwumukiza when both were at the same red cross hospital in 1994. She was 11. She had been thrown into a very deep pit. As a result, she is paralysed from neck and down. Only a little bit of movement in her left arm remains. Still, she greeted us at her house in Kibungo near the boarder to Tanzania. She had a big smile, make up and new, pink, nails. But life is not easy. She prefers her room to stay rather dark, has a small TV set for entertainment and of course help with just about everything. She has been 20 years in bed. She can not move at all. Not even to be take outside.

This is what Janvier Uwumukiza sees from her bed. 

Révérien at home in La Chaux-de-Fonds.

#rwanda #genocide #neveragain #africa #photography #nikon #d810 #documentary #photojournalism #reportage #d4 #kigali #webster #reverienrurangwa #nikonpro #kibungo #webster #rwandagenocide #ewzselection #ewz #swissphotoaward

The streets of Kathmandu.

Kathmandu Airport is pretty small and I can imagine it gets crowded fast. Aid is having to wait in order to get in with assistance to those who needs it, according to some news channels.

The streets of Kathmandu

Salesman, early evening in Kathmandu

Given the infrastructure in Kathmandu, I can only, possibly, imagine how it must be to dig through the ruins for survivors. These photos are from August 2014.
#reportage #photography #photojournalism #nikonpro #bhutan #workshop #travel #d810 #nikon #documentary #3514g #august #explore #kathmandu #himalaya #earthquake #nepal #photographyworkshop #switzerland #sorrow — in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Kathmandu. Nepal.

I remember visiting Kathmandu last year. Waking up in the morning seeing this view overlooking the city. It is awful to think about what people will be seeing when they wake up tomorrow morning.
So sad.

Waking up in the morning overlooking Kathmandu. 

#reportage #photography #photojournalism #nikonpro #bhutan #workshop #travel #d810 #nikon #documentary #3514g #august #explore #kathmandu #himalaya #earthquake #nepalt #photographyworkshop #switzerland #sorrow

Photography Workshop: The Tigers Nest Monastery in Bhutan.

The Tigers Nest Monastery is the most famous monastery in Bhutan- it lays up in the hills and takes about 3 hours to walk in order to reach. It was built in 1692. I fire in 1998 caused major damage and the restoration was done in 2005- all by hand as no heavy equipment can be get to the site!

Join me in August and we will visit the Tigers Nest as part of our Workshop program- it is an amazing opportunity. 
This coming August, we are repeating last years Photography Workshop in Bhutan. The agenda is amazing- the experiences even better. Drop me an email or phone call should you have questions.
Date: 11-20 August. More info on this link.

Tigers Nest as the sun is just about to break through the morning mist.

#reportage #photography #photojournalism #nikonpro #bhutan #workshop #travel #d810 #nikon #documentary #3514g #august #explore #happy #himalaya #monastry #tigersnest #photographyworkshop #switzerland #paro

Earth Day

These guys were walking home from work whilst I was driving through Bamako in the early evening. 

Today is the International Earth Day. For me, it makes me think of how us humans and how we use our planet. Driving through downtown Bamako, a city of nearly 2 million, it is pretty clear that we do not all use the planet in the same way.

#mali #agakhan #africa #photography #nikon #d4 #documentary #photojournalism #reportage #akdn #nikonpro #city #bamako #street #onassignment #earthday 

Photography Workshop: Tea serving ceremony happening as we visited the Dechen Phodrang Monastery, Bhutan.

Visiting the Dechen Phodrang Monastry in Thimphu, Bhutan, we got to take part in a tea serving ceremony. Really interesting to learn more about the education of the children that are becoming monks.

This coming August, we are repeating last years Photography Workshop in Bhutan. The agenda is amazing- the experiences even better. Drop me an email or phone call should you have questions. 
Date: 11-20 August. More info on this link.

There was a tea serving ceremony happening as we visited the Dechen Phodrang Monastery.

The children were waiting in line to receive tea and biscuits.

#reportage #photography #photojournalism #nikonpro #bhutan #workshop #travel #d810 #nikon #documentary #3514g #august #explore #happy #monk #monastry #dechenphodrang

Dogs, Geneva & Spring!

There are always certain signs that suggest that Spring has definitely arrived... Driving home from Geneva the other day, I met this guy. A certain sign that Spring has arrived.

Dogs, Geneva & Spring!

 #reportage #photography #photojournalism #genevel #dog #car #d810 #nikon #spring #documentary #35mmf14 #switzerland #traffic #onassignment #cooldog

August 2015: Photography Workshop in Bhutan!

Visiting the Dechen Phodrang Monastry in Thimphu, Bhutan, we got to spend a little bit time with the students there. As we arrived, badminton was on the agenda...as well as football! 
This coming August, we are repeating last years Photography Workshop in Bhutan. The agenda is amazing- the experiences even better. Drop me an email or phone call should you have questions. 
Date: 11-20 August. More info on this link.

 Visiting the Dechen Phodrang Monastry in Thimphu, Bhutan,
you will spend time with students there.

#reportage #photography #photojournalism #nikonpro #bhutan #workshop #travel #d810 #nikon #documentary #3514g #august #explore #happy #monk #monastry #dechenphodrang

Ibuka Suisse, Commemoration on April 11th, 2015, 21 years after the Genocide against the Tutsi.

The Ibuka Suisse organisation- the Rwandan survivor organisation organised a beautiful setting for people who wanted to remember and to share experiences and thoughts in Geneva last Saturday, April 11th, 21 years after the Genocide against the Tutsi where over 1 million people were massacred. 

Lighting a light for remembrance, Ibuka Suisse, Commemoration on April 11th, 2015, 21 years after the Genocide against the Tutsi.

21 years, but it seems like yesterday.

Many people turned out in order to participate in the commemoration in Geneva on
April 11th, 2015, 21 years after the Genocide against the Tursi.

#genocide #storytelling #humanrights #photojournalism #documentary #potocari #july11 #20years #nikon #d4 #reportage #d810  #lifeaftergenocide #humanrights #postwar #rwanda #neveragain #africa #photography #d810 #d4 #kigali #webster #reverienrurangwa #nikonpro #bisesero #webster #rwandagenocide #april7  #ibuka

Bisesero, April 7th. 21st. Commemoration, Rwanda Genocide.

Today, last year, I was in Bisesero in order to spend the 20th Commemoration of the Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. Bisesero is a small village up in the mountains, overlooking Lake Kivu and Congo (DRC). From Kibuye, you need a very good 4x4 car or a motorbike and you will reach the village and the memorial in 3- 4 hours. The people are known to be strong. The history dating back to the events of the summer of 1994 is just awful. In addition to the Hutu militia, there are eye witness accounts suggesting "White Soldiers" were active participants in the killings. And, there were many killings- around 50000 people were massacred during the genocide in this small region. Regardless of who did what in Bisesero, and the rest of Rwanda, the consequences are terrible. Arriving in Bisesero last year, I was met with smiles and laughter by the kids. Hopefully these kids will not have the heavy burden of the recent past obstructing their future. 

The engine in our bus between Kigali and Kibuye needed to cool down. Local sales people dropped by with refreshments. 

It takes about 4 hours with the bus from Kigali to reach Kibuye. People of Rwanda are pretty much as connected with their mobile phones as the people anywhere in Europe. 

Upon arrival in Kibuye, we were met with the taxi drivers.

France controversially refused to officially be represented for the 20th commemoration in Rwanda, after President Paul Kagame made allegations about France's involvement in the Genocide. Bisesero is the heart of the problems between the two countries. 

You pass by plenty little villages along the road to Bisesero. It is a very hilly area with plenty of tea plantations. Lake Kivu curves around the hills and can be seen from the road. The kids were typically curios about who were in the car. 

The kids of Bisesero, greeting us upon arrival.

The kids of Bisesero greeting us upon arrival.

Local people gathering for the commemoration outside the memorial listening to the radio on what takes place in kigali.

The commemoration in Bisesero takes place by the memorial, April 7th, 2014.

A woman and her child is seen leaving the commemoration on July 7th 2014.  

Aaron Mukomeza (left in the photo, the son of Aminadabu Birara, the chief of the civilian resistance against the genocide) walking home from the after the commemoration in Bisesero on April 7th 2014. 

A young shepherd bringing the his animals home, passing Bisesero. 

April is the rain season in Rwanda. 

A photograph showing French UN soldiers in Bisesero in 1994

Bellow the Memorial in Bisesero can you seethe remains of over 1500 dead people on display. 

Inside the memorial in Bisesero, remains from more then 1500 bodies can be seen. 
A further 50000 bodies have been prepared and and will be re-buried in the official 
mass grave in June.

Mucyo, a survivor of the genocide, lost a leg during the war. Here, he takes time to show us how the memorial in Bisesero is designed to be functional as well as a place to use by the survivors in this small community. April 7th, 2014.

The commemoration continues into the early hours. 

Remains from the 50000 people who were killed during the genocide in 1994. All bodies have during 2014 been reburied into the official mass graves. 

The view from the Bisesero Memorial. A region so beautiful. Such a stark contrast to what happened here, only 20 years ago. 

Leaving Bisesero really gave you the impression of being isolated. It was dark. No electricity. No water. No nothing in fact. 30 minutes after leaving, the car broke down. We knew there were another 2h 30 min, minimum, to drive. The car broke down again. And again. Eventually, we made it back to Kibuye. It was a great experience to commemorate the 20th Commemoration of the Rwandan Genocide with the people of Bisesero. 

Kigali. The city seems another world from the remote parts of Rwanda. 

#genocide #storytelling #humanrights #photojournalism #documentary #nikon #reportage #lifeaftergenocide #humanrights #postwar #rwanda #neveragain #africa #photography #kigali #webster #nikonpro #bisesero #rwandagenocide #april7