Last week a new photography exhibition opened on the shores of Lake Geneva, entitled Visions of Hope - ‘Seeing beyond violence, looking towards the future’. The exhibition of 45 photographs is the result of the collaboration of a number of actors including the Geneva Declaration on Armed Violence and Development, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the City of Geneva, the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs and a number of civil society actors. Two of the photos on display were submitted by Interpeace and have been selected from over 400 pictures.

A startling tale of conflicts, violence and hope

The exhibition along the sidewalk aims at reminding passers-by of the violent conflicts that span across various continents of the globe but at the same time offers a glimpse of hope. The underlying message of the exhibition ‘Seeing beyond violence, looking towards development’ is echoed throughout each of the 45 images that highlight violence reduction, peacebuilding or development projects.

The impact of armed conflict and violence

Scott M. Weber, Director-General of Interpeace highlights the importance of understanding that “armed conflict and other forms of violence impact every dimension of people’s lives. Violence jeopardizes entire communities’ ability to develop, keeping them in a poverty trap. That’s why it is crucial to enable people to resolve their own conflicts without resorting to violence.” Whilst the photos themselves clearly communicate this message, they are further complemented by short excerpts of the Geneva Declaration on Armed Violence and Development and striking facts from the Global Burden of Armed Violence Report, the Small Arms Survey and a number of other international publications.

Two photos on display by Interpeace

The two photos on display by Interpeace depict two individuals in different corners of the earth. One of them shows a young gang member in Guatemala, the other an elderly lady in Somaliland. Yet as the captions of each photo highlight, both individuals face similar challenges in their lives; attempting to move ahead and build a peaceful future.

Crédit photo : Interpeace

Interpeace’s work in Central America

As much of Central America struggles to deal with rising youth violence, Interpeace has launched a regional programme to facilitate dialogue amongst key stakeholders, and make policy proposals both at the national and regional level to help tackle the issue at hand.

Learn more about our work in Central America

Promoting dialogue in Somaliland

In Somaliland Interpeace and its local partner the Academy for Peace and Development (APD) are implementing the ‘Pillars Peace’ programme that works to facilitate genuine dialogue amongst the leaders and the population to find solutions for obstacles to lasting peace.

Learn more about our work in the Région Somali

One million visitors expected

With the exhibition remaining in place throughout Geneva’s festival-filled summer, city officials believe that over one million people strolling down the peaceful shores of Lake Geneva – many of them diplomats, employees of international organizations and NGOs – will be reminded that the engagement of the international community is necessary to provide a brighter future for the people in these photos.

Making the pictures accessible to a wider audience the Global Journal is featuring the forty-five photographs of the exhibition on its website.