A Keynote Speaker from the Mine Action Symposium
“My name is Giles Duley, I’m a documentary photographer and CEO of the NGO Legacy of War Foundation. As we mark International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action, and the launch of our joint exhibition at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, I'm sharing some of the stories that have impacted me most in my work documenting the devastating impact of landmines and UXO (Unexploded Ordnance) around the world.
“In 2011 I was injured by a IED (improvised explosive device) whilst working as a photographer in Afghanistan. It was a life changing accident that would mean a year in hospital, over thirty operations and then months of rehabilitation. When I was able to return to work, I knew the first place I wanted to visit was Afghanistan. It was important for me to tell the stories of civilians that were dealing with the same kind of injuries as myself.
“This photo of Ataqullah, 8, was made in 2012 at the ICRC limb-fitting centre in Kabul. Ataqullah was there so he could have a new leg fitted and try a prosthetic arm for the first time. Just over a year before, while walking to school, he stepped on a landmine. His brother and nephew were the first to reach him and raced him to his father who then drove him eight hours to the Emergency hospital in Kabul. He never lost consciousness during the journey.
“His injuries were so similar to mine (i am a triple amputee), and I remember thinking of the pain I’m still in both physically and emotionally, and I asked myself why should a young boy have to go through what I do each day simply because he was walking to school.
When anybody asks me why I went back to Afghanistan and why I continue to do this work, I reference this photo. Who is in a better position to tell these stories than me? I understand the pain, the journey to recovery, the life of stigma and challenges; and if my work means there are less landmine victims in the world, then the sacrifice will have been worth it.
“We must continue to fight and campaign so children like Ataqullah have the right to a safe home.”
