First Person
I’ve been shot by police – their Capitol inaction was no shock
Broken system — Photographer Wil Sands was shot in the eye covering Black Lives Matter protests last year. He was at the Capitol to cover last week’s riot too – where the threat of violence from rioters was urgent and real, yet police reaction was radically and exasperatingly different.
Written by: Wil Sands
The insurgency of Californian youth captured on film
Get schooled right — Behind the scenes at SST Records, producer and sound engineer Spot helped some of punk’s most iconic records spring to life. He’s worked with the likes of Black Flag, Hüsker Dü, Minutemen, Descendents, Misfits and Minor Threat. But it was an encounter with an unknown musician in the ’70s that ended up leaving the biggest mark. His new photobook, Sounds of Two Eyes Opening, captures the insurgency of his Californian youth – and the surfers, skateboarders and frontiersman punks who shaped his unique lens on life.
Written by: Spot
Life as a White Helmet: The volunteer rescue workers saving civilian lives in Syria
“Every day is a new life” — Also known as The White Helmets, the Syrian Civil Defence is an unarmed, volunteer organisation which helps anyone in need - regardless of their religion or politics - in areas where public services no longer function. They have saved 60,000 lives across Syria and were recognised for their heroic work with a nomination for the 2016 Nobel Peace Prize. Syrian Civil Defence volunteer Mahmood Adam reflects on his work as a White Helmet and on rescuing civilians after the Douma massacre, one of the deadliest attacks of the war.
Written by: Mahmood Adam - as told to Alex King and Laila Kiki
First Person: I fled Iran, fearing death, in search of religious freedom
Refugee Stories — Majid Golshani fled Iran following his conversion to the Bahá’í faith, which could be punishable by death. Settling in the UK, Majid's life remains in flux, legally unable to work but desperate for a sense of purpose. As part of our Refugee Stories series, Majid talks of his continued hopes for a better life.
Written by: Elizabeth Sulis Gear
My terrifying five-year journey to escape the North Korean famine
Refugee Stories — Yona Kim fled the North Korean famine in 1997, escaping a country where abuses are "without parallel in the contemporary world." As part of our Refugee Stories series, Yona talks of her incredible journey to safety in the UK, and her dream to now help those still suffering in her home country.
Written by: Elizabeth Sulis Gear