ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Ziyah Gafić - Photographer + storyteller
To help him come to terms with the tragedy of his own homeland, Bosnian photographer Ziyah Gafić turns his camera on the aftermath of conflict, showing his images in galleries, in books and on Instagram.

Why you should listen

Ziyah Gafić uses his camera to capture the aftermath of war. He has traveled to Pakistan, Iraq and Chechnya to capture beautiful portraits of people carrying on with their lives in the face of destruction; he has photographed the everyday lives of children in Rwanda, a generation born from the widespread use of rape as a weapon during the Rwandan genocide. A moving question runs through his work: After war, how do people manage to keep the fabric of society together?

Gafić's interest in this subject comes from his own biography. Born in Sarajevo, he was a teenager during the Bosnian War of the 1990s. Through photography, he parses what happened in his homeland. For his book Quest for Identity, Gafić photographed the watches, keys, shoes, combs and glasses exhumed from mass graves 20 years after the Bosnian War. These objects are cleaned, catalogued and used to help identify the bodies found with them, but afterwards, they become what Gafić calls “orphans of the narrative,” either destroyed or stored away out of sight and out of mind. His quest is to keep them in view as a last testament to the fact that these people existed, preserving them as an easily accessible visual archive that tells the story of what happened—integrating an objective forensic perspective with human compassion.

More profile about the speaker
Ziyah Gafić | Speaker | TED.com
TED2014

Ziyah Gafić: Everyday objects, tragic histories

Ziyah Gafic: Vitu tutumiavyo kila siku, historia ya kusikitisha

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1,040,925 views

Ziyah Gafic anapiga picha vitu tunavyotumia kila siku-saa, viatu, miwani. Lakini vitu hivi vinaonekana ni vya kawaida; vilifukuliwa kutoka katika makaburi ya watu waliokufa kutokana na vita ya Bosnia. Gafic, ambaye ni mshiriki wa TED na mkazi wa Sarajevo, amepiga picha kila kitu kilichotoka katika makaburi yale na kisha kutengeneza maktaba ya kudumu ya utambulisho wa watu waliofariki katika vita hivyo.
- Photographer + storyteller
To help him come to terms with the tragedy of his own homeland, Bosnian photographer Ziyah Gafić turns his camera on the aftermath of conflict, showing his images in galleries, in books and on Instagram. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:12
These are simplerahisi objectsvitu:
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Hivi ni vitu rahisi au vya kawaida
00:14
clockssaa za, keysfunguo, combsvifungo, glassesglasi.
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saa,funguo,vitana,miwani.
00:18
They are the things the victimswaathirika of genocidemauaji ya halaiki in BosniaBosnia
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Ni vitu ambavyo wahanga wa mauaji ya kimbari huko Bosnia
00:20
carriedkufanyika with them on theirwao finalmwisho journeysafari.
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walivibeba katika safari yao ya mwisho.
00:23
We are all familiarujuzi with these mundaneya kawaida,
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Wote tunayafahamu haya mambo,
00:26
everydaykila siku objectsvitu.
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vitu vya kila siku.
00:27
The factukweli that some of the victimswaathirika carriedkufanyika
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Ukweli wa kwamba baadhi ya wahanga walibeba
00:29
personalbinafsi itemsvitu suchvile as
toothpastedawa ya meno and a toothbrushshayiri ya meno
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vitu binafsi kama miswaki na dawa za meno
00:32
is a clearwazi signishara they had no ideawazo
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ni dalili ya wazi ioneshayo kwamba hawakuwa na wazo
00:35
what was about to happenkutokea to them.
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ni kipi hasa kingeenda kuwatokea.
00:37
UsuallyKawaida, they were told that they were going to be
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Katika hali ya kawaida, waliambiwa wataenda kubadilishwa
00:39
exchangedkubadilishana for prisonerswafungwa of warvita.
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na wafungwa wa vita.
00:42
These itemsvitu have been recoveredwalipata
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Hivi vitu vilikuja patikana
00:44
from numerouswengi masswingi gravesmakaburi acrosskote my homelandnchi,
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katika baadhi ya makaburi nchini mwangu,
00:47
and as we speaksema, forensicsuchunguzi are exhumingexhuming bodiesmiili
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mpaka sasa tunapoongea,wataalamu wa vinasaba wanafukua miili
00:49
from newlywapya discoveredaligundua masswingi gravesmakaburi,
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katika makaburi yaliyogunduliwa,
00:51
20 yearsmiaka after the warvita.
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miaka 20 baada ya vita.
00:53
And it is quitekabisa possiblylabda the largestkubwa ever discoveredaligundua.
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Na inawezekana ni kiasi kikubwa sana kilichowahi kugunduliwa.
00:57
DuringWakati the fournne yearsmiaka of conflictmigogoro
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Katika miaka minne ya mtafaruku
00:59
that devastatediliyoharibiwa the BosnianKibosnia nationtaifa in the earlymapema '90s,
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uliowachanganya akili watu wa taifa la Bosnia mwanzoni mwa miaka ya 90,
01:02
approximatelytakribani 30,000 citizenswananchi, mainlyhasa civiliansraia,
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takribani wananchi 30,000,wengi wao wakiwa raia wa kawaida,
01:05
wentakaenda missinghaipo, presumedpresumed killedaliuawa,
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walipotea,kudhaniwa kuuawa,
01:07
and anothermwingine 100,000 were killedaliuawa
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na wengine 100,000 waliuawa
01:09
duringwakati combatkupambana operationsshughuli.
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wakati wa operesheni ya kivita
01:11
MostWengi of them were killedaliuawa
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Wengi wao waliuawa
01:13
eitherama in the earlymapema dayssiku of the warvita
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aitha siku za mwanzo za vita
01:14
or towardskuelekea the endmwisho of the hostilitiesuhasama,
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au nyakati za mwishoni za wasiwasi,
01:16
when U.N. safesalama zoneskanda like SrebrenicaSrebrenica
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upande wa umoja wa mataifa ulio salama mfano Srebrenica
01:19
fellakaanguka into the handsmikono of the SerbKijeshi armyjeshi.
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uliposhikiliwa na jeshi la Serbia.
01:22
The internationalkimataifa criminalwahalifu tribunalMahakama
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Taasisi ya uhalifu wa kimataifa
01:24
deliveredilitoa a numbernambari of sentencessentensi
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ilitoa namba ya hukumu
01:26
for crimesuhalifu againstdhidi humanityubinadamu and genocidemauaji ya halaiki.
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kwa uhalifu wa kukiuka haki za binadamu na mauaji ya kimbari.
01:29
GenocideMauaji ya kimbari is a systematicutaratibu and deliberatemakusudi
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Mauaji ya kimbari ni hali ya
01:32
destructionuharibifu of a racialrangi, politicalkisiasa, religiouskidini
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kuleta ubaguzi wa rangi,kuvuruga siasa, hali ya kidini
01:36
or ethnickikabila groupkikundi.
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au makabila
01:37
As much as genocidemauaji ya halaiki is about killingkuua.
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Kwa vile mauaji ya kimbari lengo lake ni kupoteza maisha ya watu.
01:40
It is alsopia about destroyingkuharibu theirwao propertymali,
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Pia inaharibu mali zao,
01:43
theirwao culturalutamaduni heritageurithi,
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urithi wao wa kitamaduni,
01:45
and ultimatelyhatimaye the very notionwazo that they ever existedulipo.
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viashirio muhimu sana vitavyoonesha waliwahi kuwepo.
01:48
GenocideMauaji ya kimbari is not only about the killingkuua;
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Mauaji ya kimbari sio kwa ajili ya kukatisha maisha ya watu tu;
01:51
it is about the deniedalikanusha identityutambulisho.
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ni hali ya kukana utambulisho.
01:54
There are always tracesathari
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Kuna ufahamu kwamba-
01:55
no suchvile thing as a perfectkamilifu crimeuhalifu.
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hakuna kitu kama uhalifu maridadi
01:57
There are always remnantsmabaki of the perishedaliuawa oneswale
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Siku zote kutakuwa na mabaki ya wale waliofariki
02:00
that are more durablemuda mrefu than theirwao fragiletete bodiesmiili
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ambayo ni imara kuliko miili yao iliyo rahisi kuharibika
02:02
and our selectivekuchagua and fadingkupungua memorykumbukumbu of them.
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na kumbukumbu zao ambazo zinafifia.
02:06
These itemsvitu are recoveredwalipata
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Vitu hivi vinawezwa kupatikana
02:09
from numerouswengi masswingi gravesmakaburi,
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katika baadhi ya makaburi,
02:10
and the mainKuu goallengo of this collectionukusanyaji of the itemsvitu
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hatua ya ukusanyaji wa vitu hivi ipo
02:13
is a uniquekipekee processmchakato
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katika hali ya kipekee
02:15
of identifyingkutambua those who disappearedkutoweka in the killingsmauaji,
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katika kutambua wale waliopotea katika mauaji,
02:18
the first acttenda of genocidemauaji ya halaiki on EuropeanUlaya soiludongo
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mauaji ya kwanza katika udongo wa Ulaya
02:21
sincetangu the HolocaustHolocaust.
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tangu wakati wa Holocaust.
02:22
Not a singlemoja bodymwili should remainkubaki undiscoveredundiscovered
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Mwili hata mmoja hautakiwi ubaki haujapatikana
02:25
or unidentifiedwatu wasiojulikana.
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au kutotambuliwa.
02:27
OnceMara moja recoveredwalipata,
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Unapopatikana,
02:28
these itemsvitu that the victimswaathirika carriedkufanyika with them
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vile vitu vilivyokuwa na mwili huo
02:31
on theirwao way to executionutekelezaji
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wakati wa mauaji
02:33
are carefullykwa makini cleanediliyosafishwa, analyzedkuchambuliwa,
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vinasafishwa kwam makini,kufanyiwa uchunguzi,
02:35
cataloguediliorodhesha and storedkuhifadhiwa.
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kuwekwa kati makundi na kisha kutunzwa.
02:37
ThousandsMaelfu of artifactsmwanaadamu are
packedimejaa in whitenyeupe plasticplastiki bagsmifuko
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Maelfu ya vitu hivi yamewekwa katika mifuko myeupe ya plastiki
02:40
just like the oneswale you see on CSICSI.
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kama ile unayoona katika tume ya uchunguzi wa uhalifu unaohusisha mauaji.
02:43
These objectsvitu are used as a forensicupasuaji toolchombo
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Vitu hivi vinatumika kawa ajili ya utambuzi wa vinasaba
02:45
in visualVisual identificationutambulisho of the victimswaathirika,
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ili kutambua wahanga,
02:48
but they are alsopia used as
very valuablethamani forensicupasuaji evidenceushahidi
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lakini pia vinatumika kama uthibitisho muhimu sana katika vinasaba
02:51
in the ongoinginayoendelea warvita crimesuhalifu trialsmajaribio.
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kwenye majaribu ya mauaji yanayoendelea.
02:54
SurvivorsWalionusurika are occasionallymara kwa mara calledaitwaye
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Wale waliookoka huwa wanaitwa mara kwa mara
02:56
to try to identifytambua these itemsvitu physicallykimwili,
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kujaribu kutambua vitu hivi,
02:59
but physicalkimwili browsingkuvinjari is extremelysana difficultvigumu,
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lakini kuangalia kwa macho ya kawaida ni ngumu kidogo,
03:02
an ineffectiveufanisi and painfulchungu processmchakato.
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ni hatua ambayo haina uhakika sana na inaumiza.
03:05
OnceMara moja the forensicsuchunguzi and doctorsmadaktari and lawyerswanasheria
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Mara baada ya wataalamu wa vinasaba, madaktari na wanasheria
03:09
are donekufanyika with these objectsvitu,
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wanapomalizana na hivi vitu
03:10
they becomekuwa orphansyatima of the narrativemaelezo.
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vinabaki yatima kwa kuachwa tu.
03:13
ManyWengi of them get destroyedkuharibiwa, believe it or not,
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Vingi huaribiwa,amini usiamini,
03:16
or they get simplytu shelvedkuahirishwa,
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au vinawekwa,
03:17
out of sightkuona and out of mindakili.
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mbali ambapo haviwezi kufikiriwa tena.
03:20
I decidedaliamua a fewwachache yearsmiaka agoiliyopita
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Miaka michache iliyopita niliamua
03:22
to photographpicha everykila singlemoja exhumedexhumed itemkipengee
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kupiga picha kila kitu kilichofukuliwa
03:25
in orderamri to createkuunda a visualVisual archivenyaraka
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ili niweze kutengeneza maktaba ya picha
03:27
that survivorswaathirika could easilykwa urahisi browseVinjari.
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ili wale waliokoka waweze kuona kwa urahisi.
03:30
As a storytellerMsimulizi, I like to give back to the communityjumuiya.
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Kama msimulia hadithi, ningependa kurudisha kitu kwa jamii.
03:34
I like to movehoja beyondzaidi raisingkuinua awarenessufahamu.
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Ninapenda kwenda mbali zaidi katika kufikiri na kutenda ili kuongeza ufahamu.
03:37
And in this casekesi, someonemtu mayinaweza
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Katika hili, mtu anaweza
03:39
recognizekutambua these itemsvitu
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kutambua vitu hivi
03:41
or at leastangalau theirwao photographspicha will remainkubaki
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au picha zinaweza kubaki
03:43
as a permanentya kudumu, unbiasedusioegemea upande wowote and accuratesahihi reminderukumbusho
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muda mrefu sana, bila kusumbuliwa na kumbukumbu sahihi
03:47
of what happenedkilichotokea.
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ya yale yaliyotokea.
03:49
PhotographyKupiga picha is about empathyhuruma,
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Kupiga picha kunahusisha kuelewa hisia za wengine,
03:51
and the familiaritymazoea of these
itemsvitu guaranteedhamana empathyhuruma.
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na vitu hivi vinahusisha sana hisia za wengine.
03:54
In this casekesi, I am merelytu a toolchombo,
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Mimi ni kama kifaa katika swala hili,
03:57
a forensicupasuaji, if you like,
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mtaalamu wa vinasaba, kama ukipenda,
03:59
and the resultmatokeo is a photographykupiga picha that is as closekaribu
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na matokeo yake ni picha ambayo ipo karibu sana
04:01
as possibleinawezekana of beingkuwa a documenthati.
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na kuwa nyaraka.
04:04
OnceMara moja all the missinghaipo personswatu are identifiedkutambuliwa,
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Pale watu wote waliopotea waligundulika,
04:07
only decayingkuchakaa bodiesmiili in theirwao gravesmakaburi
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miili yao inayooza katika makaburi yao
04:09
and these everydaykila siku itemsvitu will remainkubaki.
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na hivi vitu vya kila siku vyote vitabaki.
04:11
In all theirwao simplicityunyenyekevu,
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Katika urahisi,
04:13
these itemsvitu are the last testamentagano
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vitu hivi ni agano la mwisho
04:15
to the identityutambulisho of the victimswaathirika,
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katika utambulisho wa wahanga,
04:17
the last permanentya kudumu reminderukumbusho
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ukumbusho wa mwisho ambao utadumu
04:19
that these people ever existedulipo.
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na kuonyesha kwamba watu hawa waliwahi kuwepo.
04:21
Thank you very much.
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Asante sana
04:23
(ApplauseMakofi)
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(Makofi)
Translated by Nelson Simfukwe
Reviewed by Joachim Mangilima

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Ziyah Gafić - Photographer + storyteller
To help him come to terms with the tragedy of his own homeland, Bosnian photographer Ziyah Gafić turns his camera on the aftermath of conflict, showing his images in galleries, in books and on Instagram.

Why you should listen

Ziyah Gafić uses his camera to capture the aftermath of war. He has traveled to Pakistan, Iraq and Chechnya to capture beautiful portraits of people carrying on with their lives in the face of destruction; he has photographed the everyday lives of children in Rwanda, a generation born from the widespread use of rape as a weapon during the Rwandan genocide. A moving question runs through his work: After war, how do people manage to keep the fabric of society together?

Gafić's interest in this subject comes from his own biography. Born in Sarajevo, he was a teenager during the Bosnian War of the 1990s. Through photography, he parses what happened in his homeland. For his book Quest for Identity, Gafić photographed the watches, keys, shoes, combs and glasses exhumed from mass graves 20 years after the Bosnian War. These objects are cleaned, catalogued and used to help identify the bodies found with them, but afterwards, they become what Gafić calls “orphans of the narrative,” either destroyed or stored away out of sight and out of mind. His quest is to keep them in view as a last testament to the fact that these people existed, preserving them as an easily accessible visual archive that tells the story of what happened—integrating an objective forensic perspective with human compassion.

More profile about the speaker
Ziyah Gafić | Speaker | TED.com