We live in terrible times. The ongoing genocides in Gaza, Sudan, and Ukraine, among others, have most of us questioning the role (and deafening silence) of our leaders, the complicity of the media, and the endless, destructive power of greed, corruption and hatred. People are taking to the streets to protest, but as usual, it seems useless. And while we witness the execution, starvation, annihilation, torture, and displacement of millions of people around the world through our smartphones, many questions arise about the consequences of these acts and how the trust of the people in their governments will be affected.
But, of course, we still don’t give up. We just can’t. That’s how a project like Children of War is born, a global photo project shedding light on the impact of Russian aggression on young lives in collaboration with artist JR and InsideOut Project. The main propellers behind it are Sofia Tchkonia https://www.instagram.com/sofiatchkonia/, entrepreneur and founder of Be Next Charity Foundation; Serge Kerbitskiy, art expert and founder of Be Next Charity Foundation in Ukraine; and Eugene Bereznitskiy, founder of Bereznitskiy Foundation (also Ukrainian). They’ve teamed up with photographers Marina Karpiy and Sasha Mazur on this project that will take place on major squares worldwide in June this year.
As they explain, Children of War “serves as a platform to amplify the voices of these young survivors, providing a visual narrative that conveys the emotional toll and physical impact of war on innocent lives. By sharing their stories with a global audience, we hope to foster empathy, understanding, and support for these courageous children and the communities in which they live.” But this goes beyond an artistic project; it is an actual call for action for individuals, organisations and governments worldwide to protect the lives of children living in conflict zones, which are usually the most affected – dying because of violence, starvation, becoming orphans, being forced to stop their education, leaving indelible trauma in their minds and bodies, and more.
