On Friday December 3, the high school students were able to reflect on the importance of press and the media during the encounter with Mr. Harry Chun, a freelance photoreporter. Together, they talked about his work on the migration of Syrian refugees from Turkey to the EU and his report in face of Daesh. The exchange allowed us to understand better the violence of war, in particular in the view of the civilians. These topics are poignant testimonies in immersion on this human condition that we regularly hear about, but in a different perspective. Throughout the event, Mr. Chun and the students exchanged numerous questions and answers, shared personal views and experiences, which allowed the students to better understand his work and its challenges. 

To learn more about Harry Chun, the photojournalist and his works please click on the links below.

https://qz.com/…/this-photographer-traveled-by-raft…/

https://www.dialogue-factory.com/en/

After this event, the students in 1ère (grade 11) sent letters to Mr. Chun.

Here are some excerpts of the letters.

“Thank you once again for educating us and reminding us of an issue that often is forgotten, as we get so submerged into our own relatively normal lives. You really are more than a photographer.” Yuna. 

“Seeing the photos and the videos, I felt different emotions, from fright to anger, from sadness to sympathy. I was especially touched by what you said about the fact that these refugees also had a peaceful life before the civil war started – going to school, meeting friends – but as peace was shattered, they had become refugees. The verb “become” especially touched me. They had become refugees.” Yu-Kyung

“Your analogy with children having to pack their lives in a backpack really helped us understand the severity of the issue. Actually, the students of our school would like to write letters of encouragement and hope to these populations who face such ordeals.” Adrien

“I found it very crazy and courageous that you successfully managed to document the difficult lives of Middle-Eastern people and shed light on the numerous struggles and rough journeys they go through when migrating to countries in Western Europe.” Eugene

“I would like to express my admiration regarding how you were able to not simply give us numbers and show us maps, as any news channel could have done. You actually gave us a detailed insight thanks to both visual support and personal experience and anecdotes. Describing your job as “visual storytelling” corresponds to a dimension of journalism I believe is put aside: the human experience.” Emile

“The moment you asked everyone what we would do if we were in the shoes of the younger refugees was impactful and made me grateful for the life that I have. I truly believe that through this event, you made every participant take this into account.” Catherine

“I wish you the best of luck for your future projects, and, as a student who would like to pursue medical studies, I hope to meet you again, as a doctor without borders and a storyteller!” Hyeongwon

“I have been thinking about doing photojournalism in the future, and I was very glad you came to our school to share with us your background and projects. I wish you the best for your future projects.” Daniel

“You said that you were admiring photo-journalists coming to your school to talk about their work. And today, you are inspiring a teenager like me, giving me even more passion for journalism and photography.” Arnaud 

“Your work will have an impact on the world and you have the full support from the students here at the LFS. We will continue to follow your future stories and we hope to see you again very soon. We hope the best for you and your work and wish you a safe journey.” Adrien