And That Is How I Learned To Stop Being Unhappy | Giles Duley | TEDxZorilor

Giles Duley received a standing ovation for his powerful talk about photography, war, storytelling, hardship and how he learned to stop being unhappy. Giles Duley is a photographer, writer and presenter, born in 1971 in London. His work focuses on the long-term humanitarian impact of conflict. Most recently, he filmed the television series One Armed Chef with Vice, where he visits locations impacted by war, including Ukraine, Lebanon, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, cooks with the families he meets, and listens to their stories.
Starting his career as a music photographer, Duley worked with the likes of Mariah Carey, Oasis and Lenny Kravitz for publications including Q, Vogue, Sunday Times and Elle.
In 2004, Duley changed his focus to documentary work, partnering with well-respected charities such as HI (Humanity and Inclusion), EMERGENCY, Save the Children and UNHCR to highlight lesser-known stories deserving of public attention and action. Although documenting challenging, and at times, horrific situations, Giles captures the strength of those who fight adversity rather than succumb. His photographs draw the viewer to the subject, creating intimacy and empathy for lives differing from ours only in circumstance.
His work has taken him to Iraq, Afghanistan, South Sudan, DR Congo, Angola, Bangladesh, Kenya, Ukraine, Jordan, Lebanon, Colombia, Vietnam and Nigeria among others.
In 2011, whilst working in Afghanistan, Duley was severely injured by an IED. As a result of his injuries he is a triple-amputee. In 2012 he returned to Afghanistan to continue his work as a photographer.
Duley is also CEO and Founder of the NGO Legacy of War Foundation. A core part of the project is collaborations with other artists and writers to reach a wider audience. These collaborations have included the musicians Massive Attack and PJ Harvey. He is a campaigner for the rights of both refugees and those living with disability caused by conflict.
In 2019 he was awarded the prestigious Amnesty Media Award for Photojournalism. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx