Now Open: Applications for the Paul Lowe Residency      Now Open: Applications for the Paul Lowe Residency     
Parishioners gather around a table in a small chapel after morning prayers. Every week, residents come together in this chapel for the Sunday sermon following the flooding of their church due to the Kakhovka Dam breach on Jun. 6, 2023. The flood waters produced by the breach submerged numerous towns and villages in Kherson Oblast. Many international experts and Ukrainian officials say the evidence suggests Russian forces, which captured the dam in the early days of the invasion and remained in control at the time of the disaster, were responsible, a claim that Russia denies. Nov. 5, 2023, Kherson, Ukraine. © Oleksandr Rupeta / VII.
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Armed Iranian women carrying rifles take part in a parade during a ceremony pledging allegiance to Iran’s new leader, organized by the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC), in Tehran, Iran, April 17, 2026, during a ceasefire between Iran and the U.S.-Israel coalition. © Ali Khara.
re-Imagined: Reflections on Peace
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The Stringer: The Man Who Took the Photo. Pictured: Jannie Nguyễn, Nguyễn Thành Nghệ. Cr: Courtesy of Netflix © 2025
The Stringer: The Man Who Took the Photo
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Ira, 19, supports her boyfriend, Mischa, in the hospital after he lost both his legs defending Ukraine, 2022. © Svet Jacqueline.
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The VII Foundation is committed to in-depth journalism covering the crucial issues of our time. In a world where beliefs and actions are increasingly out-of-sync with facts and realities, our response is to ensure the truth is documented to enable communities worldwide to make evidence-based choices about the challenges impacting their lives.

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Long lines for water and flour are made by women of refugee families. © Ebrahim Alipoor / VII Mentor Program.

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U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) Officer Eugene Goodman confronts protesters as they storm the Capitol in Washington, D.C., after listening to a speech by President Trump on January 6, 2021. A large mob convened in Washington, D.C., for a "Save America" or "Stop the Steal" rally incited by President Trump and stormed the United States Capitol building, fighting with police and damaging offices and rooms as they made their way through the building. As President Trump openly condoned the violence, the D.C mayor called for a 6 PM curfew and mobilized the National Guard. © Ashley Gilbertson / VII.

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"The Stringer" Director Bao Nguyen and crew. Ho Chi Minh City. March 2024. © Gary Knight.

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Chechnya contact sheet © Christopher Morris.

EVENTS CALENDAR

upcoming event
Charlie Kray’s funeral, 19 April 2000 – © Jocelyn Bain Hogg
Event Image
Aug
26
2026

"The Firm" with Jocelyn Bain Hogg and Lou Proud

Join award-winning photographer, Jocelyn Bain Hogg, and Director of Leica Gallery London, Lou Proud, as they discuss the enduring legacy of "The Firm".
upcoming event
© Luise Thiel.
Event Image
Sep
01
2026

Getting Started in Natural History Filmmaking

An educational program exploring the foundations of natural history filmmaking, presented by The VII Foundation and Nature Through Her Eyes.
upcoming event
Parishioners gather around a table in a small chapel after morning prayers. Every week, residents come together in this chapel for the Sunday sermon following the flooding of their church due to the Kakhovka Dam breach on Jun. 6, 2023. The flood waters produced by the breach submerged numerous towns and villages in Kherson Oblast. Many international experts and Ukrainian officials say the evidence suggests Russian forces, which captured the dam in the early days of the invasion and remained in control at the time of the disaster, were responsible, a claim that Russia denies. Nov. 5, 2023, Kherson, Ukraine. © Oleksandr Rupeta / VII.
Event Image
Nov
01
2026

Paul Lowe Residency

Created in memory of our dear friend and colleague Paul Lowe, this residency is open to one Ukrainian photographer and offers the opportunity to live and work in Sarajevo for one month.

news

Hazera Khatun, founder of Maayer Daak, holds a photograph of her missing son, Sajedul Islam Sumon, in this image taken on February 12, 2025. Sumon, a leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, was allegedly abducted by members of the Rapid Action Battalion in Dhaka in 2013 and has remained missing since. © Mosfiqur Rahman Johan.
Hazera Khatun, founder of Maayer Daak, holds a photograph of her missing son, Sajedul Islam Sumon, in this image taken on February 12, 2025. Sumon, a leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, was allegedly abducted by members of the Rapid Action Battalion in Dhaka in 2013 and has remained missing since. © Mosfiqur Rahman Johan.
Paul Lowe Challenge Supports Mosfiqur Rahman Johan 
Money raised through the Paul Lowe Challenge has funded a fellowship for Mosfiqur Rahman Johan, a documentary photographer from Bangladesh, enabling him to be part of the VII Mentor Program 2026-2027.
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An Afghan girl sits in front of a bakery in the crowd with Afghan women waiting to receive bread in Kabul, Afghanistan, January 31, 2022. © Ali Khara.
An Afghan girl sits in front of a bakery in the crowd with Afghan women waiting to receive bread in Kabul, Afghanistan, January 31, 2022. © Ali Khara.
INTRODUCING the 2026–2027 VII Mentor Program Cohort 
Our open call for application once again received an astounding number of entries, requiring careful review through several selection rounds. In addition to choosing five participants through our open call, we also partnered with Ian Parry Grant to invite the winner, Omar Ashtwy, to be a part of our program. He has been paired with Ali Arkady, himself a former VII Mentee.
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Anti ICE protestors clash with ICE agents outside the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building during a protest January 17, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Anti ICE protestors clash with ICE agents outside the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building during a protest January 17, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Ron haviv in in Minneapolis, Minnesota 
“I’ve photographed under dictators, societies on the cusp of breakup, and outright invasion. One of the closest comparisons I see, in terms of class, economics, and values, is the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s...We are not there yet, but when rhetoric is backed by armed force, that’s how escalation begins. We’re starting to get used to the visualization of militarization on the streets,” writes Director of The VII Foundation Ron Haviv.
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