I talk to people to get to know them. I say that I am with you. I was a refugee like you, so do not be sad. Your sadness is my sadness, and your war is my war.
— Ali Arkady
In early March, Global Reporting Centre Journalist in Residence and VII photographer Ali Arkady traveled to the Polish/Ukrainian border to photograph Ukrainian refugees entering Poland.
In his thoughtful piece, “On The Border Between Poland and Ukraine,” Ali reflects on what it means to be haunted by war after living through thirty years of conflict in his homeland, Iraq, and chronicling war throughout his photojournalism career. He also considers how his personal experience as a refugee allowed him to connect with Ukrainian refugees despite the language barrier.