Galleries: Inge Morath Award Winners: Watching the second hand of a clock

I covered the Kashmir conflict through some of its bloodiest years, living there for four years, documenting its bleakest moments and the human cost of war. I intend to return to convey Kashmir’s recent transition away from violent politics to a new kind of struggle, for peace and economic rejuvenation. This generous grant allowed me to illustrate the stories that express the resilience of the people, how an old culture survived a war, and what has changed as a younger, globalized generation has embraced modern education and technologies to communicate their experiences and make life choices. This story was told through the lives of people who weren’t just bystanders, or victims, but through people, who by their example and resilience came to embody the spirit of the place. My intention was to create a narrative of the people who have been shaped and changed by this conflict and I hope to inspire in others the feelings that Kashmir has given rise to myself, particularly the enduring power of the human spirit.