Press Release

To celebrate 75 years of Irish-Swiss diplomatic relations and the 150th anniversary of the First Geneva Convention, the Embassy of Switzerland in Ireland is organising a series of events on Humanitarian Action to take place in the inspiring setting of the exhibition “War from the Victims’ Perspective - Photographs by Jean Mohr”, at the Gallery of Photography Ireland.

Ireland and Switzerland share a common humanitarian tradition through their commitment to the respect for international humanitarian law and to the provision of aid to victims of armed conflicts. The Embassy of Switzerland has thus chosen to celebrate this double-anniversary with a particular focus on the topic of humanitarian action.

Exhibition Shown in Ireland for the first time, Swiss photographer Jean Mohr’s (b.1925) classic black-and-white photographs uphold the highest standards of humanist photography: they are compassion- ate, concerned, sensitive and respectful of the subject’s dignity. This major exhibition features sixty of Mohr’s images and address- es the issues of victims of conflicts, refugees and communities suffering from war and those still under threat. It focusses on emblematic cases from around the world illustrating the universal problems of populations directly or indirectly enduring the reper- cussions of war. The photographed photographer, Jerusalem, 1979 © Jean Mohr, Musée de l’Elysée The exhibition is produced by the Musée de l’Elysée in Lausanne, Switzerland and the Swiss Federal Depart- ment of Foreign Affairs. It is hosted in Dublin by the Gallery of Photography Ireland.

Series of Panel Discussions on Humanitarian Action The Embassy presents four panel discussions related to the issues that lie at the heart of the exhibition, ranging from international humanitarian law and humanitarian assistance to the ethics of war photography. The panel discussions, will be held from 20 – 23 May at the Gallery of Photography Ireland, and will feature Irish and Swiss experts from government, civil society, academia, arts and media. The first event, on 20 May, will be followed by a reception to mark the opening of the exhibition.

These initiatives are organised in close collaboration with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Mission to the UK and Ireland, the Irish Red Cross, the Institute of International and European Affairs (IIEA) and other local partners from academic institutions and civil society. Press Release - Exhibition War from the Victims’ Perspective - Photographs by Jean Mohr 2/2

Portrait of a Greek refugee, Larnaca, Cyprus, 1976 ©Jean Mohr, Musée de l’Elysée Palestinian refugees camp, Gaza, 1979 © Jean Mohr, Musée de l’Elysée

Information in Brief Official opening reception: Tuesday 20 May, 5.30-7.30pm Exhibition: “War from the Victim’s Perspective: Photographs by Jean Mohr”, open 20-26 May (inclu- sive), admission free. Panel discussion series: Tuesday, 20 May 2014: Compliance with International Humanitarian Law Wednesday, 21 May 2014: Challenges of Humanitarian Assistance Thursday, 22 May 2014: Current Challenges of International Humanitarian Law Friday, 23 May 2014: Ethics of War Photography All panel discussions start at 4pm. They are free of charge but due to limited space, we kindly ask you to RSVP by 16 May. See detailed programme and RSVP form attached.

Exhibition Address

Gallery of Photography Ireland Meeting House Square Temple Bar Dublin 2 www.galleryofphotography.ie

For further information, including high resolu- tion photos for use by press and media, please contact:

Embassy of Switzerland in Ireland Katrin Weilhammer [email protected]