International Guild of Visual Peacemakers

The International Guild of Visual Peacemakers (IGVP) are visual communicators devoted to peacemaking and breaking down stereotypes by displaying the beauty and dignity of various cultures around the world. We are not interested in glossing over conflict, tragedy, or injustice. However, we believe that displaying the beauty and dignity of people is a more creative and redemptive pursuit than “shock value.” As humans we often fall into the trap of making enemies with, stereotyping, and fighting the “other.” More recently, this has been fueled by the growing availability of technology, especially photography and videography. There is a void regarding the ethics of images due to their subjective nature and this opens the door for photographers to exploit people’s desire to confirm their thoughts about the “other.” Since 9/11, conflicts between Muslim cultures and western cultures have been growing in intensity, deepening misunderstandings and stereotypes that are producing widespread fear and anger. IGVP is a membership-based network of visual communicators and staff united around one purpose: Visual Peacemaking. The Guild aims to build bridges of peace across ethnic, cultural, and religious boundaries through visual communication that is both accountable to an ethical standard and created by those who authentically care about people and who value our common humanity.