“Today on Fading Cultures, I’m joined by someone whose work has defined what it means to bear witness.

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For more than 50 years, Sebastian Rich has stood on the front lines of our shared history, camera in hand, documenting the human cost of war, famine, and displacement. From Afghanistan to South Sudan, from Syria to Somalia, his lens has shown the world what most of us can barely face. Sebastian has worked in the field alongside United Nations Agencies, such as UNICEF and UNHCR, with leading news networks and humanitarian agencies, and his photographs have appeared in major international publications and exhibitions. His images are often beautiful, but never comfortable. They show not just suffering, but courage, defiance, and grace in the darkest of circumstances. 

 

I’ve had the privilege of crossing paths with Sebastian over the years, from Pakistan to East Africa and more recently during an assignment in Rajasthan. I’ve seen firsthand the respect he commands in the field, and the quiet empathy that drives his work. In this conversation, we look beyond the images to the man behind them. We’ll talk about faith and fatigue, the moral weight of witnessing suffering, and what keeps someone like Sebastian Rich from turning away when the rest of the world does.