Silent Voices of Tigray
Silent Voices of Tigray
Podcast Description
What if we knew then, what we knew today? Would it make any difference?
Welcome to Silent Voices of Tigray.
This podcast is organised in reflection of the ongoing war in Tigray since the end of 2020 with survivors sharing their impossible journey and their feelings. This is also done with much thought & consideration for their wellbeing & security.
Many survivors were left with agonising memories of execution, rape, concentration camps , starvation, subjugation to name the least. However their story will touch, encourage many of us and lead us to the truth, most of all, to keep the promise of ‘never again’.
The truth must always be known and shared with future generations. Besides, It is our responsibility to ensure that this is recorded into history, won’t be erased but kept in our collective memory.
In this context, we organised series of episodes for you to follow:
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast focuses on themes of survival, trauma, and resilience during conflict, covering specific topics like mass violence, ethnic targeting, and personal testimonies of survivors. Episodes include detailed accounts of experiences such as Solomon’s witnessing of atrocities in Axum and Mariana's documentary on mass sexual violence, aiming to ensure these truths are memorized and shared with future generations.
What if we knew then, what we knew today? Would it make any difference?
Welcome to Silent Voices of Tigray.
This podcast is organised in reflection of the ongoing war in Tigray since the end of 2020 with survivors sharing their impossible journey and their feelings. This is also done with much thought & consideration for their wellbeing & security.
Many survivors were left with agonising memories of execution, rape, concentration camps , starvation, subjugation to name the least. However their story will touch, encourage many of us and lead us to the truth, most of all, to keep the promise of ‘never again’.
The truth must always be known and shared with future generations. Besides, It is our responsibility to ensure that this is recorded into history, won’t be erased but kept in our collective memory.
In this context, we organised series of episodes for you to follow:
In this episode, I’m joined by Ximena Borrazas, a freelance Uruguayan photographer and documentary filmmaker whose work focuses on armed conflicts, migration, and humanitarian crises.
Ximena’s career has taken her to the frontlines of regions shaped by displacement and disaster. From Tigray to the Mediterranean coast, and from Ukraine to other crisis-affected areas, her lens documents war, migration, and the human consequences of political and social upheaval. While many of these places have been marked by devastation, her photography captures not only tragedy but also the resilience and lived realities of the people affected.
Our conversation centers primarily on her time in Tigray, where she witnessed the profound impacts of conflict on civilians. We speak about what she saw on the ground, the responsibility of documenting suffering, and the emotional weight of telling deeply painful stories. In particular, we reflect on the widespread conflict-related sexual violence that affected many women and girls during the war. Ximena shares how she approached these stories with sensitivity, care, and a strong commitment to preserving dignity while ensuring survivors’ voices are heard.
She also speaks about her journey into documentary photography and how working in crisis zones has shaped her both professionally and personally.
Her work has been featured and published by major international outlets including National Geographic, The Guardian, BBC, CNN, DW, France 24, The Telegraph, Associated Press, and others. https://www.borrazasph.com/about?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Ximena’s documentation of the Tigray conflict, particularly her reporting on conflict-related sexual violence and its human costs, earned her the 2024 Tom Stoddart Award for Excellence and the Gentex Corp Personal Safety Award through the Ian Parry Photojournalism Grant, both recognising her courage and commitment to humanitarian storytelling. https://www.ianparry.org/recipients/2024-ximena-borrazas?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Her work has also been exhibited by organisations such as UNESCO and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), and her ongoing Tigray project titled The Scars of the War has been shown alongside global photojournalism showcases including Xposure International Photography Festival. https://xposure.net/photographer/maria-ximena-borrazas-cataldo/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
This is a powerful and reflective conversation about bearing witness, ethical storytelling, and the role of photography in documenting history and amplifying voices that must not be forgotten.
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