Storytelling For Change

In this Storytelling for Change session, Sophia Nasif shares her journey creating “The Shape of the Sea” - a long-form documentary photography project that explores how coastal erosion, reclamation, and development are literally reshaping shorelines in the Maldives, and the impact on their communities.

“The most powerful stories came from the youth, who not live with the daily impacts of flooding, erosion, and ecological degradation, but fear their futures - questioning whether their homes will still exist in 50 years, whether their children would be able to know their islands, or whether they could even have families in the future at all, with the risk of potentially becoming climate refugees.” - Sophia Nasif

Sophia Nasif is a British-Maldivian photojournalist based in Malé, focusing on culture, environment, and visual anthropology in the Maldives, and the writer of the biweekly column Atoll Dispatch for Maldives Independent. 

You can follow Sophia on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sophianasif/ 

Sophia created this project with support from our Revolutionary Storyteller Grant. A big thank you to Honor the Earth and Adobe for the support that made this grant possible. 

Find us: https://www.photographerswithoutborders.org/ 

Join us for this Storytelling for Change session with Kiliii Yüyan - whose photographic work brings wild, humans-in-nature stories to life—blending adventure with deep cultural insight. Of Nanai/Hézhè (East Asian Indigenous) and Chinese descent, he’s survived stalking polar bears, dived with sea snakes, and found kinship in some of the world’s most remote places. A National Geographic contributor and traditional kayak builder, Kiliii uses his lens to explore how humanity and nature are inseparably linked. His work has appeared in TIME, Vogue, and WIRED, and earned honors from Pictures of the Year, Leica, and more. In 2023, he received National Geographic’s Eliza Scidmore Award for Outstanding Storytelling and now brings his stories to life on stage through Changemaker Talent, TEDx and NatGeo Live.

In this Storytelling for Change session, Eman Mohammed shares her journey of documenting the Palestinian genocide and the toll it takes, especially on children. The conversation moved beyond statistics as Eman shared the lived reality of survival and loss without romanticizing resilience. 

“This project has made me radically more intentional, deliberate, and mindful in every aspect of my storytelling. I deepened my science informed checklist for reporting under/about trauma, ensuring that documentation never becomes extraction and that ethical witness means sustained care, not just capture and run. I refuse to soften language for Western comfort: this is genocide, families are annihilated, and Gaza's healthcare system was deliberately targeted, I know first hand, how much precision holds resistance. By collaborating with the Irish Palestine Solidarity Campaign and Physicians for Palestine, I placed Rozan's story directly before audiences whose taxes and governments enable this violence, because true solidarity requires confronting complicity. And I no longer view publication as the end, securing Rozan's laptop, tablet, and shelter is part of the work. If we document destruction, we must help rebuild. I don't tell stories differently now, just better.” - Eman Mohammed 

Eman Mohammed is a Palestinian photojournalist and writer from Gaza whose work confronts the realities of occupation and genocide through intimate, long-term storytelling. A Senior TED Fellow, she focuses on Indigenous communities resisting erasure, using photography and written journalism as both evidence and witness.

In this Storytelling for Change session, Prasen Yadav—a molecular ecologist turned National Geographic Photographer & Explorer—shares his journey from science to storytelling.

Prasenjeet is one of the few photographers who integrates scientific research deeply into his visual narratives. His recent project focused on documenting pseudo-melanistic tigers in India’s Similipal Tiger Reserve—a rare population known for their striking dark patterns. Using camera traps, he succeeded in photographing these elusive tigers, a story later featured by National Geographic.

In this episode, Rasha Al Jundi, a Palestinian visual storyteller, curator, and embroidery artist, shares reflections on her work and on the genocide faced by the Palestinian people. 

“I knew I wanted my camera to be my passport—to see and experience the world as much as possible. To use it as a way to glimpse different cultures and geographies, to learn, understand, and connect with the stories that shape our shared humanity.” 

In this episode, Pia Harboure shares her project Time Doesn’t Seem to Freeze Here Anymore, an ongoing documentary essay that explores human achievement and exploration at the intersection of tourism, science, and the unexpected.

On This Sand (Together) is a conversation in memory of Jenny Irene Miller, an Inupiaq storyteller from Nome, Alaska. She reflects on Uinñaataavik, her family’s fish camp, and the deep bonds between land, water, and community — and asks how we tell the story of a place when that place is gone. 

This story is shared in loving memory of Jenny Irene, who left this Earth too soon. This work was made through our  Revolutionary Storyteller Program.

In this episode, photojournalist Samar Hazboun shares her perspective on the ongoing genocide in Gaza, the role of visual storytelling in documenting truth, and the emotional weight of witnessing violence and resilience. This conversation explores the power of images, the urgency of narrative justice, and what it means to bear witness in times of crisis. 

Join Photographers Without Borders as we discuss what it looks like now that Rosem's turning the camera on herself on this episode of Storytelling for Change.

Rosem is a Filipina photographer and nurse based in Baltimore, Maryland. She is a National Geographic Explorer and a We, Women artist producing visual stories that focus on human relationships and resilience in areas of trauma recovery, culture preservation and health outcomes. She is a contributor for NPR, The Washington Post, Reuters, The New York Times, and CNN. 

Follow Rosem Morton on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/rosemmorton

Join the PWB Community PWB:
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Website:
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Join Photographers Without Borders as we discuss queer Indigenous perspective in photography on this episode of Storytelling for Change.

River is a two-spirit Caddo, Lenape, and white artist and youth-worker. Their work consists of collage, photography, videography, beading, and they are learning how to be in relationship with Caddo pottery.
River understands photography as a place in time together, a little room to help a friend, a relative, an elder, feel seen, beautiful or listened to. It's about moment-making and reflection, comfort and co-creation. When thinking about erasure of Native peoples on our own lands, combined with the persistent invisibility of queer Indigenous people even within our own communities, this work feels important considering community-health, language, and storytelling.
Ultimately, River just wants their art to make a path for the youth and the ancestors to be whatever they want to be, whatever they always wanted to be.


Follow River Whittle on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/natanehriver

Join the PWB Community PWB:
https://www.photographerswithoutborders.org/signup#join

Find us on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/photographerswithoutborders/

Find us on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/photographerswithoutborderscanada/ 

Website:
https://www.photographerswithoutborders.org/