Resilience and Change: Giles Duley & The Legacy of War Foundation

Background and Career Pivot

• Giles Dooley began as a "rock and roll" photographer in the mid-1990s, documenting bands like Oasis and Lenny Kravitz for 10 years.
• In 2004, he abandoned his lucrative music career after a "eureka moment" involving the mistreatment of a female actress, citing disillusionment with celebrity culture and misogyny in the industry.
• Dooley transitioned to humanitarian photography, describing himself initially as "an angry man with a camera" seeking to document the legacy of war rather than the violence itself.
• He is the founder and CEO of the Legacy of War Foundation and was the first UN Global Advocate for people living with disabilities caused by conflict.
• In 2011, while documenting the impact of war in Afghanistan, Dooley was injured by an improvised explosive device (IED).

The Accident and Recovery

• The 2011 IED attack resulted in Dooley becoming a triple amputee; he underwent 37 surgeries and spent a year in recovery.
• Following the injury, Dooley spent 46 days in an induced coma and ICU in the UK, regaining consciousness only after days of being unable to communicate beyond blinking.
• During his isolation, Dooley utilized mental visualization exercises, such as mentally recreating 100 photo shoots of artists he never captured, to maintain his creative agency.
• Upon regaining physical mobility, Dooley initially felt repulsed by his new physical reality but adopted a core daily mantra: "Do not think about what you cannot control. But each morning, ask yourself, what can I control?"
• Less than one year after the attack, in 2012, Dooley returned to Afghanistan to resume his photographic work, focusing on building a unique connection with subjects rather than physical mobility.

Philosophy on Resilience and Human Agency

• Dooley defines resilience not as a skill to be practiced, but as "life's gift" that is generated through suffering, change, and overcoming challenges.
• He advocates for "micro-changes" in daily routines to build resilience, arguing that avoiding all hardship prevents necessary human growth.
• Dooley emphasizes that the most resilient people he knows are also those who laugh the most, suggesting resilience is linked to the capacity to enjoy life.
• He critiques the modern tendency to over-protect children, stating that experiencing being upset or hurt is a fundamental component of developing resilience.

Key Case Studies and Impact Stories

• Khaloud and Jamal (Syria/Lebanon): Dooley documented a Syrian refugee woman paralyzed by a sniper who could not lift her hand to comfort her children; their family was eventually rehoused in an apartment with a garden, restoring Khaloud's dignity.
• Olive (Rwanda): A genocide survivor who, after her family was killed and her children buried, adopted six abandoned babies and later visited her perpetrators to forgive them, which led to the unearthing of over 150 bodies from an unmarked grave.
• Dooley distinguishes his work by photographing human connection and love (e.g., couples holding hands, mothers feeding children) rather than the mechanics of war (tanks, soldiers, explosions).

Legacy of War Foundation Operations

• The foundation was established to move beyond merely telling stories to enacting tangible solutions, inspired by the realization that publishing photos did not automatically lead to aid for subjects like Khaloud.
• Initial fundraising for Khaloud raised $250,000 in one week through Dooley's network from his rock and roll career.
• The "Land for Women" project in Rwanda involves purchasing land, establishing cooperative farms, and transferring ownership to women after a five-year mentorship period.
• Dooley rejects the language of "empowering" others, stating he is "breaking down barriers" that prevent self-empowerment rather than giving power to others.
• The foundation has expanded to seven to eight farms in Rwanda, focusing on climate-smart farming, such as planting avocado trees to prevent soil erosion.
• Current operations include triage-style interventions in Beirut, focusing on community-led projects that bring different religious factions together in shelters.
• Dooley asserts that "war is built by men, but peace is built by women," noting that 92% of land in Rwanda is worked by women despite only 3% being owned by them.