An unwavering commitment to humanity
Tipperary Peace Award winner named
The Tipperary Peace Convention has announced that internationally acclaimed photographer, humanitarian and peace advocate Giles Duley, MBE has been named the recipient of the 2025 Tipperary International Peace Award in recognition of his extraordinary commitment to documenting the human cost of war and helping communities rebuild their lives after conflict. For more than 20 years, Giles Duley has travelled to some of the world's most challenging conflict zones, documenting not war itself, but the resilience, courage and humanity of those living through it. His work has taken him to Afghanistan, Iraq, Ukraine, Rwanda, Lebanon, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and beyond, where his photography has become a powerful testament to the enduring strength of the human spirit.
In 2011, while working in Afghanistan, Giles was critically injured by an improvised explosive device (IED), losing both legs and his left arm. Just 18 months later, he returned to Afghanistan - not to revisit his own tragedy, but to continue telling the stories of civilians living with the daily consequences of conflict. His determination to transform personal adversity into humanitarian action has inspired people around the world. Through the Legacy of War Foundation, which he founded, Giles has gone beyond documenting suffering to working alongside communities rebuilding their lives with dignity, opportunity and hope. Today, the Foundation supports projects in Ukraine, Rwanda and Lebanon, founded on the belief that lasting peace is achieved by enabling communities to shape their own futures.
Since its establishment in 1984, the Tipperary International Peace Award has honoured some of the world's foremost leaders and peacebuilders, including Nelson Mandela, Mikhail Gorbachev, Mary Robinson, Bill Clinton, Malala Yousafzai, Ban Ki-moon, Juan Manuel Santos and Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya. Giles Duley now joins that distinguished roll of honour.
EMBODIES VALUES
Martin Quinn, Honorary Secretary of the Tipperary Peace Convention, said: “The Tipperary International Peace Award honours individuals whose lives demonstrate that peace is built through courage, compassion and an unwavering commitment to humanity. Giles Duley embodies those values in every sense. His extraordinary journey - from internationally acclaimed photographer, to survivor of catastrophic injuries, to humanitarian leader - stands as a powerful testament to resilience and hope. Rather than allowing tragedy to define him, Giles transformed it into an even greater determination to serve others. His photography challenges us to see beyond conflict and recognise our common humanity, while his work through the Legacy of War Foundation has helped families and communities rebuild their lives with dignity, opportunity and hope.”
Responding to the announcement, Giles Duley said: “When asked, years ago, why I returned to Afghanistan 18 months after losing three limbs following an IED blast while working as a photographer, my answer was simple. If my work as a storyteller and activist could mean one child would not have to go through what I went through, if one person did not have to deal with the pain - both physical and psychological - that I carry with me each day, then my life would have had purpose. I was injured because of that belief - that each one of us must stand up for what we believe is right. As the years have passed, I've seen that storytelling is not enough. I had to become more active by setting up my own NGO, the Legacy of War Foundation, to support communities and individuals as they rebuild after conflict. Our core belief is that we cannot empower others; rather, we work to remove the barriers preventing people from empowering themselves.
“I am truly honoured and deeply humbled to receive the Tipperary International Peace Award. My work has always been to document love, not war. Even in the darkest circumstances, I see a mother feeding her baby, a father teaching his children on the floor, a grandmother brushing her grand-daughter's hair - small acts of love that unite us all. I accept this award on behalf of all those living with the realities of war, and with the knowledge that this recognition will strengthen my resolve to do even more.”
The 2025 Tipperary International Peace Award will be formally presented to Giles Duley at a ceremony in Tipperary in September of this year.