PROOF: MEDIA FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE

“In a way they are activists because the work they’re doing is very dangerous. I believe they’re very brave and very courageous in the work that they do, even though their role is not to be an activist, it’s more to bare witness to these events.” – Executive Director and Founder of PROOF: Media for Social Justice Leora Kahn

After spending years working for publications like Time, The New York Times Magazine, Rolling Stone Magazine, The New Yorker, US News and World Report, she decided to utilize her authority and power as a prominent photo editor to make a difference in the world. It started as a forum for education and voice, put on display for local United States Universities, and grew to an international platform that has been showcased around the world.   If it weren’t for Leora Kahn, Founder and Executive Director of PROOF: Media for Social Justice, this successful organization would cease to exist.

Once she moved to New York and did photo research for many different publications (listed above), Kahn landed a job as the director of photography at Workman Publishing and at Corbis. She has curated exhibitions for the Ford Foundation, ABC Television, and Amnesty International. In addition, Kahn was a fellow at Yale University, and co-produced a hit documentary called “Original Intent”. But Kahn wanted to do more with her career and make a positive impact on the world, to leave her legacy behind. She and a group of internationally known photojournalists decided to combine their and experience in effort to make a positive change around the globe. PROOF was born six months later.

Since PROOF launched in 2006, it has successfully executed a number of different campaigns that have been featured in locations around the world. Take a look at the video below to gain more insight on Executive Director and Founder of PROOF Leora Kahn, and her “Rescuers Campaign”. And be sure to check out Part 1 and Part 2 of this 3-part PROOF series featured on culturs.guru.