A Journey into the Grey Zone: "We have moved on but we will not be moved aside"

Below is a copy of our speech on the launch of the photographic exhibition "Injured on that Day" from the WAVE injured Group – Royal Victoria Hospital – Thursday 6^th December 2018.

"We have witnessed a range of different exhibitions over the years relating to the conflict, the Troubles. Colin Davidson’s “Silent Testimony” is a striking example of the power of visual art to convey the reality of loss through the eyes of the sitters. Other examples include the Pat Finucane Centre’s “In Their Shoes” exhibition which represents the loss of loved ones by displaying their old shoes with a short bio about them. Other groups have produced books and quilts.

"This is our exhibition. The WAVE Injured Group.

Images courtesy of Kevin Cooper.
Copyright © Kevin Cooper Photoline NUJ

"What you see around you are the images of ten people but there could have been many more for there are many more like us.

"Images that were taken over a period of weeks at the beginning of 2018. They were captured, in many cases, in or near our homes. Places of safety and security, places of love.

"Images taken in an instant.

"Yet, they are also images that represent the effects of another time, another place, another instant.

"In such instants, lives were changed forever. The life you knew before that instant was gone. A new life was ahead of you. And we did not know on what path that new life would take us.

"We survived, just about, in many cases, but survive we did. We woke up in places like this, the Royal Victoria Hospital. Many were unaware of what had happened to them. One minute they were sipping coffee in a restaurant, the next, they were lying in a hospital bed, confused and frightened.

"We were left to get on with it. To begin the long and winding healing process, physically and emotionally. Many of us only had the support of our family, our carers to help us through. Some thrived, others stayed at home. Many felt forgotten and excluded. Many of us just stayed out of sight. This was the reality for some for decades.

"That changed when we came to WAVE. We came there at different times, for different reasons and with different expectations. It was there that we no longer felt forgotten. No longer did we feel excluded. No longer did we feel invisible.

"But that was not enough. For this needed to happen across society.

"That is the purpose of this exhibition. To make us visible again. To remind people that we still exist. These images cannot be ignored. Their size alone rules this out. Six foot by six foot. They will be hard to walk past.

Image courtesy of Neil Harrison Photography

"They tell the story that we are still here. That we survived. The accompanying biographies are short and to the point. They only state what happened in that instant in time, when we were injured. There is no indication as to who injured us. There is no judgement or blame apportioned. That is not what we are about. They are just statements to the fact that we were severely injured and that we are still here.

"These images are also reminders that something needs to be done to help us continue on our life’s journey. That we were left behind by society. That we were badly treated. That we have been left to struggle. That many of us fear the present and the future.

"But images alone are not enough.

"We needed to do more to break the barriers of ignorance, of indifference, of apathy. We needed to break through in a society that really wants to forget about the conflict. We needed something more. We needed to educate the public that we exist.

"That is why the WAVE Injured Group was formed. That is why we started the Campaign for Recognition. That is why we collected a petition of 10,000 signatures and brought it to Stormont, the Dail and to 10 Downing Street. That is why we have been lobbying for a Pension for the Injured. That is why we are here today.

"This exhibition is part and parcel of the Campaign for Recognition. We need to be recognised. We need to be acknowledged. We need support.

"However, we don’t need charity and we don’t need sympathy. We need empathy. That is why we need people to see us and to hear us. These images are a visual reminder of those injured during the Troubles.

"Many of us are old. Many of us are getting tired of the constant strain of campaigning. Asking for what we feel should have been dealt with a long, long time ago.

"We may not be around for much longer. But our voices and our images will. If needs be, we will bring these pictures with us when we meet our politicians. They will be in the room with us. They will be that constant reminder that something must be done and must be done now. Before it is too late.

"That cannot be allowed to happen. We cautiously welcome the guarantees given to us by the UK Government that they will bring this Pension forward. However, we have been given promises before only to be let down by our local politicians. We must not be let down again.

Thank you for listening.

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A special mention should go to Neil Harrison at neilharrisonphotography.com for the creation and production of the "Injured on that Day" exhibition photographs.
http://neilharrisonphotography.com/wp/the-injured/

All of the following images are courtesy of Neil Harrison.