Reza Bagheri, Hope (PEOPLE 2021)

As the boundaries of our communities are redrawn following devastating natural disasters, COVID-19 and the Black Lives Matter movement, this image captures both struggle and hope. BIPOC (black, indigenous and people of colour) communities have always suffered, have always been disproportionately impacted and yet despite the inequality and suffocation of the past, hope beyond the conflict prevails. Our human spirit survives. This shared adversity empowers us to stand together behind our masks, regardless of gender or race, as hope for the future of humanity is wishful thinking without collaborative action.

Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.