About the author
Yana Buhrer Tavanier is a freelance journalist from Sofia, Bulgaria.
Previously she was editor ‘Social Issues’ of the Bulgarian weekly Capital (2003-2008), and before that worked as a journalist for various publications.
Yana is a winner of several prestigious awards, including the Paniza Prize for Excellence in Journalism (2002), the award for Best Investigative Article (co-established by the Guardian Foundation, London; 2005), the ‘Dimitar Peshev’ Award for Ethnic and Religious Tolerance in Journalism (2006), and the UNHCR Bulgaria Prize for Journalistic Excellence in Covering Refugee Issues (2007).
Yana is author of the publication ‘Reporting Diversity, a Guide for Journalists‘ (British Council Bulgaria; 2008) and co-author of the ‘Human Development Report’ (UNDP Bulgaria; 2006). She has also directed a documentary film about racism towards Africans in Bulgaria (‘Black in White’, 2006).
Yana is a representative of the Bulgarian Activist Alliance – an informal group of activists, working in the human rights’ field.
As a fellow of the Balkan Fellowship for Journalistic Excellence in 2009, Yana investigated human rights abuses and inhuman and degrading treatment in institutions for adults with intellectual disabilities or mental illnesses in Bulgaria, Romania and Serbia.
This topic is of critical importance. Large numbers of people worldwide are rendered invisible and abused by institutions and caregivers. Thank you so much for writing and photographing these stories, these lives, these fellow people.
Name them, show their faces and let nobody remain invisible and left for dead.
-arvan