Clarissa Ward

"I had seen so many cities leveled, so many people killed, and yet so little really changed. That didn’t mean that some wars weren’t worth fighting. It just meant that the goals needed to be more specific and perhaps less idealistic, grounded in the reality of how parts of the world see us and not just the ideal of how we see ourselves."

"How many times I had been reminded that people are people, that there is a shared human experience, no matter how different our societies, that connects us."

"Sometimes I wanted the call to end, not because I don't want to look at my beautiful children, but because it does become so painful at a certain point."

"What you learn over time is not to try and eliminate fear: It’s there for a good reason. But you have to learn to control it, to lean into it and to ensure that the rational brain is the one calling the shots and making the decisions and trying to get yourself and your crew out safely after, ideally, you’ve done the job that you came there to do."

"Fear is closely intertwined with panic, and panic in a war zone can get you into really, really deep trouble."

"This was a moment where there was no veneer of respectability or politeness. It was push and shove and scrape and push to get in there and get out safely."

"When you go into the cities or you talk to people who are more educated ... those women are on the verge potentially of losing everything, and their stories will rip your heart out in ways you can't imagine."

"You just realize there isn't a huge amount of space or time in their life, at this stage, in these rural areas to worry about much else. And they kind of are in acceptance of their sort of standing in the world."

"It’s a tragedy. I didn’t know her personally, but of course, I know of her. I can’t say that journalism has become more dangerous, although I will say that more and more of my colleagues and friends have lost their lives covering conflicts."

"Bearing witness to trauma can be traumatic in and of itself. There can be the risk of losing loved ones, losing colleagues, watching people die, watching children being injured or killed."

"The goal is to look polished and put together. And the goal is to have my appearance not be a distraction one way or the other."

"Education is really encouraged for men and women. I think you can call that out as an injustice. But it is arrogant to make an assumption that wearing a headscarf is an injustice."

"Good fixer can make the difference between a hellish assignment and a successful and enjoyable one."