UnlessWeCare

Communications & Policy Strategist

Wadner Pierre, MS, is an award-winning and trilingual photojournalist, founder of Wadner’s Photo  & Communications and UnlessWeCare.org. He was born in St. Marc,  a beautiful southern town located in the Artibonite Department of Haiti.

In July 2006, his career in photojournalism began with a Kodak 4.0 pixel. He started writing short articles in English about the persistent political persecution against the people in  Cite Soleil—  known as one of the largest slums in the Western Hemisphere. “Those acts were frequently ignored in national and international media, and as a result, encouraged me to work harder to expose the truth.  I published articles in  English and French,” says Wadner. His photojournalist work in the past several years has been published among the world’s professional photojournalists.

Throughout his career, human rights and social justice have been the center of his work, and Wadner said that they will remain the center of his work for as long as he shall live. He has contributed hundreds of articles and thousands of pictures to change the socio-political and social justice in Haiti. His work is featured in many national and international outlets such as Inter Press Service-North America or IPS, Aljazeera English, Gambit, a New Orleans-based weekly newspaper, and his photographs are also featured in the book On that Day Everybody Ate, authored by Margaret Trost. Wadner was also Political Commentator for  Aljazeera English during the 2010 general elections in Haiti.

Many people say that one’s profession often finds them, and if this is true, Wadner was not found by accident; his profession is a calling.  His passion for journalism and photography was influenced by many people and events in his life; one of those many people that impacted his career was the man he called his adoptive father,  Reverend Gerard Jean-Juste.  Wadner co-hosted a Saturday radio show with Rev. Jean-Just for nearly 9 years to connect the Haitians who live abroad to those in Haiti.

Wadner said he has no doubt that today, being a photojournalist is the right profession for him.  Over  500 years ago, Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits, said,  “Go forth and set the world on fire.” For him, this means using your knowledge to bring peace, justice to the world.  He said, “His camera and his writings will be used, to tell the truth and only the truth.”

Wadner attended Loyola University New Orleans to pursue his dream of becoming a renowned photojournalist. There, he studied mass communications with a focus on photojournalism.

During his undergraduate studies at Loyola University, he occupied many leadership positions at the university student newspaper, The Maroon, and the Wolf magazine as a multimedia editor, photo editor, managing photo editor, writer, and senior staff photographer. The Maroon ranks as one of the top student newspapers in the United States. Among Wadner’s many accolades, in 2013, he received the 2013 Loyola School of Mass Communication Outstanding Photojournalist Award for being the most excellent photojournalist student at the school; he won the 2012 Society of Professional Journalism Region 12, first place for Feature Photography Award in the category small college.

His passion for photojournalism, social justice, and global affairs continues to be influenced by his professional and educational experiences. In 2015, he received his Master of Science in International Relations from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland, UK,  with a focus on International  Security and Human Development to further his knowledge of global politics. Wadner is now working in the education field. In 2023, he obtained his Master of Elementary Education from Curry College.

Photojournalist defines the man he is and the man he will be. He always believes a better world is possible with good journalistic work, and that is why he and other passionate photojournalists around the world have longed for this journey, looking for truth and using their cameras and writings to change the world.

Wadner Pierre is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of XtraMile Communications, a Public Relations firm providing Communications and policy strategy services for both profit and non-profit. He has a background in foreign affairs. He participated in many international workshops on diplomacy and global affairs. He received two certificates from the London-based think tank Global Diplomatic Forum (GDF), he is a contributing writer for the GDF blog, Diplomatic Digest, and an active contributor to GDF social media platforms.

Contact him!