E zor amendar – Strength Within Us

“I can see positive changes around me. For my family, the most important improvement is getting identity cards, because thanks to them we are finally entitled to healthcare,” says Romanian Ìonela Cìobanu.

There are 12 million Roma living in Europe, making them the largest minority on our continent. The majority of Roma live in Eastern Europe.

Photographer Meeri Koutaniemi travelled to Ukraine, Romania, Kosovo, and Moldova to meet Roma people, mainly women, who are improving their circumstances.

Koutaniemi’s photographs in the exhibition showcase the many forms of Roma activism. Also included are the naivistic portraits of Kosovar visual artist Farija Mehmeti, who seeks to spark discussion about the status of Roma women. Ukrainian human rights lawyer Yulian Kondur, who composes electronic music, has written a song called Attaca Dronov, or Drone Strike, which is a sensitive statement against war.

Visitors to the exhibition can learn from the methods used by the Romanian organization E-Romnja, which has brought together numerous groups of active women.

"It is much easier to change things together than alone," say the activists of E-Romnja. The exhibition shows everything they have achieved through their activities.

The exhibition has been organized by the Deaconess Institute in collaboration with Eastern European Roma organizations.