Donegal Travellers Project photographic exhibition to mark the UN International Day
A new photographic exhibition by Donegal Travellers Project which marked the UN International Day for the eradication of Poverty was launched on Friday 17th October in the Regional Cultural Centre in Letterkenny. A stark and insightful collection of photographs taken by members of the Traveller community is set to challenge assumptions around poverty in Ireland today. The exhibition highlights the persistent problems of substandard accommodation for many Traveller families.
"The Council need to maintain better sites, and to put in transient sites with proper facilities and to create better, more liveable conditions for people," said Rose Ward, one of the photographers. "The lack of transient sites only makes the conditions worse. At least with a transient site people have the running water and toilets. If there were transient sites, there wouldn't be as much conflict between Travellers and the settled community. They wouldn't be bumping into each other under bad circumstances."
This exhibition, funded by the Combat Poverty Agency, has an underlying message;-'Wherever men and women are condemned to live in poverty, human rights are violated'. Throughout the world on October 17th groups will highlight the human rights violations that are the result of poverty and the collective failure of governments and societies to end poverty in the world.
According to the Irish Travellers Movement, there are over 1000 families living on the roadside or on emergency sites without access to even the most basic facilities including running water, toilets and sanitary services.
Featured photographers in the exhibition include Aggie Boyle, who played a key role in the Donegal Travellers Project’s acclaimed "Invisible Leaders" exhibition earlier this year; together with young Travellers from the DTP's youth programme and women from a Primary health care training programme in Ballyshannon.
“At the end of the day, Travellers are human beings like everybody else. But with the desperate conditions on some sites and on the roadside, Travellers aren't getting their rights. These photographs tell the story of how people are living” said Aggie.
Damien Peelo, the co-coordinator of the Irish Traveller Movement launched the Exhibition which will run to October 25th.
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Thursday 17 May 2012
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