In collaboration with the Pärnu City Government, the Estonian Refugee Council opened the portrait exhibition on August 5 in Pärnu's Vallikääru Park, Pärnu.

The exhibition features portraits by photographer Keiu Virro. The subjects are individuals who have left their home countries due to war, armed conflict, or persecution. Their departures were not a voluntary choice, but a decision between a life worth living and one that is not, often a matter of life and death.

According to Sigrid Solnik, Head of Estonian Programs at the Estonian Refugee Council, the exhibition aims to explain the reasons behind forced migration and share the stories of people who have arrived in Estonia.

"Life-changing crises and forced displacement are affecting more and more people around the world. Today, over 120 million people are affected, and their successes and failures, desires and fears in starting a new life deserve to be heard and understood," said Solnik.

"There are residents from 97 nationalities living in Pärnu. Not everyone has come to our country and city voluntarily; some have had to leave their homeland to save their lives," said Pärnu Deputy Mayor Ene Täht.

"Displaying this meaningful and emotionally powerful exhibition in the urban space reminds us and helps us to more acutely notice and understand how fragile the sense of security is in our world and how it changes our lives," Täht added.

The exhibition features stories of people forced to leave their homes from eight different places: Afghanistan, Gaza Strip, Iraq, Syria, Turkey, Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia.

"Voices from Crises: Stories of Displaced People" will remain on display in Vallikääru Park, Pärnu, until mid-October.

Before arriving in Pärnu, the exhibition was displayed in Tallinn, in the Kolme Puu (Three Trees) Galerii outdoor area in Telliskivi Creative City, from April to the end of July.

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