Proposed museum content Canadian Museum for Human Rights

1 proposed museum content

1.1 inclusion of holodomor , other atrocities
1.2 exclusion of israel/palestinian conflict
1.3 response of cmhr complaints of favouritism

proposed museum content

starting in december 2010, controversy erupted on plans 2 permanent gallery spaces: jewish suffering during holocaust , injustices experienced aboriginal peoples in canada. organizations ukrainian canadian congress (ucc), canadians genocide education, german-canadian congress, ukrainian canadian civil liberties association (uccla) , thousands of other canadians have been protesting perceived elevation of suffering of 1 or 2 communities above others. experiences , issues of these other groups addressed thematically in remaining galleries. regard atrocities, other advocacy groups have chimed in protest perceived over-emphasis on holocaust.

angela cassie, museum s director of communications, responded recent criticism pointing out there misconception there being 2 permanent zones. there in fact 12 permanent zones, , holodomor have permanent display in mass atrocity zone, adjacent holocaust zone, cassie said. zone feature detailed information on holodomor , many other mass atrocities have taken place worldwide , provide educational opportunities visitors learn more these events.

according canadian jewish congress ceo bernie farber, events of holocaust require special focus, because redefined limits of human depravity , challenged foundation of our civilization. “the holocaust foundation our modern human rights legislation, , makes perfect sense holocaust should have permanent place in museum. makes sense plight of canada’s first nations should have prominent place in museum. makes no sense pitting 1 group of canadians against another,” said farber. holocaust zone, cassie has stated gallery anticipated include sufferings of “the roma, persons physical , mental disabilities, gay men, lesbians … among other communities.

in reply editor of national post, stuart murray, president , ceo of museum, gave statement on inclusivity of museum s planned galleries, following various protests appeared in media after december 2010. month later, murray s travel expenses @ cost of taxpayers, purportedly meetings related museum business, came under scrutiny. in 2013, clint curle, former curator of holocaust gallery , current head of stakeholder relations @ cmhr, interviewed catherine chatterley holocaust gallery, how cmhr defining holocaust, , general content of museum.

inclusion of holodomor , other atrocities

lubomyr luciuk, speaking uccla, suggested museum s 12 thematic galleries cover larger issues such canadian internment operations, including unwarranted detention of following: ukrainians , others during world war i; germans, italians , japanese during world war ii; , québécois in 1970 october crisis. topic, genocides, treated whole, whether atrocities occurred in europe, africa or asia, , include politically motivated crimes of communism fascism.

in december 2010, uccla started postcard campaign try persuade heritage minister james moore convene new advisory committee, objective of reevaluating proposed content of cmhr. following postcard campaign, luciuk stated publicly funded institution, canadian museum human rights should not elevate suffering of community above others. 1 of earlier postcards distributed uccla borrowed image of pig, representing joseph stalin in george orwell s allegorical novel animal farm , portray in favor of separate gallery devoted holocaust.

this imagery ill-received members of canadian jewish community, given implication elevating suffering during holocaust above other genocides equivalent stalinist operatives trying dominate farms of ukraine. university of manitoba s director of canadian institute study of antisemitism, catherine chatterley, criticized postcard campaign, stating demonstrated clear need museum, permanent holocaust gallery, , canadian institute study of antisemitism.

responding public concerns, member of parliament james bezan released statement imploring cmhr board of trustees apportion holodomor unique, autonomous , prominent place in cmhr , requested cmhr board [of trustees] contain respected members of ukrainian community knowledge of holodomor , other human rights violations. petition outlining grievances of ucc has been prepared submission parliament, entitled petition equity , fairness @ canadian museum human rights.

the ucc revealed tendering process undertaken canadian museum human rights has no intention of including permanent or prominent displays of holodomor or of canada’s first national internment operations, providing further evidence museum proceed on basis of discredited content advisory committee report. in july 2012, stuart murray signed memorandum of understanding victor didenko, ceo of national museum memorial holodomor victims , future collaboration regarding education holodomor.

after visiting cmhr, luciuk provided critical commentary, in stated building more mausoleum museum. endowment council of canadian first world war internment recognition fund released public statement; criticism said negative impact of canada s first national internment operations of 1914-1920 being downplayed @ cmhr. first , second world war internment operations not kept historically separate entities, while large-scale map projected in 1 of galleries neglected show locations of receiving stations internees held, in montreal, toronto (stanley barracks), niagara falls, sault ste marie , winnipeg.

exclusion of israel/palestinian conflict

some palestinian-canadians upset plans new museum, did not include exhibit story. opening comes closer, become more , more concerned lessons of palestinian experience, nobody’s going hear it, said rana abdulla. our story excellent story educate canadians human rights. how take museum if don’t hear palestinian story?

according united nations, arab-israeli war of 1948 displaced 750,000 palestinians. today, united nations relief , works agency (unrwa) reports descendants total 5 million around world. mohamed el rashidy, vice-president of canadian arab federation, said new museum have address , reflect palestinians have gone through , give them voice. can courageous when have kind of diversity [in canada] because have strength. shouldn’t fear stating inconvenient truths , facts history.

response of cmhr complaints of favouritism

several people have expressed dismay @ quarrel on square footage allotted given atrocity or human rights violation. while many ukrainians believe aggrandizing of holocaust has marginalized holodomor , dishonoured victims, has been argued there should less haggling on wronged group gets space in museum, , more concern on prevention of human rights abuses in future.

also, museum s own cassie has explained, purpose of museum not memorial suffering of different groups, learning experience visitors of ages. museum of ideas, not museum of past events. example, zone dedicated indigenous experience in canada part of broader context of introduction human rights, cassie said, , form basis zone exploring wider canadian experience of human rights, including internment of canadians of ukrainian , other origins during world wars. zone earmarked holocaust sets stage key zone exploring revolutionary 1948 universal declaration of human rights, drafted in direct response nazi atrocities.

to address concerns of canadian citizens how various human rights issues covered in museum, cassie provided more detailed explanation of actual process public consultation , corrected misconceptions may have been perpetrated media, particularly in relation gallery content. statement, clear holocaust in own gallery, holodomor given permanent place in mass atrocity zone, canadian internment operations featured, , human rights abuses towards aboriginals have place in indigenous rights gallery. cassie explained content advisory committee s mandate had expired in march 2010, , submitted recommendations constituted part of consultation process. first round of public consultations had begun in may 2009, completed in february 2010.

concerns on how holodomor, other ukrainian , ukrainian canadian issues, treated @ cmhr proved valid, described president of ukrainian canadian congress, paul grod, in 2013 speech in winnipeg. among other points, grod lamented how cmhr intends place minor exhibit holodomor in secondary gallery, located adjacent public toilets. toilets relocated adjacent corridor. nevertheless, depiction of holodomor limited , contains historical errors (e.g., map shows of ukraine whereas soviet ukrainians experienced genocide).