Mennonite Committee on Human Rights sends concept paper to museum advisory board

WINNIPEG, Man. – Mennonites in Canada can make valuable contributions to the new Canadian Museum of Human Rights, according to the Mennonite Committee on Human Rights.

“We believe our approach to peace and reconciliation, our global connections with communities where human rights are violated, our responses to abuse as well as stories of persecution arising out of our own history, would all make important contributions to the Canadian Museum for Human Rights,” says Committee co-chair Judith Dueck.

The Committee, made up of representatives from The Canadian Foodgrains Bank; Canadian Mennonite University; Manitoba Mennonite Historical Society; Mennonite Central Committee Canada;  and Mennonite Central Committee Manitoba, has prepared a concept paper,  which is further endorsed by the Chair of Mennonite Studies, University of Winnipeg; Mennonite Heritage Centre Gallery; Mennonite Heritage Village; Mennonite Historical Society of Canada; as well as Peace and Conflict Studies, Conrad Grebel University College affiliated with the University of Waterloo. 

The concept paper, presented to the Museum’s government-appointed Advisory Board, expresses interest and encouragement.  It suggests that a portrayal of Mennonite experience in the Museum, if included, would be most effective in conjunction with universal inalienable rights, as well as in the ‘community of communities’ gallery.

The paper outlines who the Mennonites are; indicates some of their historical experiences with human rights violations; confesses that Mennonites have sometimes contributed to the violation of the rights of others; and gives examples of Mennonite contributions in support of human rights.

The entire paper can be read at http://www.cmu.ca/news/2007-08/MCHRsubmission.html. The presentation from the Mennonite Committee on Human Rights is one of many responses to the Museum’s Advisory Board request for input from Canadians on possible content and programming. The contributions will be taken into consideration by the future Museum Board of Trustees.
Peter Rempel, co-chair of the Committee, says: “We believe that the Canadian Museum for Human Rights has high potential to influence all generations to find hope and healing, by emphasizing the universality of human rights and focusing on advances of human rights.” 

Recent legislation created the Canadian Museum for Human Rights (first conceptualized by Dr. Israel Asper and the Asper Foundation in 2003) as a crown corporation in the same way as other national museums in Canada. Centrally located in Winnipeg, it will be the first national museum outside of Ottawa.  Funding is expected to be in place by April when construction will begin.  The Museum mission is to advance understanding and support for human rights in Canada and throughout the world.

NOTES:
A web-based public consultation/survey due March 15, is found at
http://www.pch.gc.ca/pc-ch/consultations/mcdp-cmhr/index_e.cfm.

Other information about the museum can be found on the webpage by the Friends of the Museum, http://www.canadianmuseumforhumanrights.com/ . Included are a virtual tour of the museum and videos.

http://www.pch.gc.ca/newsroom/index_e.cfm?fuseaction=displayDocument&DocIDCd=CJV071609  lists government appointees to the Museum Advisory Board.  

Contacts: PeterRempel [at] mennonitecc [dot] ca( Peter Rempel), EstherEpp-Tiessen [at] mennonitecc [dot] ca( Esther Epp-Tiessen) or jsbdueck [at] mts [dot] net( Judith Dueck).