# 14 The Canadian Museum for Human Rights

 #14  The Canadian Museum for Human Rights

Nick highly recommended we visit the Canadian Museum for Human Rights.  It is a fairly new museum.  So after the boat ride and lunch on Day 1 we went to the Museum.  The crosswalk to the museum is appropriately painted in Pride colors. We entered at 3 PM to discover it closed at 5 PM.  The ticket people thought we could get through it in two hours and we did.

However, the museum has 7 levels.  We were told by one of the workers that to read everything would take 80 hours.  We could easily have spent 8 hours here.

Level 1 houses their traveling exhibits, offices and classrooms.  Elevators are available to each level, or you can walk a series of marble sided ramps between levels.   We walked up and rode down. Taking 7 levels at a fairly fast pace counted and walking for two hours counted as my exercise for the day.

Level 2 focuses on What is Human Rights?

One wall shows a time line starting about 500 BC. Blue boards recorded events in history. The Red and Orange ones told of legislation and actions either supporting or disrespecting human rights.  

On the opposite wall a multimedia show of changing panels told of people who have fought for human rights. A person would speak, his or her words were printed in English and French on another screen and people would sign the words on another screen.   Having people tell of the exhibits in sign language was seen throughout the museum.

A first nation exhibit was next showing the Indigenous perspectives. 

Inside the big basket a continuous film played on a 360 degree screen sharing stories of Indigenous rights and responsibilities.

The next area focuses on Canadian Journeys, which we found identical to ones in the States. It shows the steps and missteps of human rights. I found this an interesting level. Here are a few examples.

 Migrant workers

  Indian Residential Schools

We heard about the mysterious abduction of minority women at the Heritage Center in Saskatoon. Here it was again.  I found this to be a powerful exhibit.

 A panorama rings the room above individual exhibits. The gallery explores all area of human rights:  voting, language, segregation, refugees, women, First Nation residential schools, disabilities, same-sex marriage, migrant workers, etc. etc.

The last exhibit booth was dedicated to sharing your own human rights story. I would have liked to share, if we had more time.

Level 3 looks at the legal aspects of dealing with human rights in Canada.   This again is similar to what we are trying to do in the states.

The Stuart Clark Garden of Contemplation in an atrium design and similar to a Zen garden provides a place to sit and regroup. Reading about all the injustices in the world can be depressing.  I think this space would be a great place to decompress.   We, however, were on a mission to see as much as we could in minimal time.

Level 4 examines the Holocaust.  Derrille went through this section, I didn’t.  The injustice of the Holocaust and the pictures are too much for me to handle.

Level 5 looks at where we are today and prompts us to think critically about objects and media we encounter every day. A research center provides information that supports educational needs for anyone who wants to access it.

This display showed all the articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

One exhibit spoke to the genocides in Rwanda, Serbia,  the Holocaust, Holodomor in the Ukraine, Armenia.  How sad to do this because someone is different.

Level 6 displays changing exhibits with content showing multiple perspectives.

Inspiring Change.

Examples of Activism

A board was there today to offer your views or comments of what human rights mean to you.  Paper with idea starters allows you to post your thoughts and hopefully spark a personal commitment to positive social change. What struck me here was one human right area not faced yet is how the world relates to mental health. I left a comment.

The glimpses of Winnipeg from each level  provided beautiful views of the city.

Level  7 holds the Israel Asper Tower of Hope. 

The tower can be accessed by a spiral staircase or taking the glass elevator.  The tower atop the museum rises to the equivalent of a 23 story building.  The all glass viewing platform provides a 360 degree, panoramic view of Winnipeg and the surrounding area.

 We also got to chat with the security.  Museum employees monitor all areas of the museum.  All employees dress in black and are barely noticeable, but they are present to watch and answer questions.

We took the elevator down.

This large skateboard park occupies a site right next to the museum. 
It took a little time to decompress after visiting this museum.  It is one museum I will not forget.