Canadians for Genocide Museum protest the prime minister's stance (05/07/06)

Canadians for Genocide Museum protest the prime minister's stance

TORONTO - During the recent federal election Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper stated his intention to support the Asper family's project to establish a "human rights" museum. Canadians for a Genocide Museum (CGM), a coalition of 47 associations representing 27 Canadian cultural communities (see member list below), is protesting this commitment. A total of $100 million in federal money is at issue.

CGM Chairman John Gregorovich explained: "In principle, we support such a project on the condition that it is both inclusive and equitable in all aspects. However, we have profound concerns regarding the Asper project. CGM has just written to Prime Minister Harper and launched a mail-in card protest campaign to voice our concerns about it."

"Our organization believes that anything less than a full and explicit commitment to the twin principles of inclusivity and equity will only undermine the beneficial potential of projects such as this one. Indeed, a human rights project that fails to respect either or both of these principles would likely have the unfortunate effect of actually promoting racism through the suggestion that there exists a hierarchy of human suffering," said Mr. Gregorovich. "This institution should serve all Canadians."

Canadians for a Genocide Museum stated that it would support the Asper project only if it adhered to the following five points listed.

The museum's name, mandate and mission statement will be generic, inclusive and equitable.

The museum will not suggest that any one case of human suffering is more important than others by providing it with permanent strategic positioning, disproportionate display space, or other devices to focus special attention on it by visitors.

The museum's displays, funding and support for research and publication will be weighted toward lesser-known cases of human rights abuses and genocide that have been historically marginalized or neglected so that those episodes may be fully recognized, documented and presented to Canadians.

The museum's governance and staffing will be inclusive and equitable. Its board of directors, officers and employees will reflect the full demographic diversity of Canada's peoples.

The museum will be fully independent of the Asper foundation, other corporations and institutions, excepting the government of Canada.

To date, CGM pointed out, the Asper family's foundation and those associated with this project have been unwilling to commit to these five fair principles.

Among the 47 member-organizations of Canadians for the Genocide Museum are the following Ukrainian groups: Canadian Ukrainian Immigrant Aid Society, League of Ukrainian Canadians, League of Ukrainian Canadian Women, Ukrainian Canadian Civil Liberties Association, Ukrainian Canadian Congress, Ukrainian National Federation of Canada and Ukrainian Women's Organization of Canada.

| Home Page |