March 3, 2017

Program announced for 2017 Holodomor Education Conference

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TORONTO – The Holodomor Research and Education Consortium (HREC) has announced the program for the 2017 Holodomor Education Conference: “Education – Awareness – Action,” to be held May 5-7 at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The conference engages educators who are interested in issues of human rights, social justice, democracy and the genocides of the 20th century, as well as in the methodologies, resources and technologies for teaching the Holodomor – the murder by starvation of millions in Ukraine carried out by authorities in the Soviet Union in 1932-1933.

This is the second Holodomor Education Conference in Canada and its program highlights how far education on this genocide has come. Keynote speaker Dr. Joyce Apsel, a human rights activist and president of the Institute for the Study of Genocide at New York University, is presenting on the Holodomor as a case study in teaching human rights and genocide. Dr. Norman Naimark, author of “Stalin’s Genocides” and Stanford University’s Robert and Florence McDonnell Professor in Eastern European Studies, will speak on the Holodomor within the history of genocide.

The conference’s multidisciplinary approach aims to extend attendees’ knowledge base and provide strategies and methodologies for teaching this significant world event. Teacher and music specialist Natalia Onyschuk, Edmonton Catholic School District – Alberta, is addressing methodologies and approaches for teaching the Holodomor to primary grades. Lise Pinkos and Ian Martens of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights are presenting the Middle Years Lesson on the Holodomor followed by teacher Jeff Kozak of Springfield Middle School, Sunrise School Division, Winnipeg. The presentation on senior grades (high school), by Tamara Mischena of the Toronto Catholic District School Board, focuses on methodologies for teaching the Holodomor within the context of a genocide course. Nadia Prokopchuk and David Katzman, educators from the Holodomor Education and Awareness Committee of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress – Saskatchewan, are presenting on the new Holodomor online teaching resource project “Voices into Action.”

Valentina Kuryliw, teacher, chair of the National Holodomor Education Committee (Canada), and director of education at HREC, is speaking about the latest teaching resources available on the Holodomor. Dr. Denis Hlynka and Dr. Orest Cap, professors of curriculum, teaching and learning at the Faculty of Education, University of Manitoba – Winnipeg, are presenting on the use of technology in the teaching of human rights and the Holodomor.

A panel discussion on various aspects of teaching human rights and the Holodomor, moderated by Dr. Richard Hechter, acting head of the Department of Curriculum, Teaching and Learning at the Faculty of Education, University of Manitoba – Winnipeg, features six presenters. Tony Tavares, diversity consultant at Manitoba Education and Training – Winnipeg, is presenting on teaching sensitive topics at various age levels. Linda Connor, social studies consultant, Manitoba Education and Training – Winnipeg, will speak on teaching human rights and the Holodomor within the Manitoba experience. Michael Anthony, head of the History and Social Sciences Department at the Toronto District School Board, is discussing key themes in teaching about genocide and the Holodomor. Lana Babij, librarian and coordinator of the Holodomor Education Network (Hartford, Conn.), is addressing the challenges of terminology and resources in teaching the Holodomor in the U.S. context. Lise Pinkos, manager of education programs at the Canadian Museum of Human Rights, and Dr. John Wiens, dean emeritus and professor, Faculty of Education, University of Manitoba – Winnipeg, will be discussing topics related to their disciplines.

The conference also includes a special tour of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, dinner at the Fort Garry Hotel, lunch on the legislative grounds and closing remarks by Ms. Kuryliw and Val Noseworthy, middle years consultant for Manitoba Education and Training – Winnipeg.

The conference is co-sponsored together with the Faculty of Education – University of Manitoba, Manitoba Education and Training, Faculty of Education – University of Winnipeg, Center for Ukrainian Canadian Studies – University of Manitoba, the Ukrainian Canadian Research and Documentation Center –Toronto, the National Holodomor Education Committee of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, the Holodomor Awareness and Education Committee of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress – Manitoba Branch, the Ukrainian Academy of Arts and Sciences in Canada and the Shevchenko Foundation, and in cooperation with the Canadian Museum for Human Rights – Winnipeg.

The program, conference details, application form and travel grant information are available at www.holodomor.ca.

The Holodomor Research and Education Consortium was established through a gift of the Temerty Family Foundation (Toronto) to the Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies of the University of Alberta. HREC has as its mandate to promote research and disseminate information about the Holodomor, and to ensure it is represented in school curricula across Canada.

HREC may be reached at [email protected] or 416-923-4732.

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