Dear Friends,
We have lots of news to share with you this month. Check out the stories below to see what’s going on at Friends and the Canadian Museum of Human Rights.
click on the following headlines for news:
- Open for spring break
- CMHR awarded the Canadian Foundation for Physically Disabled Persons Corporate Award
- International Women’s Day at CMHR
- CMHR welcoming 20,000 students over six months
- Join our national campaign chair in the CMHR
- On the CMHR blog
Open for spring break
Bring the family and take part in special activities throughout spring break. Spring break programming starts on Saturday, March 28 and runs through Monday, April 6, 2015. Each of the programs below will be offered daily.
Little defenders story time (3 – 6 year olds)
Learn about sharing and caring during story time.
11 a.m. (French) and 2 p.m. (English)
Terrace C on Level 5 near Rights Today gallery
Scavenger hunt (7 years and older)
Take part in a human rights journey of discovery, exploring all the Museum galleries.
10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Starts in Bonnie & John Buhler Hall
Blackout poetry (10 years and older)
Make words, make sense. Create artistic visual statements using newspapers, sharpies and colourful drawing media.
1 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Actions Count gallery
Make your own soccer balls (all ages)
Learn about the right to play and how to make your own soccer ball using everyday materials.
12 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Rights Today gallery
Spirit Panels (all ages)
Create your Spirit Panel exploring rights and responsibilities important to you.
10 a.m. – 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Indigenous Perspectives gallery
Don’t forget to ask about our Explore the Galleries tours and Discover the Building tours. For an additional $5 per person, both tours provide excellent value and are offered more frequently throughout spring break.
CMHR awarded the Canadian Foundation for Physically Disabled Persons Corporate Award
This February at the 31st annual Valentine’s Day Gala, a Toronto tradition, the CMHR was awarded the Canadian Foundation for Physically Disabled Persons Corporate Award.
The CMHR received this award in recognition of its efforts to and achievement of creating the most accessible and barrier-free museum in Canada. In the creation of the Museum, staff spent years working with advisors and committees to ensure that an inclusive approach was implemented so that visitors of all abilities have a rich Museum experience and that the exhibits explore the rights of people with disabilities.
The Canadian Foundation for Physically Disabled Persons (CFPDP) hosts this annual event as a beacon of hope for Canadians living with disabilities. The event was founded in 1985, by Vim Kochhar and the Rotary Club of Toronto-Don Valley. Since then, Kochhar and the CFPDP have initiated dozens of important projects and events, raising over $25 million. The Foundation’s goal is to assist individuals with physical challenges to live fuller lives and raise awareness of their achievements and contributions to society.
International Women’s Day at CMHR
The CMHR partnered with FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015™ for International Women’s Day March 8 to celebrate women’s rights, sports and the power of soccer to break down cultural barriers that unite us all.
Visitors to the CMHR were able to take part in family activities, enjoy music from a local DJ and even meet the official FIFA mascot Shuéme. Panel discussions and speakers from the world of soccer – including Sylvie Béliveau, former head coach of Canada’s Women’s National Team – highlighted the contributions of women in sport and how sport can help raise awareness of human rights and equality throughout the world.
To provoke thought and discussion about the Right to Play (an article of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child), one of the many activities offered was making soccer balls out of plastic bags. This hands-on activity was inspired by a story featured in the Museum about young people in parts of Africa who can’t afford sports equipment, so they scour garbage dumps for plastic bags and string to transform trash into soccer balls.
CMHR Welcoming 20,000 students over six months
Students are learning they can make a difference through their actions, as more than 30 classes a week visit the CMHR. Students from kindergarten to Grade 12 are exploring human rights concepts through CMHR school programs such as “My Rights, Our Rights,” “Be an Upstander” and “First People’s Rights in a Changing Canada.”
“It’s truly inspiring to see children embrace the concept of human rights and think about how their actions affect others. Some of these young people leave this Museum hoping to influence not only their peers but the world,” said June Creelman, CMHR director of Learning and Programming.
From January until the end of the school year in June, more than 20,000 students from Manitoba and the surrounding region will have participated in school visits to the CMHR.
CMHR program interpreters lead students through a series of interactive activities during programs of 90 minutes to two hours. School programs include a visit to three or more CMHR galleries that were developed in consultation with educators. In younger grades, students learn the rights we all have as human beings and how to respect each other’s rights. Older students are challenged to explore concepts of freedoms, rights and responsibilities through analysis of Canadian and world events.
Teacher Angie Baseraba brought her Grade 5 class from Dr. Hamilton School to the Museum in January. “The whole program was amazing,” she said. “The students worked in small groups and took part in interactive games. Even though they are children, they learn that they can make a difference.”
Join our national campaign chair in the CMHR
Gail Asper will be speaking at the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce luncheon on Monday, April 27 at the CMHR. Register now to ensure you have the chance to take part in this special occasion.
To register visit: http://www.winnipeg-chamber.com/events/Special-Event-At-the-Canadian-Museum-for-Human-Rights-57187/details
On the CMHR blog
Women’s rights – the fabric that makes a defender
“Gender inequality and violence against girls and women remain key issues in the struggle for human rights in Canada and around the world. Dozens of powerful stories about the past, present and future of women’s rights can be found throughout the Museum…” Continue reading…
Defending people’s freedom to read
“From February 22 to 28, people across Canada will celebrate Freedom to Read Week, an annual event founded by the Canadian Book and Periodical Council. The goal is to raise awareness about censorship in Canada and to encourage people to “think about and reaffirm their commitment to intellectual freedom…” Continue reading…
If you would like further information on donating, please contact the Regional Campaign Manager for your area.
Manitoba
Carolyn Basha
cbasha@friendsofcmhr.com
204-289-2273
Kelly McArthur
kmcarthur@friendsofcmhr.com
204-289-2278
Alberta
Alice Ogston
aogston@friendsofcmhr.com
403-474-0157
Ontario
Lynda Henriksen
lhenriksen@friendsofcmhr.com
416-369-4625