Canadian Museum of Human Rights, Winnipeg
Attending a recent health equity conference in Winnipeg allowed the opportunity for a visit to the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. Talk about an eye opening experience. It is the first museum totally dedicated to the journey and celebration of human rights. The aim of the museum is not only to be a national hub for human rights and discovery, but to mobilize “thought and leadership about global human rights”.
It is impossible to walk through the museum and learn about the number of human injustices that have happened during the past 150 years (indigenous rights, women’s rights, LGBTQ, colour, religion and people with physical and mental challenges to name a few) without being emotionally moved. The different expositions provide you with a real insight into what it must have felt like to live through the injustices and the trauma. What is also important, is that the museum offers a promise of hope, of how society can make a meaningful and lasting change, of how we are all connected. This resonated with me as we left the museum, after all what will future generations think of our society in 100 years, as our history will be on display, will they stop and look through the glass, shake their head and say “what were they thinking”? or will they say, “yes, they got it right, we are all equal, we are all human beings and should be treated with dignity and respect.”
It is the same message that Bridges out of Poverty delivers, we are all humans, we should all be treated with dignity and respect, after all we are all connected.