I have the good fortune to have been selected to be one of the 300+volunteers for the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. (museumforhumanrights.ca). Today I was privileged to be there for the Opening Ceremonies, and to get my first glimpse of four of the eleven galleries. My task today was easy-"Hello, Bonjour, welcome to level three, gallery four". The visitors today were guests invited to attend the opening, primarily those who had contributed to make the museum a reality, so there were few criticisms. Tomorrow and Sunday those attending will be those fortunate enough to have obtained the free tickets advertised a few weeks ago. Their tours will be short, so my expectation is that the grandeur of the structure will be the topic of any comments. It will be interesting to see, once the regular hours begin on the 27th, what the reactions will be. It is a building and a subject meant to inspire both conversation and discussion. Already there are those who are critical and angry. To me it would make sense to see what's there first and then comment, but there are always those who jump the gun. In the end, does it really matter if what is depicted is what you think is most important? What's important is that the topic of human rights is being put on the table for discussion. The discussion, and the actions arising from those discussions are what are important.
I am thrilled to have been there today, and to contribute in a very small way to the success of this project. I have to believe that the structure itself will put Winnipeg on the map as a destination. I believe that the fact that it exists will facilitate important conversations, and will bring about positive change in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada and the world. How can that be bad?
