Claims of Inclusiveness by Human Rights Museum Disingenuous

        Winnipeg, February 8, 2011 (UCC) - The Ukrainian Canadian Congress is dismayed at the rhetoric being put forth by the Canadian Museum For Human Rights that content and layout of the Museum is not yet set and that they are still listening to stakeholders.  UCC has obtained tendering documents from the Government of Canada’s MERX system…The tender document, entitled Request for Proposal Media & Technology Solicitation No: CMHR2011 02 Solicitation Date: January 10, 2011 Bid Closing: February 18, 2011, 15:00hrs, indicates that the Museum is contracting for the displays and exhibits on the basis of the Final Report of the Content Advisory Committee, and that there will be no permanent galleries or zones for the Ukrainian Holodomor or Canada’s First National Internment Operations.

 “In addition to cementing the content of the Museum in accordance with this flawed report, the Museum will be making substantial financial commitments that are based on this unfair and irresponsible approach,” stated Ukrainian Canadian Congress President Paul Grod.  “As matters now stand, issues identified by tax-paying Canadians as being important to them are being consigned to subordinate places within this Museum, or are not being presented at all.  In the face of the public outcry over the contents of the Museum, it is irresponsible for the trustees and management to commit further tax dollars to a museum that is unbalanced.”

 The tender documents indicate that there will only be a single photo of the Holodomor in its electronic displays.  A clarification issued to bidders illustrates that no floor space is being allocated to the Holodomor or to Canada’s First National Internment Operations, in stark comparison to other permanent galleries. “The Museum would like Canadians to believe that a single photo adequately represents the suffering of millions of victims and survivors of the Holodomor…” added Grod.

  As a result, the Ukrainian Canadian Congress has asked the Government of Canada to:

 1) Reconstitute the Museum’s Board of Trustees;

 2) Conduct an independent review of the design, layout and content of the Museum in a public and transparent manner to ensure that the Museum’s
content and design is decided upon and displayed in a fair and equitable manner;

 3) Suspend any further funding for the Museum until issues surrounding the governance and content of the Museum are reviewed, and furthermore;

 4) Require the suspension of any procurement that is predicated on a design, layout and content until an independent review is concluded.