Civil society groups support curatorial independence of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights

Our staff member Sandra and board member Geoff visited the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in July. If you’re able, we encourage you to visit the museum and reflect on its exhibits for yourself.

We, the undersigned human rights and civil society organizations, write to express our support for the Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR), its leadership, and the curatorial independence that is essential to the integrity of all public museums.

The Canadian Museum for Human Rights was established to advance understanding of human rights through education and dialogue. That mission depends on the freedom to present complex histories honestly, thoughtfully, and without political interference.

The opening of Palestine Uprooted: Nakba Past and Present marks an important contribution to public understanding in Canada about a history that has profoundly shaped the lives of Palestinian Canadians as well as millions of Palestinians globally. As publicly funded institutions governed by the public interest, museums dedicated to human rights have a responsibility to confront difficult, contested, and often painful histories. This exhibition reflects that responsibility.

Since its opening, the exhibition has been the subject of organized campaigns calling for political intervention, public condemnation, and institutional consequences for the museum and its leadership, including against its CEO, Isha Khan. We are deeply concerned by efforts to pressure the CMHR to alter, discredit, or distance itself from a professionally curated exhibition through political and public pressure rather than through established scholarly and curatorial processes.

We are particularly concerned that calls for political intervention have, in some instances, extended beyond public advocacy into commentary from elected officials regarding the content of the exhibition. Regardless of the issue at hand, political leaders should respect the independence of Canada’s public museums and refrain from influencing or appearing to influence curatorial decisions.

The principles at stake extend well beyond this exhibition and are fundamental to the independence of all public museums. We urge elected officials, community leaders, and the public to respect the CMHR’s institutional independence. We also express our appreciation to the museum staff, leadership, advisory members, and all those who contributed their expertise and lived experience to this exhibition.

We call on the museum to remain steadfast in its commitment to independent, evidence-based curation and encourage all Canadians to engage with and visit the exhibition in the spirit of learning, reflection, and respectful dialogue.

Signatories

1. Independent Jewish Voices
2. Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East
3. Jewish Faculty Network
4. Palestinian Canadian Congress
5. United Jewish People’s Order
6. Union of National Employees
7. Visual Arts Alliance
8. Royal Canadian Academy of Arts
9. Alberta Federation of Labour
10. Canadian Union of Postal Workers
11. Amnesty International Canada (English speaking)
12. Amnistie internationale Canada (francophone)
13. Oxfam Canada
14. Oxfam-Québec
15. British Columbia Civil Liberties Association
16. Common Frontiers
17. Canadian Multicultural Education Foundation
18. National Council of Canadian Muslims
19. Kairos – Canada
20. United Church of Canada
21. The Presbyterian Church in Canada
22. John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human Rights
23. Association of Canadians for a Civil Society
24. Workers’ Education and Rights Collective (WERC)
25. Edmonton Council of Muslim Communities (ECMC)
26. Rabbis for Ceasefire
27. Leadnow
28. Centre for Human Rights Research
29. Toronto Jewish Families
30. Toronto Palestinian Families
31. Prairie to Pine Regional Council, United Church of Canada
32. Canadian Friends Service Committee
33. Canadian Alliance for Solidarity with Ukraine
34. Association of Palestinian Arab Canadians
35. Islamic Social Services Association
36. Canadian Muslim Public Affairs Council
37. Arab Canadian Lawyers Association
38. Toronto World Beyond War
39. Jews for Tikkun Olam: Jewish Social Workers, Therapists & Spiritual Leaders for Social Justice & Palestinian Liberation
40. Mennonite Church of Canada, Palestine-Israel Network
41. IfNotNow Toronto
42. Jews Say No to Genocide
43. Ottawa Forum on Israel Palestine
44. Canadian Palestinian Association of Manitoba
45. Justice 48
46. Just Peace Advocates
47. Catholics for Justice and Peace in the Holy Land
48. Justice for All Canada
49. Halifax Refugee Clinic
50. Association for the Rights of Household and Farm Workers
51. C-Space Group Conflict Resolution
52. Palestinian and Jewish Unity (PAJU)
53. Maquila Solidarity Network
54. Canadian Association of Jews and Muslims
55. United Network for Justice and Peace in Palestine/Israel (UNJPPI)
56. Rights Action
57. Palestine House – Toronto
58. Chinese and Southeast Asian Legal Clinic
59. Palestine Solidarity – St Johns
60. Planned Parenthood Toronto
61. Canadian Friends of Standing Together
62. JusticeTrans
63. Jewish Psychologists for Justice
64. PEERS Alliance
65. Pivot Legal Society
66. Canadian Friends of Sabeel
67. Canadian Voice of Women for Peace
68. Righting Relations
69. Breaking the Silence Maritimes Guatemala Network
70. Paramedics For Palestine
71. Canadian Muslims for Palestine
72. Mennonite Action Canada
73. Teachers 4 Palestine Saskatchewan
74. Moms of Anarchy
75. Colour of Poverty – Colour of Change
76. Palestinian Youth Movement Canada
77. Palestinian House Association
78. The Oakville Gaza Peace Group
79. IslamicFamily
80. Mutual Aid Society Winnipeg Inc.
81. The Legal Clinic
82. Manitoba Friends of Standing Together
83. IJV Winnipeg
84. CJPME Saskatoon
85. Orangeville 4 Palestine
86. Peace. Alliance Winnipeg
87. Collingwood For Palestine
88. Council of Agencies Serving South Asians
89. Teachers4Palestine
90. CKUT-FM
91. Northwest BC Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides
92. Jemez Peacemakers
93. Nastech Medical Ltd
94. Vancouver Friends of Standing Together
95. Palestinian Advocacy in Education
96. Canadian Veterans For Peace
97. FTJCo Fair Trade Jewellery Company
98. Endoh Collaborative
99. Association of United Ukrainian Canadians
100. Canadian Peace Congress
101. Atlantic Canada Paletinian Society – Halifax
102. Palestine Solidarity Committee of Saint John
103. Pax Christi Toronto
104. Faculty for Palestine, F4P Alberta
105. Belleville for Justice and Peace
106. Islamic Society of Belleville
107. International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network Canada (IJAN)
108. Gaza Care Coalition
109. Department of Imaginary Affairs
110. Palestine Solidarity Thunder Bay
111. Human Without Borders Organization
112. Canadian Arab Federation
113. Quadrangle NL
114. Coalition des familles LGBT+

Download this open letter in PDF. Learn more about CFSC’s concern for a just peace in Israel/Palestine.