Canadian Museum for Human Rights Has Global Interest

Laura ManningNews

WINNIPEG, MB. – The Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR) has seen an increasing number of visitors come from across Canada and around the world in the last year. In 2016-17 over 60% came from outside of Winnipeg, the Museum announced at its Annual Public Meeting held in Vancouver.

Growing recognition of the CMHR as a world-renowned tourism destination is the result of national and international media coverage along with partnerships and collaboration with human rights organizations around the world, CMHR President & CEO John Young noted.

“The Museum is increasingly recognized as a place where we can better understand who we are as Canadians and where we aspire to go together,” said Dr. Young. “We are building an international reputation in the cultural world, in global architecture and design circles and in the world of human rights discourse.”

Within its first three years of operations, the CMHR received a Signature Experience designation from Destination Canada, which will continue to build the Museum’s reputation with international tour operators and attract visitors from Destination Canada target markets in Europe, Asia and Australia.

The Museum enters the 2018-19 fiscal year on sound financial footing, following the resolution of the Payment In Lieu of Taxes (PILT) issue in Budget 2016 and the additional $35 million in funding over six years provided in Budget 2018 to offset the $35 million in advanced appropriations committed in 2012.

As part of its focus on ensuring long-term financial sustainability, the Museum launched a sponsorship program in December 2017. Sponsorship will enable the CMHR to expand the reach of the stories it tells, Dr. Young noted, welcoming TD Bank Group as the Contributing Partner to the Mandela: Struggle for Freedom exhibition, which opens at the Museum in June 2018.

Museum Board Chair Pauline Rafferty discussed the ongoing work the Museum is doing to improve its policies and procedures as a new cultural institution. “Conversations about gender violence, equity and respectful work environments took place in living rooms, board rooms and chat rooms around the world over the past year,” Rafferty said, adding those same conversations were taking place at the CMHR.

The Museum’s management and union have proactively reached out to staff, sending a message emphasizing the shared responsibility for a respectful workplace environment and highlighting existing policies, Rafferty noted.

“All Board members will receive a copy of the Museum’s Respectful Workplace Policy and an overview of the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, which they will personally be asked to sign every year,” Rafferty said.

With Files From The Canadian Museum for Human Rights

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