Portraits of the Anonymous Saturday 4 February 2023 to Sunday 30 April 2023 Time: Open 11am to 5pm Wednesday to Saturday, and 1pm to 5pm on Sundays Location: Counihan Gallery, 233 Sydney Road (inside Brunswick Town Hall), Brunswick AUSTRALIA Virginia Woolf once said, ‘For most of history, Anonymous was a woman’. In her first solo show in Australia, Shwe Wutt Hmon presents photographic portraits of female photographers, filmmakers, photojournalists and artists. These women worked earnestly to document the civilian resistance during the recent coup d'état in Myanmar. The coup d'état began in February 2021, when Myanmar's military deposed the democratically elected government. Each portrait is overlayed with an image of the coup, taken by the portrait subject. The portraits are accompanied by written testimonies, which evoke the struggles, strengths and contributions of women working in photography in Myanmar. The portraits will be suspended from the gallery ceiling, echoing the civilian protests in Myanmar during the Spring Revolution. Protesters strung up longyi on lines across the streets to slow down police and soldiers. Longyi are a type of garment worn by women, similar to a skirt. Walking beneath these garments is traditionally considered bad luck for men. This exhibition is presented in association with International Women’s Day. This exhibition has been supported by Final Grade, Canson and Kayell Australia. Counihan Gallery Phone: +61 03 9389 8622 Email: CounihanGallery@merri-bek.vic.gov.au For exhibition updates you can follow the Counihan Gallery Instagram page. You can also go to the Counihan Gallery Facebook page. For more information about the artist, you can visit Shwe Wutt Hmon's website. This exhibition is in the Front Gallery.
FIHRM-ASIA PACIFIC EVENTS
Women Make Waves International Film Festival 2022- Touring Film Screening and Post-screening Talk Series NHRM collaborates with Women Make Waves International Film Festival 2022 to screen three films on the theme of Taiwanese family and gender roles. There will be a post-screening with the director after each screening. We hope that viewers can have a deeper understanding of the “happening” changes in Taiwanese family relations, role identities, gender equality, and cultural identity. Film 1: American Girl Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQOhNm8tznU Online Registration: https://reurl.cc/bE0KLd Film 2: Incense Fire Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRpJttIvorU Online Registration: https://reurl.cc/rRMOpE Film 3: Can You Hear Me? Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xm9CHnqWl5c Online Registration: https://reurl.cc/vWVRyA
A Better Future for Every Child – International Children’s Right Day 2022 To celebrate this year's International Children's Right Day, NHRM has organized a series of diverse types of children's human rights education-themed activities from September to December 2022. This year marks the third year since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. As the epidemic slows, many countries have gradually eased the prevention restrictions. Issues of children's rights violations due to the pandemic have also surfaced. Schools closed, and online learning has unexpectedly revealed that students in specific areas lack learning resources; some children even drop out of school. Some children can't be vaccinated. The Russo-Ukrainian War forced countless Ukrainian children to leave their hometowns, away from their caring relatives, and out of school. The safety and rights of children are challenged. Children worldwide endured the COVID-19 pandemic for the past few years, and some faced war. On International Children's Rights Day, NHRM urges everyone to join us in fighting for children's rights. May there be a better future for every child. Picture Book Lecture I am a Child and I Have Rights Time: Nov. 20th, 2022 1000-1200 Venue: Tourist Center, Jing-Mei White Terror Memorial Park Online registration starts from Nov. 1st Film In this Corner of the World Time: Oct. 22nd, 2022 1330-1630 Venue: Tourist Center, Jing-Mei White Terror Memorial Park Online registration: https://www.accupass.com/event/2208151056297590882710 The German Lesson Time: Nov. 20th, 2022 1330-1630 Venue: Tourist Center, Jing-Mei White Terror Memorial Park Online registration starts from Nov. 1st Drama Grandpa's Suitcase Time: Nov. 20th, 2022 1330-1430 Venue: Auditorium, Jing-Mei White Terror Memorial Park Online registration starts from Nov. 1st Life Story of Uong'e Yatauyungana Time: Dec. 10th, 2022 1330-1430 Venue: Auditorium, Jing-Mei White Terror Memorial Park Online registration starts from Nov. 1st 2-Day Workshop for children under 12 and 13-18 Time: Nov. 5th & 6th 0930-1600 Venue: Tourist Center, Jing-Mei White Terror Memorial Park Online registration: https://www.accupass.com/event/2209120927291847935816
Photo Exhibition "Endless Escape: Fleeing Myanmar to Thailand” 4 October – 6 November 2022 @ Curved Wall, 4th floor, BACC Since the coup d’état led by General Min Aung Hlaing in February 2021, many have been displaced within Myanmar and across borders. Hostilities and armed conflict in Myanmar, especially Chin State, Sagaing and Magway Regions in northwestern; Karen and Karenni (Kayah) States in southeast, have forced a considerable number of people to flee. According to the UN, in a year and half at least 986,000 people have been newly displaced internally, adding to the 370,000 who had previously left their homes. An additional 47,200 are estimated to have crossed over to neighboring countries or settled along the border. As of February 2022, the Thai government estimated that 17,000 Myanmar refugees had crossed into Thailand. These can be broadly defined into two groups: internally displaced villagers in bordering states seeking temporary refuge due to intensified conflict; and CDM protestors and high-profile individuals seeking longer-term refuge, whether in Thailand or third countries. The photo exhibition “Endless Escape: Fleeing Myanmar to Thailand,” held by SEA Junction in collaboration with Asia Democracy Network on the 4th floor of BACC, focuses on the first group. Aung Naing Soe, Visual Rebellion, Yan Naing Aung and Zin Koko capture the cross-over into Thailand and the settling along the 1,500 km porous borders when fighting and airstrikes became particularly intense such as in December 2021 and March 2022. Few photos also show Mae La, the largest refugee camp of the nine along the Thai-Myanmar border that was established in 1984 to remind us of the “endless escape” of Myanmar people from violence and the plight of new generations growing up in camps excluded from the wider society. Realizing this hopefully encourage us to do more to sustain a democratic Myanmar and to integrate displaced peoples and refugees in our midst. On the short term the extensive humanitarian needs of people in temporary settlements along the border including access to safe drinking water, medicine, and sanitation facilities ought to be met. The exhibition will be officially launched with a discussion on 8 October 2022, 5.00-6.30 pm with the speakers/photographers listed below - Patrick Phongsathorn, Human Rights Advocacy Specialist at Fortify Rights - Aung Naing Soe, Multimedia Journalist - Laure Siegel, Founder of Visual Rebellion Myanmar - Yan Naing Aung, Photojournalist Organizer: SEA Junction, established under the Thai non-profit organization Foundation for Southeast Asia Studies (ForSEA), aims to foster understanding and appreciation of Southeast Asia in all its socio-cultural dimensions- from arts and lifestyles to economy and development. Conveniently located at Room 408 of the Bangkok Arts and Culture Center or BACC (across MBK, BTS National Stadium), SEA Junction facilitates public access to knowledge resources and exchanges among students, practitioners and Southeast Asia lovers. For more information, see www.seajunction.org. Supporter: Asia Democracy Network (ADN) is active in more than 40 countries in Asia. Our core values are to promote and practice the principles of democracy through the development of inclusive governance, advancement of human rights, equality and inclusivity, prevention of discrimination, human security, promotion of free, fair and meaningful elections, democracy education, & press freedom and responsibility. For more information, see https://adnasia.org.
Means Without End Means Without End Date: Saturday 28 May 2022 to Sunday 17 July 2022 Time: Open 11am to 5pm Wednesday to Saturday, and 1pm to 5pm on Sundays Location: Counihan Gallery, 233 Sydney Road (inside Brunswick Town Hall), Brunswick 'Means Without End' offers a unique opportunity to view two recent projects by artist Hoda Afshar side by side. 'Remain' (2018) is a series of photographic portraits of men who were detained on Manus Island. The collaborative project involves these men retelling their individual and shared stories through staged images, words, and poetry. 'Agonistes' (2020) is a tribute to whistle-blowers who have spoken out in the name of truth and justice. They did so at a terrible personal cost. Hoda Afshar was Born in Iran and is now based in Narrm (Melbourne). She began her career as a documentary photographer. This influences her poetic investigation into the representation of gender, marginality, and displacement. Afshar is also a member of Eleven, a collective of contemporary Muslim Australian artists, curators, and writers. Eleven challenges the current politics of representation and power. Suitable for This exhibition includes video and sound content. Because of the varied sensory experience on display, this exhibition may be a difficult environment for visitors who experience sensory overload. Content note: This exhibition includes mentions of suicide, abuse and mental health issues. Contact Counihan Gallery Phone: 03 9389 8622 Email: CounihanGallery@moreland.vic.gov.au Further information For exhibition updates you can follow the Counihan Gallery Instagram Page. You can also go to the Counihan Gallery Facebook pagethe Counihan Gallery Facebook Page. Hoda Afshar is represented by Milani Gallery. To find out more, visit the Milani Gallery website. There is a Counihan Gallery Learning Resource to accompany this exhibition. To download your copy, visit our Learning at the Counuhan Gallery Page. Means Without End is in the New Gallery.
Taiwan's Long Walk to Freedom of Speech Time: Apr. 7th, 2022-Apr. 7th, 2024, 0900-1800, Monday-Sunday Venue: Chang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, Permanent Exhibition Hall In October 1945, after the KMT took over Taiwan, many state violations and suppression of human rights cases occurred. After the outbreak of the Korean War in June 1950, President Chiang Kai-shek strengthened the authoritarian system with economic and military assistance from the United States, which further suppressed Taiwan's freedom of speech. It was only after the lifting of martial law in 1987 and the termination of the Period of National Mobilization for the Suppression of the Communist Rebellion in 1991 that the authoritarian regime ended. However, as to freedom of speech, it was until the abolishment of the Betrayers Punishment Act in 1991 and the revision of Article 100 of the Criminal Law in 1992 that the people of Taiwan were free from intimidation from the State. Since then, freedom of speech has been guaranteed. Taiwan is now an advanced democracy in East Asia, and it ranks among the top in the protection of freedom of speech. "Taiwan's Long Walk to Freedom of Speech" focuses on the progress of freedom of speech in Taiwan. Based on the historical context from 1945 to the present, the exhibition is divided into the following units to present Taiwan's arduous journey from authoritarianism to freedom and democracy. 1. The Formation of the Speech Suppression System 2. 1945-1949: Taiwan's Media Catastrophe and the "April 6 Incident." 3. the 1950s: "Free China" and the Struggle regardless of Provincial Identifications 4. the 1960s: The Fearless Figures under the Suffocation of Speech 5. the 1970s-1980s: Setbacks and Breakthroughs of Dang-Wai Collective Actions 6. 1987-1992: Sacrifice and Crash on the Last Mile 7. Conclusion: Challenges of the New Era
Topic: Museum-Based Approaches to Indigenous Cultural Revitalization Editorial Note "Museum as an approach" refers to the utilization of a museum's resources and expertise such as collection, research, curation, and promotion to achieve specific goals. With the topical focus of this issue, we aim to explore how the concept of "museum as an approach" can be effectively employed to contribute to the revitalization of indigenous cultures. Global statistics from the United Nations reveal that more than 476 million indigenous people inhabit over 90 countries, constituting 6.2% of global population. In the case of Taiwan, data from the Ministry of the Interior in 2022 indicates that indigenous people comprise 2.51% of the national population. For a long time, the diverse languages, cultures, beliefs, and bodies of knowledge of indigenous communities have been persecuted by colonial powers. Their values, rights, and land justice are constantly under threat. The process of indigenous cultural revitalization involves not only the restoration of traditional languages and knowledge systems but also the fostering of ethnic identity, a sense of pride and belonging within these communities. This process also opens up opportunities for reconciliation with non-indigenous groups, mutual recognition, and acceptance. Traditional museums have been critiqued for marginalizing, turning a blind eye to or downplaying indigenous issues, inadvertently perpetuating stereotypes, stigma, and discrimination. However, contemporary museums are now engaging in introspection and are demonstrating a willingness to challenge their pre-existing frameworks of knowledge to drive transformative change. Three articles of this issue examine cases of diverse practices in contemporary Asia-Pacific museums, spanning Japan, Taiwan, and Australia. The essay titled Write Our Own Story – From Lawbubulu Exhibition to the Kialreba Exhibition," authored by Dresedrese Celrevege, the director of the Rukai Culture Museum in Wutai Township, Pingtung County as well as a champion of indigenous culture, delves into the planning process the two collaborative exhibitions between the Rukai museum and the National Taiwan Museum. These collaborations have facilitated a reexamination of the meaning and narratives behind cultural artifacts. The process not only illuminated a path for an indigenous group in search of identity but also opened up new opportunities for cooperation between national and local cultural institutions. Another article, Promoting Interethnic Reconciliation and Inclusiveness: Examining the Framework of Reconciliation Action Plans (RAPs) in Australian Museums, authored by the FIHRMAP website editorial team, introduces the "Reconciliation Action Plans" (RAPs) adopted by multiple Australian museums. The article outlines the framework of RAPs and discusses the approaches taken by the Museum of Australian Democracy, the Australian National Maritime Museum, and the Australian Museum. Their practice offers insight into the diverse strategies employed by museums in their pathways toward indigenous reconciliation. In the featured essay, Living as an Ainu——Grandma's Wisdom & A Message from the Museum, author Akemi Oshino, a cultural heritage preservation worker from the Hokkaido-Mukawa region in Japan and a staff member at the Upopoy National Ainu Museum, shares personal lived experiences. Reflecting on inspiration from her grandmother and how she started working at the Upopoy National Ainu Museum, she shares her efforts in the revitalization of Ainu culture, cultural promotion, and her objectives.
Author profile: Celrevege Dresedrese Celrevege is a Rukai member from the Kinulane Community in Wutai Township, Pingtung County. Currently, she serves as the Director of the Zhongzheng Library in Wutai Township and the Director of the Rukai Culture Museum in Wutai Township, Pingtung County. About Rukai Culture Museum The Rukai Culture Museum in Wutai Township, Pingtung County officially commenced operations on December 19, 2000. Its architectural exterior is constructed using the traditional slate-laying method. The museum houses a collection of 124 artifacts, including various tools essential for traditional Rukai livelihoods, intricately crafted handicrafts such as weaving, embroidery, wood carving, and stone carving, as well as a lifelike exhibit showcasing traditional stone slate houses. It stands as a compact and static representation of indigenous Rukai culture. The institution's objectives encompass not only enabling the public to understand and appreciate Rukai culture but also serving as a permanent cultural preservation and indigenous education institution. It fosters a sense of identity and belonging among the community while perpetuating the traditional culture of the Rukai People. Write Our Own Story – From the Lawbubulu Exhibition to the Kialreba Exhibition Since 2017, the National Taiwan Museum and the Rukai Culture Museum in Wutai Township, Pingtung County have collaborated to prepare an exhibition entitled Lawbubulu—Wutai Relics’ Centennial Trip Home. In the Rukai language, "lawbubulu" refers to handmade objects with practical functions or social significance. This exhibition is the first large-scale traditional artifact exhibition of Taiwan's indigenous Rukai people. It marks a journey of the ancestral tools and ceremonial objects of the Rukai people returning to their homeland for the first time in a century ever since their departure. The preparation for this exhibition involved numerous tasks, including compiling lists of artifacts from both the National Taiwan Museum and the Rukai Culture Museum, elders inspecting objects originally from their communities housed at the National Taiwan Museum, organizing meetings to select items for the exhibition, conducting field research and interviews, collaborative curation and interpretation between the two museums, countless work meetings, exhibition setup, opening ceremony, and volunteer training. Consulting the elders for insights into the significance of these artifacts, including their origins, their indigenous names, usage, and production methods, formed a crucial foundation for interpreting the exhibition items. Through in-depth field surveys with community elders, the curatorial team uncovered the stories, cultural meanings, and symbolic significance behind each traditional Rukai artifact, and they even encountered long-forgotten Rukai vocabulary during interviews. The team realized that the exhibition preparation process wasn't just about planning an exhibition but also a journey of self-discovery for Rukai people.
Author: The editorial team of FIHRM-AP official website Promoting Interethnic Reconciliation and Inclusiveness: Examining the Framework of Reconciliation Action Plans in Australian Museums The term “indigenous peoples” generally refers to the "earliest inhabitants of a certain land." They have their own languages, cultures, beliefs, and bodies of knowledge, which form distinctive social, economic, and political structures, deeply rooted in their lands.[1] However, under the impacts of modern imperialism and colonialism, indigenous peoples have often become marginalized groups subject to foreign oppressions throughout history. Even today, they face challenges like insufficient political representation[2],limited access to social services, language and cultural loss, and more. To improve their status culturally, politically and socially, addressing this difficult history and facilitating reconciliation between indigenous and non-indigenous groups are vital in the practice of addressing human rights issues.
My Work As a cultural specialist for the Foundation for Ainu Culture, I work at UPOPOY: National Ainu Museum and Park. UPOPOY is a cultural institution located in Shiraoi, Hokkaido, and it is the first national cultural institution dedicated to the Indigenous Peoples of Japan, Ainu. The mission of UPOPOY is to serve as a base to “revitalize and expand the Ainu culture,” and UPOPOY itself is “a symbol of the building of a forward-looking, vibrant society with a rich, diverse culture in which indigenous people are treated with respect and dignity, without discrimination.”[1] The National Ainu Museum and the National Ainu Park are the core facilities of UPOPOY. The National Ainu Park functions as an open-air museum, allowing visitors to experience Ainu culture first-hand with facilities like the Cultural Exchange Hall, Workshop, Craft Studio, and the traditional village, Kotan. Visitors can participate in experiential learning programs that showcase the history, culture, clothing, food, living spaces, performing arts, and craftsmanship of the Ainu people. UPOPOY opened to the public in 2020. After years of dedicated efforts, the Ainu were formally recognized as “indigenous people” under Japanese law in 2019. Although UPOPOY is a national center that has been in operation for three years now, Shiraoi used to be home to the privately owned Ainu Museum, which was run by the Ainu themselves, also fondly called Poroto Kotan, named after Lake Poroto in front of the museum (Kotan means “community” or “village” in Ainu). Among many museums and cultural sites in Hokkaido celebrating and introducing Ainu culture, Shiraoi was chosen as the site for building a national establishment. In 2018, a merger occurred with the governmental organization (the Foundation for Research and Promotion of Ainu Culture) and the private organization (the Ainu Museum Foundation), forming the system under which UPOPOY operates today. I began working for the Ainu Museum Foundation in April of 2013, before the merger. My current responsibilities at UPOPOY is at the traditional Kotan, which allows visitors to experience traditional Ainu life. There, I am in charge of explaining the details of Ainu life and culture, as well as traditional performing arts, to visitors of the museum and park.
About the Author Tadayuki Komai Komai was born in Gose City City, Nara Prefecture, Japan in 1972. In 1998, he joined the museum as a member of staff since the opening of the Suiheisha History Museum and became the director in 2015. Through initiatives such as the ones organized by FIHRM and the "Memory of the World", he works to spread to the world the founding philosophy of Suiheisha. He is also teaching human rights theory at Kobe College. He co-authored the new editions of The Origin of the Suiheisha (Buraku Liberation Publishing House, 2002), The Heat and Light of Suiheisha Declaration (Buraku Liberation Publishing House, 2012), Buraku Issues in Modern Times ("Lectures on Buraku Issues in Modern Japan 1", Buraku Liberation Publishing House, 2022). About the Suiheisha History Museum Inaugurated in May 1998 at the founding site of the Zenkoku Suiheisha (National Levelers' Society), Kashiwabara, Gose City, Nara Prefecture, Japan, the Suiheisha History Museum is dedicated to the advancement of human rights culture and the universalization of human rights philosophy, and works to convey messages about discrimination and human rights issues. In September 2015, the Suiheisha History Museum participated for the first time in the FIHRM (Federation of International Human Rights Museums) conference in Wellington, New Zealand, and became the first Japanese organization to join FIHRM in December of the same year. From that point on, the Suiheisha History Museum has launched various initiatives to share with the world its founding philosophy of "pursuing human dignity and peace". In May 2016, the museum announced on both ICOM General Conference and FIHRM Rosario Conference, Argentina the listing of "Suiheisha and Hyeongpyeongsa records of cross-border solidarity between the minorities who had been discriminated against" (the five historical items housed in the Suiheisha History Museum) on the Memory of the World Regional Register For Asia/Pacific and the effort for the documents to be entered into the International Register was underway. On March 3, 2022, as Suiheisha was to celebrate its 100th anniversary, the newly renovated Suiheisha History Museum reopened. Introduction On March 3, 1922, the Zenkoku Suiheisha (National Levelers' Society) was founded at the Kyoto Municipal Public Hall with the aim of pursuing human dignity and peace. The leading founding members were a group of young people who were born and raised in Kashibara, Gosho City, Nara Prefecture. The founding of the Zenkoku Suiheisha was inspired by the Buraku liberation movement which aims to eliminate discrimination against Buraku people, promote freedom and equality and secure human rights. Many of the predecessors involved in Suiheisha movement passed on this spirit. In order to make the process of their struggle known to future generations, in May 1998, with donations from all over the country, the Suiheisha History House was established in Kashiwabara, the origin place of Suiheisha (renamed as the Suiheisha History Museum in 1999). The founding philosophy that connects people The Zenkoku Suiheisha championed that "respect for other people liberates oneself", and promoted its founding declaration, "let there be warmth in human society, let there be light in all human beings". It is the first human rights declaration in Japan, and also the first human rights declaration raised by those who were discriminated against. The founding philosophy of Suiheisha is to build a society where all identities are accepted and one that does no tolerate discrimination. The philosophy did not only speak to Burakumin (Buraku people) but also resonated with many others by inspiring and encouraging human rights movements autonomously initiated by Zainichi Koreans (ethnic Korean citizens or residents of Japan), Uchinanchu (Okinawan people), Ainu people and leprosy survivors. Its influence even reached Baekjeong, an untouchable caste in Korea. Hyeongpyeongsa (Equitable Society) was established in April, 1923 with Baekjeong as its core members. The history of alliance between Suiheisha and Hyeongpyeongsa leaves a legacy of bond built on the basis of universal human values such as human rights, freedom, equality, fraternity and democracy. The historic document of this exchange, "Suiheisha and Hyeongpyeongsa records of cross-border solidarity between the minorities who had been discriminated against" was added to the Memory of the World Regional Register For Asia/Pacific in 2016. Moreover, the establishment of Suiheisha drew the attention of overseas media. The Nation, an American magazine, also published an English translation of the declaration of Suiheisha in an article on September 5, 1923. About the discrimination against Buraku which Suiheisha sought to eliminate As decreed in its founding declaration, the philosophy of the Zenkoku Suiheisha strives to eliminate the discrimination against the social minority "Burakumin". The root cause of the discrimination against Buraku originated from identity discrimination against people known as "Eta" (an abundance of filth) of social hierarchy in pre-modern Japan. Although Japan abolished the social hierarchy of the legal system after becoming a modern country, and the status of Eta was also nullified in 1871, Buraku people, after being re-included into modern civil society, were still at the receiving end of discrimination. This had become a unique social problem to Japanese. This kind of discrimination against Buraku is similar to the discrimination against the untouchables, outcasts and Dalit in the Indian caste system. In addition, the discrimination against Buraku was defined as discrimination on the basis of "social status and family background" in Article 14 of the Japanese Constitution promulgated in November 1946. The International Convention on All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) defines it as "descent" based discrimination which shows that eliminating discrimination has become an important human rights issue both in Japan and the world. Japan started the "Meiji Restoration" in 1868, a year which marks as the starting point of Japan as a modern country. However pre-modern identity-based discrimination formed a new order of discrimination in the new society. And discrimination against Burakumin persisted in modern civil society. Especially from around 1900, discrimination against Buraku aggravated over time. In light of this, the government and other agencies attempted to initiate a movement to improve the status of Buraku and promote the inclusion Burakumin with the wider society through top-down policies. However, Burakumin were not complacent with these moves. After the First World War, they independently launched a emancipation movements in pursuit of liberty, equality, fraternity, hoping to be truly liberated from the discrimination against Buraku. It is the Zenkoku Suiheisha that steered the independent liberation movement of Burakumin. The pursuit of human dignity After 1942, although the Zenkoku Suiheisha no longer existed in legal sense, the founding philosophy of the Suiheishawhich pursues human dignity and equality has become an enduring legacy ever since, and the Buraku liberation movement persisted. In 1948, the United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which laid down the principles of human rights, initiated United Nations Decade for Human Rights Education in 1995 and has advocated for human rights mainstreaming since 2005. The above actions have led to a considerable impact and the movement to affirm human rights have become a world consensus over time. In addition, at the 2015 UN World Summit on Sustainable Development, all member states unanimously adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These goals are to create a future in which no one is left behind and all people on earth can live a prosperous and happy life. In order to build sustainable societies, the development of Sustainable Development Goals are anchored to human rights values and set out 17 goals and 169 targets and this resonates with the philosophy laid out inSuiheisha's guidelines: (we) are enlightened by the principles of human nature, and we will march forward in pursuit of the utmost height of human qualities. The Suiheisha History Museum, the first museum to become a member of the Federation of International Human Rights Museums (FIHRM), has spread the philosophy of Suiheisha all over the world through the Memory of the World Register initiative and FIHRM activities. The Suiheisha History Museum attempts to raise human rights awareness and pursue human dignity through its exhibitions. These efforts has received support from by various organizations. The Suiheisha History Museum Local Support Society was established In Kashiwabara, where the museum is located, in 1999, composed of various groups with the neighborhood council at its center. In order to give the visitors a warm greeting, the Local Support Society renovated the park adjacent to the museum and enhanced greening effort. In addition, in order to promote and support the various programs of the museum and contribute to the maintenance and development of the museum, organizations from fields such as education, sports, religion, businesses, and labor unions in Nara Prefecture jointly established the Suiheisha History Museum Sponsor Association. One of the groups that joined the Sponsor Association, the Nara Prefecture Buraku Liberation Alliance, was founded on the spirit of the Suiheisha movement and assumed the mantle of the Buraku liberation movement. The Alliance purchases a certain number of Suiheisha History Museum admission tickets to increase the number of museum visits every year. At the same time, as part of the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Suiheisha, when the museum was updating its exhibition, it also worked with parties like the Sponsor Association to review what would go into the exhibition to adopt different points of views for a more inclusive exhibition. As a result, many visitors commented that they are "deeply moved". Touching messages left by celebrities and "the most unforgettable messages" submitted by ordinary citizens can be found at the Epilogue section of the updated exhibition. Fixed on the wall of the white space are quotes such as "building a human society of warmth" advocated by the Suiheisha written in relief characters (see the picture below). The five large carousel screens set up on the walls display passages of texts which deeply touched the visitors . This special section is also named Language Museum, and will continue to open to submissions such "compelling messages" in the future. We sincerely hope that this exhibition area, where anyone can contribute, would become a space for everyone to share the idea of "respect for human dignity". Build a more loving world Since the establishment of the Suiheisha in 1992, just like all the other movements which advocate human rights home and abroad, the movement to eliminate the discrimination against Buraku is a historical journey of a century. However, looking at today's Japan, the social minorities who suffered from discrimination and founded the Zenkoku Suiheisha are still experiencing discrimination when making contracts pertaining to marriage and real estate. One cannot firmly say that at present discrimination has been completely eliminated. In addition, taking advantage of the misunderstanding and the taboo among the general public agains having anything to do with Buraku, nefarious activities are rampant, such as selling high-priced books by claiming that people do not have enough understanding about Buraku issues. These activities all use Buraku issues as the excuse to obtain profits in an dishonest way or demand the other party to perform activities which they are not obliged to. These activities also contribute to bias and misperception. As a result, slanderou comments and attacks against Buraku continue to surface on the internet, which has perpetrated discrimination. In light of this, Japan re-enacted the "Three Human Rights Bills" in 2016, including the Act on the Promotion of the Elimination of Buraku Discrimination, the Act for Eliminating Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities and the Hate Speech Act of 2016. In 2019, the Ainu Promotion Act was enacted. Against the backdrop of the above-mentioned status of Buraku discrimination and human rights-related trends, the Buraku liberation movement established networks by connecting with other human rights movements and local community building. Also, the movement gets its messages across by making Nara as its base with a focus on the efforts of overcoming discrimination. The Suiheisha History Museum also joins forces with this movement and plays the role as the hub for human rights information transmission. It carries out the Zenkoku Suiheisha's philosophy of pursuing equality and human dignity with a steel determination to eliminate discrimination and make this a legacy for the future. We hope that we all share the founding philosophy of the Suiheisha, that is to build a human society of warmth and strive to realize this goal. The pursuit is to collectively build a tolerant and incusive society, where everyone can be themselves and live freely. We are convinced that everyone who comes to the Suiheisha History Museum can connect with and agree with this spirit. "Let there be warmth in human society, let there be light in all human beings" 【Reference Materials】 The guidelines and declaration adopted at the founding assembly of the Suiheisha on March 3, 1922 Guidelines 1. We as Tokushu Burakumin (people of a special community), seek the absolute liberation through our own actions 2. We, as Tokushu Burakumin, demand to obtain absolute economic freedom and occupational freedom from the society 3. We are enlightened by the principles of human nature, and will march forward in pursuit of the utmost height of human qualities. Declaration Tokushu Burakumin throughout the country: Unite! Long-suffering brothers! Over the past half century, the movements on our behalf by so many people and in such varied ways have yielded no appreciable results. This failure is the punishment we have incurred for permitting ourselves as well as others to debase our own human dignity. Previous movements, though seemingly motivated by compassion, actually corrupted many of our brothers. Thus, it is imperative that we now organize a new collective movement to emancipate ourselves by promoting respect for human dignity. Brothers! Our ancestors were admirers and practitioners of freedom and equality, victims of ugly class policies, and martyrs of male industry. As a reward for skinning animals, they were stripped of their own living flesh; in return for tearing out the hearts of animals, their own warm human hearts were ripped apart. They were even spat upon with ridicule. Yet, all through these cursed nightmares, their human pride ran deep in their blood. Now, the time has come when we human beings, pulsing with this blood, are soon to regain our divine dignity. The time has come for the victims to throw off their stigma. The time has come for the blessing of the martyrs' crown of thorns. The time has come when we can be proud of being Eta. We must never again shame our ancestors and profane humanity through servile words and cowardly deeds. We, who know just how cold human society can be, who know what it is to be pitied, do fervently seek and adore the warmth and light of human life from deep within our hearts. Thus is the Suiheisha born. Let there be warmth in human society, let there be light in all human beings March 3, 1922 Suiheisha
Introduction FIHRM was established to raise awareness of human rights issues and actively encourage museums to engage in issues of democracy and inclusion. The 2022 FIHRM conference was held in Oslo, Norway in September this year. Hosted by Demokratinetverket, the three-day conference took place at specially selected venues of democratic and human rights significance in Oslo— the Eidsvoll 1814, the Nobel Peace Center and the Norwegian Center for Holocaust and Minority Studies. The discussion of the conference first focused on how to critically approach the autonomy and flexibility of human rights museums in places where human rights and democratic values are suppressed and the identification of the kind of relationships between museums, the state and communities as well as uncovering the kind of pressure museums faced in terms of development. The discussion also talked about how human rights museums shape their roles and engage in contentious issues. Then the focus turned to mapping out the current status of human rights museums across the globe and finding solutions or strategies to inclusion in the process of addressing social, cultural and political inclusion/exclusion from different angles. Conference participants traveled from Europe, Asia and America, including Hung Shih-Fang, the chair of FIHRM-AP and the director of Taiwan National Human Rights Museum and Tenzin Topdhen, the director of Tibet Museum, also a member of FIHRM-AP. By sharing their practical experiences and methodologies, the participants aspired to address the issue of inclusion in not only the space of museums but also the society as a whole. A museum can function as a starting point for the promotion and building of an equitable society. Museums face internal and external pressures and challenges when addressing human rights issues In an ideal society, all people are created equal. However, the journey to Utopia is a bumpy ride. When opening the first session on the first day of the conference, Kathrin Pabst, the chair of IC Ethics and senior curator of Vest-Agder Museum, forthright pointed out the challenges that human rights museums may face. The five types of pressure often imposed on museums are disputes between colleagues, the attempt to erase the past, unexpected political interference, war and destruction and the effort to preserve the cultural legacy of a country. The sources of pressure can be divided into internal and external. The internal source of pressure comes from the people within the museum organization and the external source of pressure comes from local government and the state. However, a crisis also brings opportunity. In the face of all kinds of challenges, the development of human rights museums can also be propelled by pressure. Jette Sandahl, the chair of trustees of European Museum Forum, offered guidance on how museums should respond to challenges. She pointed out that the very fact that museums are under heavy pressure and challenges is the very reason why museums should be more united than ever to get rid of the exceptionalism which has dominated the field for several centuries. No more entrenchment. Museums should step out of their comfort zone and look for like-minded partners. The journey of human rights excludes no one. Museum staff should have the courage to stand up to the passivity or collaborative attitude toward power and resolve challenges and conflicts with relentless conviction and collective strength. And as to how this solidarity actually works in a museum setting, scholars from the National Museums of Liverpool and University of Leicester gave us actual cases in the field. Museums and Interdisciplinary Collaboration for Waterfront Transformation The presenters from the National Museums of Liverpool and University of Leicester talked about their joint Waterfront Transformation project. The project is a perfect example of leveraging collective strength which drives the development of local communities for an equitable society through collaboration and efforts from all sides. The Waterfront Transformation project strove to maintain the connection between museums and contemporary society. Starting with Liverpool's iconic waterfront, the project links storytelling, heritage, community and hospitality to create a rich visitor experience and will be a catalyst for social and environmental improvements in the area. The project goes beyond collaboration between museums and brings onboard the local residents to create a waterfront city where old and new blend.
The National Human Rights Museum (NHRM) of the Ministry of Culture, Taiwan, Ukraine Museum of Women's and Gender History, National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War and Ukrainian Voices and independent media The Reporter joined hands to present When Temporary becomes the Ordinary: ___ /___ Days of War for Ukrainian Women, an exhibition which tells the stories of Ukrainian women in times of conflict, not only ruminating on the violation against human rights during war but also prompting reflection on the broader implications for Taiwanese society. A press conference was held today (March 21st), attended by esteemed guests, including Minister of Culture Shih, Che, National Human Rights Museum Director Hung, Shih-fang, Ukrainian Voices founder Oleksander Shyn & cofounder Mariana Savchenko, The Reporter's Editor-in-Chief Lee, Sherry, and exhibition consultant Professor Hung, Mei-Lan from the Graduate Institute of Russian Studies at National Chengchi University. Tetiana Isaieva, the Director of Museum of Women's and Gender History gave her opening remarks via pre-recorded video. According to Hung Shih-fang, director of the Museum of Human Rights, the museum sent a delegation to attend the annual conference of the Federation of International Human Rights Museums (FIHRM) in September 2002 where they met Tetiana Isaieva, director of the Ukraine Museum of Women's and Gender History, leading to this opportunity of collaboration. At the conference, Tetiana recounted the challenges faced by her museum, including its forced closure, the displacement of staff due to the Russo-Ukrainian conflict and their efforts to collect personal stories during wartime. Tetiana gave a Ukrainian flag she carried while seeking refuge to the National Human Rights Museum, expressing her hope that the stories of Ukraine would be carried to Taiwanese society through the flag. Director Hung, Shih-fang heeded Tetiana's bidding, and after the FIHRM annual conference, NHRM began the preparation for this exhibition and this national flag of Ukraine has also become one of the exhibits, a token of the unwavering spirit of the Ukrainian people. The special exhibition, titled " When Temporary becomes the Ordinary: ___ /___ Days of War for Ukrainian Women," tallies the number of days since the onset of the Crimean War and the Russo-Ukrainian War. This highlights the telltale signs of aggression were beginning to emerge in 2014 when Crimea fell under Russian control while underscoring the unrelenting perseverance of the Ukrainian people. As the exhibition progresses, the number will go up each day, allowing visitors to experience how war has become an everyday reality for Ukrainians. This exhibition showcases the living conditions of Ukrainians following the outbreak of the Russo-Ukrainian War, foregrounding for the public the context of the conflict and the complicated historical relationships between the two nations. The exhibition features 14 stories selected from the Museum of Women's and Gender History's HERSTORY of the WAR project, which commenced after the conflict began. The written accounts and video documentation by Ukrainian women illustrate their journeys under the shadow of war. The National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War contributes four animations which presents children's drawings and writings in their daily wartime lives, relfecting their unique perspectives and how they feel about the conflict. The exhibition also enlists The Reporter, an independent media outlet from Taiwan to display the valuable images captured by its journalists as they went deep into Ukraine to cover the stories of war. The National Human Rights Museum encourages visitors to leave messages of support for the Ukrainian people along with the number in the exhibition title on the day of their visits. These messages will be delivered to the partnering Ukrainian organizations of the exhibition. During the exhibition, a series of events will be organized, such as an international online seminar with the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War on their experiences of documenting and collecting exhibits from the front lines since April 2022. The "The Reporter for Kids" team, which has previously produced a feature War and Peace for children and worked closely with schools, will hold workshops to help children understand war and reflect on the meaning of human rights. The Ukrainian Voices, which participated in the curation process, will also organize several talks where Ukrainians will share their experiences of living under Russian occupation and the inspiring stories of resistance. The exhibition will be accompanied by multiple online and in-person talks. For more information, please visit the official website and Facebook page of the National Human Rights Museum, and the public is welcome to sign up and participate. When Temporary becomes the Ordinary: ___ /___ Days of War for Ukrainian Women Time: April 21, 2023 to November 21, 2023 Location: 2nd Floor, Ren'ai Building, Jing-Mei White Terror Memorial Park (No. 131, Fuxing Road, Xindian District, New Taipei City) For more pictures/media materials: Press Contact: Zhang Yanchang, The National Human Rights Museum 02-2218-2438 ext. 510/ 0912-275-823 Organizer: Wu Zongrong, The National Human Rights Museum, 02-2218-2438 ext. 603/ 0935-258-616