News release details

Winnipeg, Manitoba May 30, 2011 – Mr. Stuart Murray, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR), and Dr. David T. Barnard, President and Vice‐Chancellor of the University of Manitoba (U of M), signed a memorandum of understanding today that will facilitate co‐operation between the U of M and the CMHR to advance human rights education and research, and to empower people to change thought and take action for human rights.

"With a strong focus on human rights education, the University of Manitoba continues to develop new and innovative ways to meet the needs of students and of the workforce, as seen through their multidisciplinary Centre for Human Rights Research initiative," said Mr. Stuart Murray. "The University is already a key partner of the Museum and I'm pleased to formalize this relationship, which will allow us to continue working together on a larger number of projects aimed at human rights education and promotion."

"This partnership provides an opportunity to work with the Canadian Museum for Human Rights to help shape leaders, enhance our community and conduct research that changes the world, " said Dr. Barnard. "The priority the University of Manitoba places on the protection and promotion of human rights and social justice is significant, and we are proud that we have more than 150 researchers from a variety of disciplines contributing to the growing global body of work on these issues."

Building on collaborative projects undertaken by these two organizations in the past, the memorandum of understanding provides a solid foundation for co‐operation between the U of M and the CMHR to work together on a wide range of projects that promote human rights and provide further educational and research opportunities for Manitobans and others across Canada and around the world. These collaborative efforts include educational and training programs, research, library and archival collections, conferences and workshops, student internships and other student opportunities, and the development of exhibitions.

In the autumn of 2013, the two institutes will bring some of the world's foremost thinkers on international human rights and justice to Winnipeg to deliver a series of lectures. Fragile Freedoms: The Global Struggle for Human Rights, will celebrate the opening year of the CMHR. These talks will be made into audio‐visual and textual materials that will be shared with Canadian high schools and universities. What's more, the University of Manitoba is also hosting a seminar series titled, Critical Conversations: The Idea of a Human Rights Museum. 

As the Canadian Museum for Human Rights works towards opening in 2013, this agreement will help both organizations to further develop human rights programming and will provide the public with many excellent opportunities to learn more about human rights issues.

About the University of Manitoba

The University of Manitoba has more than 150 scholars dedicated to the study and promotion of human rights issues. It is home to the Arthur V. Mauro Centre for Peace and Justice, the Centre for Human Rights Research Initiative, and the newly created Canadian Journal of Human Rights, which is published by the Faculty of Law. U of M researchers endeavor to enrich student learning, inform public policy and intellectual debate, and strengthen cultural diversity. To learn more, visit chrr.info or umanitoba.ca/faculties/arts/research/human_rights.html

About the Canadian Museum for Human Rights

The Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR), currently under construction in Winnipeg, Manitoba, was established to provide a place for Canadians, and the world, to explore and promote the subject of human rights and to encourage human rights action. Opening in 2013, the CMHR is the first national museum established in over 40 years, and the first national museum to be located outside the National Capital Region. For more information about the CMHR please visit humanrightsmuseum.ca/ or follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/cmhr_news and on Facebook: www.facebook.com/canadianmuseumforhumanrights.