CMHR in Focus
CMHR in Focus: Caring for Difficult Knowledge
Led by Dr. Angela Failler, the CSRG has been developing case studies of various facets of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR) ranging from news media coverage and public reception to the museum’s governance structure, public consultation processes, exhibition plans, official speeches, signage, physical location, architecture, and interventions by local artists and community groups. Our proximity to the CMHR has provided opportunities to be in direct dialogue with curatorial, research and education staff from the CMHR, and to observe how local communities and debates are impacting and being impacted by the museum. This collaborative project aims to contribute to the potential for the CMHR to serve as a meaningful site for pedagogical encounter, cultural production and public exchange.
We are considering the challenges faced by the CMHR in its endeavor to be a centre for learning about human rights issues. Informed by education theorists Deborah Britzman and Alice Pitt's concept of "difficult knowledge," we are particularly interested in how narratives and images of human violation, suffering and resilience are used to foster a better understanding of the conditions necessary for promoting social justice. How can encounters with difficult knowledge be cared for by the museum and museumgoers, and what insights into "human rights" are possible with such care?
