Canadian Museum for Human Rights

10/11/2026

Today is the International Day of the Girl Child! We're celebrating some inspiring young women who have created and shared their human rights projects for the Museum's Upstander Showcase.

An upstander is someone who uses their passions and skills to take a stand for human rights. From equality in sports and education, to ending gender-based violence and child marriage, these young women are tomorrow's leaders!

Want to learn how you or a young woman in your life can be an upstander? Check out the Be an Upstander program today. https://bit.ly/4yLOsog

10/08/2026

Join us on Tuesday, November 3, for the next lecture in our Democracy in Peril series featuring Michael Ignatieff.

How does Canada maintain its democratic independence in a world order dominated by powerful predatory states? What price are we prepared to pay to remain true to who we are? And how do we ensure a future for our children when state predators control the technologies of tomorrow?

A world-renowned voice on human rights and the defense of liberal democracy, Ignatieff will address these important questions on November 3. His career spans academics and politics, building his reputation as a public intellectual. His academic appointments include positions at the Harvard Kennedy School, UBC, U of T, King's College London, Oxford, and the Central European University where he served as President and Rector, leading it through its forced move from Budapest to Vienna. He holds 14 honouary degrees, including most recently from Cambridge University. He is the author of 18 books, including 2021's "On Consolation: Finding Solace in Dark Times."

This lecture in the Democracy in Peril speakers’ series is organized by the Centre for Professional and Applied Ethics Centre for Professional and Applied Ethics, University of Manitoba, in partnership with the Canadian Museum for Human Rights.

Register for free here: https://bit.ly/3Tlu0LG

10/08/2026

We were honoured to welcome Her Excellency the Right Honourable Louise Arbour to the Museum! Her Excellency's work on human rights is shared in several galleries in the Museum, and we are grateful she took the time to visit.

Together, we stood before the Witness Blanket to talk about Canada's commitment to truth and reconciliation, and explored Love in Dangerous Time: Canada's LGBT Purge to celebrate the human rights defenders who fought back and ended the Purge.

10/05/2026

A powerful new piece of history has been added to the Examining the Holocaust gallery.

At first glance, it may look like a simple leather wallet. But a closer look reveals a devastating reality: it is made of a looted and desecrated Torah scroll.

The Torah is the most sacred textual object in Judaism. During the Holocaust, the N***s and their collaborators not only targeted the Jewish people for eradication; they also destroyed Jewish places of worship and religious texts.

In some cases, they used the materials of sacred texts to create commercial items, like this wallet. The creation of this wallet aimed to erase the Jewish significance of the Torah, as part of the N***s’ genocidal efforts to destroy the Jewish people.

However, on the face of the wallet, faint traces of Hebrew lettering can still be seen. With guidance from members and spiritual leaders in the Winnipeg Jewish community, we were able to discern that the portions of the Torah that made up this wallet came from the Book of Exodus and the Book of Numbers. The guidance that we received also stressed that even though the Torah that made up this wallet was desecrated, it is still sacred.

This reverence represents a fundamental reality: that the attempt to destroy this Torah and its meaning failed. Just as the ongoing presence of the Jewish people is evidence of the failure of the N***s' efforts at genocidal eradication.

We are grateful for those members of the Jewish community that engaged with us to reflect on this item and ensure it is endowed with the respect that it deserves.

For more information about the story of this sacred object, you can read "Undoing Cultural Erasure and Reclaiming Heritage," a chapter in "Objects of Atrocity" published by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and Purdue University Press. https://bit.ly/3TzUBEO

10/04/2026

October 4 is National Day of Action for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two-Spirit people.

The loss of loved ones impacts entire families, communities and generations. Wisdom, teachings, songs and more are lost when Indigenous women, girls, Two-Spirit and transgender people go missing or are murdered.

October 4 reminds us that we all share the responsibility to ensure Canada is a safe place for Indigenous women, girls, Two-Spirit people.

“Reclaiming Power and Place: Indigenous Women and Their Rights to Safety and Justice” aims to transform narratives of loss and victimhood into empowerment, resurgence, hope and action. “Only in Darkness Can We See the Stars,” is the latest version of The REDress Project, an iconic art installation in the Canadian Journeys gallery.

The new artwork was created by Jaime Black-Morsette and KC Adams to honour lost loved ones and to empower those who stand together in the ongoing struggle against colonialism.

10/03/2026

Sunday, October 4, is the National Day of Action for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two-Spirit people. Our hearts are with the families and communities that grieve, and those fighting to be reunited with loved ones who have been taken.

October 4 is also first Sunday of the month and the Museum is open with free admission for all.

We are honoured to project a red dress on the exterior of the Museum starting October 3. This red dress was designed by Natalie Thiessen, working with survivors and their families. It was first projected on the Manitoba Legislative Building and was gifted to the Museum to recognize and honour the lives of those missing or murdered.

10/02/2026

We're getting ready to mark World Mental Health Day later this month! Join us for two free, drop-in programs at the Museum this Sunday, October 4, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.:

🎨Caring to Sharing with Colour and the Medicine Wheel, with Knowledge Keeper Marilyn Dykstra.

Participants are invited to explore each section of the medicine wheel and share their thoughts on how to nurture all parts of themselves. Each space will offer a prompting question to encourage conversation, introspection and sharing.

🎨 The Love Notes Campaign will be on site, creating notes of joy and positivity that will be distributed around the city on October 10 which is World Mental Health Day.

Love Notes is offering “Love‐In”, a program where Manitobans create and share their own messages of healing. It creates space for authentic connection, creative expression and collective healing across Manitoba’s diverse communities.

Admission is free throughout the day and Museum visitors are welcome to drop in and participate.

https://bit.ly/4AK0pw8

10/01/2026

Hey teachers! Did you know that October is Q***r History Month?

To mark this notable month, we’re inviting classrooms from grades 7 to 12 to join the Museum’s Education team for a FREE virtual tour. This month's tour will explore our special exhibition Love in a Dangerous Time: Canada’s LGBT Purge.

From their classrooms, students will learn stories of the LGBT Purge. From the 1950s to the 1990s, 2SLGBTQI+ members of the Canadian military, RCMP and federal civil service were investigated, interrogated and removed from their jobs as mandated by government policy.

Together, we will discover how activism, community efforts and legal challenges worked to expand human rights protections during a key moment in Canada’s q***r history.

This is a unique opportunity to engage with our blockbuster exhibition, featured at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights for a limited time! Register your class here

Join us for a free virtual tour of the Love in a Dangerous Time exhibition.

09/30/2026

The following slides contain distressing misinformation and painful truths about residential schools. Please view with care.

September 30 is National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. You may see myths and comments like these appear on social media or hear similar phrases during conversations.

Truths about the genocidal intent and ongoing consequences of the residential school system are important for every Canadian to learn. Without truth, there can be no reconciliation.

If you are a residential school Survivor or family member in need of emotional support, a national crisis line is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week: 1-866-925-4419.