THE FIHRM CONFERENCE: The SCOOP (Part 2 in a trilogy of 4)

So. so. so. The whole reason for the journey ~ FIHRM.

What can I say? It was great and the presentation went well, my Granddad dressed in his best suit and came to listen to me talk – it was very sweet (and totally out of character).

This is the only photo I have of Grumps and I (taken last year)
so no this is not to illustrate his suit merely to show you what he looks like

 The Conference was held in the International Slavery Museum – right on the Albert Docks where generations of my family have worked and where many many people came and went through out history including the Mormon pioneers – it even gets a mention in Lund’s Fire of the Covenant. I met people from all over the world and hopefully will maintain professional links with them.



The Docks



a little treat at the docks



To be honest I’ve talked so much about the conference I feel like I’m all conferenced out so here is an email I sent to all of my work colleagues if you are interested in the particulars.
........................................................................................................................

Hi Everyone!

After finally clearing my inbox from being away ( I got back on Sunday), I thought I ought to report back about the FIHRM conference.

Firstly I must say thank you all so much for the support in attending this conference, I feel that Human Rights are (of course ) an important subject to consider within a museum framework and my experience at this year’s FIHRM conference only strengthened this belief.

The conference was slightly bigger than the year before with around 150 delegates from museums and educational institutions around the world and was an inspiring mix of people, whose life experiences and work were both compelling and thought-provoking.

With the common interest of promoting Human Rights in various ways through museum work, I had lots of interesting conversations and hope to continue the association with several of my FIHRM colleagues. The conference was also reported about on a national level and Waikato Museum has a small mention in this article https://mail.hcc.govt.nz/OWA/redir.aspx?C=ba3f5702028845d2b2d0ab5c0d79f41e&URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.mandh-online.com%2fnews%2fcontent%2f1693%2ffleming_embarassed_by_human_rights_act_debate

possibly others, that I haven’t checked yet.

The paper that I presented ‘Taku Manawa (My Human Rights) - a case study in partnership: Waikato Museum working with the Human Rights Commission and community organisations’ was incredibly well received and all of the Taku Manawa booklets and other information you gave me Rohan were taken!( In fact, I wonder if anyone has contacted you from the conference ?)

I discussed the identification of Waikato Museum as a museum for human rights, using the exhibitions and programmes of Rare view Keeping Faith, Walk with me and assume nothing as examples I also showed the youtube video I had asked you about Rohan – which almost didn’t work ! But I talked through the slight technical difficulty so it looked as if it was all planned !

I then talked about What Taku Manawa is and my experience with the programme ( I may even showed some certain photos of a lady called Muriel) and then discussed how I applied a Human Rights approach to my work with Anne Frank and Dr Seuss as examples.

I also Discussed the work Taku Manawa has been doing within Hamilton and on a national level.

Later on the panel, I was asked many questions about Taku Manawa, including how it could be organised in other areas like South Africa. I was also asked a few tricky questions around the Anne Frank exhibition and how Holocaust education would be relevant to a pacific community with little or no ties to the Holocaust. In regards to this question I explained how the programme for Anne Frank was not only a timeline of information about Anne Franks experience but was also a platform to talk about other human rights abuses closer to home and what could be done about these abuses referencing our post it tree.

The presentation I gave as well as the others presented will be on the FIHRM website in the next few weeks. Some particular favourites of mine were:

The work of museums: the implications of human rights museology

Dr Jennifer Carter, Assistant Professor in the Museum Studies program at the Faculty of Information at the University of Toronto, and Jennifer Orange, Adjunct Professor at the Faculty of Law at the University of Toronto.

Online activism: National Museum of Australia exhibition website, Inside: Life in Children’s Homes

Adele Chynoweth, Curator, National Museum of Australia, Australia

What are we doing anyway? The problem of the effectiveness of museums

Dr Zahava D Doering, Senior Social Scientist and Editor of Curator:The Museum Journal, The Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC

The Holocaust and the inner city: experiences of a local anti-racism initiative

Eve Rosenhaft, Professor of German Historical Studies in the School of Languages, Cultures and Area Studies at the University of Liverpool; John McCarthy, Pupil Support Worker at the Enterprise South Liverpool Academy, and Paul Adams, Community Engagement Officer, Centre for Lifelong Learning at the University of Liverpool

I’ll sign off with an email I received this morning from Jennifer Ciardelli from the  United States Holocaust Memorial Museum which give you an idea about the international partnerships we could look at having through the FIHRM network!

Ngaa Mihi

Jasmine Tunstall

EPL Social History & Art

Pouako Tikanga a Iwi me ngaa Mahi Toi

DDI 07 838 6562

Fax 07 838 6571

Email jasmine.tunstall@hcc.govt.nz

www.waikatomuseum.co.nz

From: Ciardelli, Jennifer

Sent: Thursday, 27 October 2011 5:07 AM
To: Jasmine Tunstall
Subject: FIHRM

Dear Jasmine - 

Although we didn't get much of a chance to talk, I wanted to follow-up with an appreciation for your presentation.  It sounds as if you are doing excellent work - and I so appreciated your passion and energy.  I was just reviewing the booklet from the Human Rights Commission (hopefully, you were able to distribute all of those! :) ), and I really appreciate the emphasis on community.  

If you think there are ways in which the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum might serve as a resource for you or for other colleagues you know, please don't hesitate to be in touch.

I hope our paths might cross again - and please, do say hello if you find yourself in the DC area!

All the best,

Jennifer

 And here is a link to my presentation.




Part three to come shortly..............