Montreal, April 24, 2014  — CJPME is delighted to announce the imminent opening of a bold and timely international photo exhibition entitled Dispossessed, but Defiant: Indigenous Struggles from Around the World.  The exhibition documents different aspects of indigenous peoples’ experiences of dispossession and their inspiring struggles to resist these processes. The three indigenous groups whose experiences figure in the exhibition are Canada’s Indigenous peoples, the Palestinians and Black South Africans. 

The exhibition will be on display May 15-28 at Café Gallery at The Community Arts Centre at Cedar Hill, 3220 Cedar Hill Road, V8P 3Y3. The launch reception will take place Thursday, May 15, from 7 to 9 p.m.

“The struggles of indigenous peoples for human rights, respect and recognition can last generations.  The compelling images in this exhibition will open Canadians’ eyes to the agony of dispossession and the resilience of the human spirit in the face of oppression,” says Thomas Woodley, President of CJPME. The exhibition was developed in consultation with three highly respected academics:

• John S. Saul, Professor Emeritus, York University, member of the Royal Society of Canada, winner of a Lifetime Achievement Award of the Canadian Association of African Studies.
• Dr. James A. Reilly, Professor and former Chair of the University of Toronto’s Department of Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations.
• Dr. Marie Battiste, author of Reclaiming Indigenous Voice and Vision and other books and Professor, Educational Foundations, University of Saskatchewan.

This exhibition is particularly opportune. Canadians’ curiosity about South Africa’s anti-apartheid struggle has been renewed by the recent death of Nelson Mandela, and the approach of elections there in May. The exhibition’s South African segment includes photos by internationally renowned photographers and has been produced in close collaboration with key South African institutions: UWT-Robben Island Mayibuye Archives; University of Cape Town Libraries; and Museum Africa.

The Canadian segment includes rarely seen images of indigenous life in the late 1800s and early 1900s, the North-West Rebellion and  the controversial residential schools system, as well as of  conflicts with Canadian authorities over land claims, resource extraction projects and fishing rights. The Palestinian segment includes photos never before exhibited in Canada. They span 120 years of Palestinian history, and were assembled with the help of scholars Elias Sanbar and Walid Khalidi, while also drawing from UN archives and the US Library of Congress’s Matson Collection.

“CJPME is proud to offer Victoria residents of all ages and backgrounds this visually-compelling and thought-provoking photo exhibition,” concludes Woodley.

About CJPME – Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) is a non-profit and secular organization bringing together men and women of all backgrounds who labour to see justice and peace take root again in the Middle East. Its mission is to empower decision-makers to view all sides with fairness and to promote the equitable and sustainable development of the region.

For more information, please contact Patricia Jean, 438 380 5410
CJPME Foundation: www.cjpme.org

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