Toronto, October 2, 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, produced by the CJPME Foundation, documents different aspects of indigenous peoples’ experiences of dispossession and their inspiring struggles to resist these processes.
The exhibition will be on display October 6-10 at the Tecumseh Auditorium, RSUBuilding, 63 Gould Street, Toronto, M5B 1E9. The launch reception will take place Tuesday, October 7, from 5 to 6:30 pm, in the courtyard adjacent to the Tecumseh Auditorium. It is co-hosted by CJPME, the CAW-Sam Gindin Chair in Social Justice and Democracy, and the Ryerson Social Justice Week Planning Group.
“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 human beings 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, YorkUniversity, Dr. James A. Reilly, Professor and former Chair of the University of Toronto’s Department of Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations, and Dr. Marie Battiste, Professor, Educational Foundations, University of Saskatchewan.
This exhibition is particularly opportune. Canadians’ curiosity about South Africa’s anti-apartheid struggle has been renewed by Nelson Mandela’s death last year, and the elections 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 contemporary conflicts with Canadian authorities over land claims, resource extraction projects and fishing rights. The Palestinian segment includes photos never before exhibited in Canada, spanning 120 years of Palestinian history. They were assembled with the help of scholars Elias Sanbar and Walid Khalidi, while also drawing from UN archives, the US Library of Congress’s Matson Collection and Activestills.
“CJPME is proud to offer Toronto 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
Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East www.cjpme.org
The whole or parts of this press release can be reproduced without permission.