Annual CGM Commemoration

 Hanya Cirka

TORONTO–The fourth annual commemoration of Canadians for Genocide Museum (CGM) was held at the Legislative Assembly of Ontario on Tuesday March 27.

Ona Stakhavicius, from the Lithuanian community, led the assembly in a minute of silence respect for the victims of genocide.

Charles Roach, from the African-Canadian community, performed a song on tolerance. It was a unique presentation and received vigorous applause from the audience.

After a presentation on the genocide of Belarusans by the Russians and Germans, the keynote speaker, Joanne St. Lewis, Professor of Law at the University of Ottawa, spoke on the perception of reality by political elites and government.  Through their control of resources, they create memory and destroy it. She mentioned the anomaly that a Canadian Museum of Human Rights will focus on a tragedy in Europe instead of the genocide of the Native peoples in Canada.

James Kafieh, the executive secretary of CGM reminded the audience of CGM’s current activity.  The group is working to promote a genocide memorial week for Ontario as a topic of instruction in Ontario’s high schools and an internet genocide museum.

CGM is a coalition of 47 non-profit organization representing 27 Canadian communities. Of these, seven are Ukrainian-Canadian Its chairman is J.B. Gregorovich, from the Ukrainian-Canadian community.