SMR Architects’ Post

Speech excerpts delivered on June 17, 2024 By Hon. Jacques Saada Montreal City Hall: First, let us thank you once again for your support of the new Montreal Holocaust Museum project…. In your presentation document…you wrote, “Everything in the soul of Montreal says no to racism and anti-Semitism.” However, for over eight months now, in Montreal and elsewhere, you and I have too often heard the opposite… Just last night, the construction site of the new museum was defaced with slogans inciting violence… Madam Mayor, do you understand our outrage? Have you noticed that this degrading slogan is visible just above the logo of the city of Montreal? We live in an upside-down world. A world gone mad. A world that now escapes all truth. A world where university professors call their Jewish students prostitutes. A world where a self-proclaimed imam, from a podium at Place des Arts, calls for the elimination of Jews and is applauded by thousands. The symbol is powerful. In the Quartier des Spectacles, a high place of Quebec culture, of its richness and openness to universality, genocide and obscurantism are invited. A world where our schools are shot at and our synagogues desecrated… A world where authority is spat upon. A world where we are denied access to our institutions. A world where big brave men hide behind the anonymity of social media to threaten rape, torture, and death. All this with impunity. A world where the homeless are evicted from their makeshift camps, but where we are timid about evicting protesters acting illegally on our campuses, often led by professional agitators who are not even students. The grand pretext for this abdication: “we must allow debate.” But what debate are we talking about?… Is our existence as Jews subject to debate? All this before our eyes, right here in Montreal, the second largest French-speaking metropolis in the world, where we had hoped or deluded ourselves that it would be spared the ravages of racism and anti-Semitism afflicting Europe… But today, before our eyes, day after day, this fundamental value is attacked, trampled. And what do we do? Nothing. We do not react. Why?… The words we hear on our campuses and in our streets call for hate, rejection, and ostracism. Their authors threaten the physical or psychological integrity... I say no to the silence imposed on us… We refuse to remain silent in the face of insult and intimidation…We refuse to remain silent before those who wish we no longer existed… Madam Mayor, I am sure that, like us, you find this situation absolutely unacceptable… But beyond words, you have the power to act. We are here to ask you to exercise this power with all the force of your prerogatives. I remind you of your own phrase: “Everything in the soul of Montreal says no to racism and anti-Semitism.” If you do not want the soul of Montreal to be denatured, corrupted, and violated, there is only one option: firmness… Thank you.

VASA Journal on Images & Culture Invites You to a New Essay on the Theme:   Photography and the Holocaust: Then and Now   Essay #11 “Modern Maccabees: Israel’s Enduring Battle for Independence”   Editor: Robert Hirsch (USA)   See: https://lnkd.in/gVnessja This essay, the 11th. in the series, examines the role of photo-based imagery in the post-Holocaust world of Jewish self-determination that lead to the restoration of Israel as a Jewish homeland. To understand how this came about, it is crucial to have a basic knowledge of the 3000 year-old Jewish history in Israel. Due to the number of countries and people affected, select examples represent the uncountable other events, locations, and people.

The Impact of Diverse Casting: Fostering Artistic Expression or Distorted Historical Understanding? Explore the debate around casting different races in roles and its influence on children's perception of history. Discover the potential benefits and drawbacks of this artistic license. #CastingRepresentation #DiverseRolesDebate #ArtisticExpression #HistoricalAccuracy #ChildrenAndMedia #RoleModelRepresentation #SocialImpact #CulturalDiversity #RacialInclusion #HistoricalEducation

Great article here!

"Guidelines" turned into "Best practices," a slightly improved version of the 11 legally non-binding principles drawn up at the tail end of the December 1998 Washington Conference on Holocaust-era Assets. Granted, these principles modified the balance of power between individual and institutional claimants, on the one hand, and the current possessors--mostly museums, auction houses, and other cultural institutions and holders of cultural assets. It's still worth asking: why now? The last attempt on record to "improve" these principles was in late June 2009 during the follow-up conference to Washington which took place in Prague, Czechia. The so-called Terezin Declaration was much more specific and a concrete attempt to dot I's and cross t's where they had been left alone in 1998. The "Best Practices" have largely sidestepped the Terezin Declaration. But we still had to wait another 15 years before two Jewish organizations not in the business of individual restitutions of cultural assets took the helm without fanfare and spent the large part of ONE YEAR to devise these best practices. We ask you again: why? Stay tuned for a possible answer... https://lnkd.in/em8qyq7i

A 2024 book, Fifteen Colonial Thefts: A Guide to Looted African Heritage in Museums, talks abouy the history of the colonial looting of African art and heritage and the issue of restitution, reappropriation and return. The book features 33 African and Afro diasporic - historians, curators, artists and activists. "They describe in great detail the political, symbolic and cultural meaning of what they refuse to call “objects”. They chronicle the conditions of their looting, their fate in western institutions or in private collections, the efforts needed to excavate them from erasure and obliteration, and the questions that the repatriation of each case raises." Sela Adjei Read more ➡ https://buff.ly/3ZSadV1

Did you know that the Statue of Liberty was originally meant to be a symbol of peace between France and the United States? A few days ago, I had the amazing chance to visit the Statue of Liberty in New York, one of the most famous monuments to democracy and freedom. Standing in its presence, I considered its great significance to the American character and rich past. Originally gifted to France in 1886, the monument has long been a ray of hope for millions of immigrants arriving on American coastlines in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. For many, it was the first sight they saw, signaling the start of a new chapter in the country of opportunity. Despite its obvious form, the Statue of Liberty stands for the fundamental ideas of liberty, equality, and the search for a better life. It reminds us of the need for inclusion and the conviction that everyone should have the opportunity to help create a better future. These principles are more crucial in modern society than they were years ago. Professionals, like you and I, may find inspiration in this monument by embracing diversity, supporting innovation, and generating chances for everyone. Let’s continue to uphold the principles Lady Liberty symbolizes: freedom, hope, and the power of community. What does the Statue of Liberty mean to you? Share your thoughts below! #StatueOfLiberty #Leadership #Freedom #Diversity #Inclusivity #Innovation #LinkedInCommunity The Billionaire 💰 ____________________________________________ Need a social media game changer? My AI-powered training delivers 50% ROI. Book me for corporate workshops at fair prices - DM now!

They are letting this happen... "Since July 2022, the National Gallery alone has been the #victim of five separate #attacks on #iconic #paintings such as Vincent van Gogh's #Sunflowers, John Constable's The #Haywain and Velázquez’s #Rokeby #Venus. Such attacks have caused physical #damage to the #artworks, distress to #visitors and #staff alike, and disruption to our collective #mission to ensure #greatart and #artefacts are available for everyone, everywhere to enjoy. Two of these attacks have happened in the last two weeks, and that is why we have decided now is the moment for us to speak out. Our #UK #museums and #galleries are an integral part of #society, where #freeaccess allows everyone to be #inspired by humanity’s greatest #achievements." #artgallery #artislife #artist #creativity #arthistory #heritagetreasures #heritagebuilding #heritagetourism #heritageconservation #culture #culturalheritage #societyandculture #politics #war #history #historymatters #historyfacts #historylovers #historymakers #historylesson #culturalawareness #extremists #civilliberties #extinctionrebellion #environmentprotection #leftwingbias #cancelculture #cancel #woke #wokery #freedomofexpression #freedom #freespeech #censorship #violence #incompetence #environmentalprotection #climatechange #economy #taxpayers #nationalsecurity #vincentvangogh #vangogh #masterpiece #art #donations #donationswelcome #publictrust #publicopinion #trustworthiness #publicfinance https://lnkd.in/etV2rZQy

Yesterday was Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the US, celebrating the activist’s fight for racial equality in the 1960s. The National Park Service is working on rehabilitating historic buildings at the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park. Over the last few months, we have published various tenders for the National Park Service’s project to rehabilitate various historic buildings at the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park, including his birthplace. Yesterday, we highlighted a sources sought notice for the rehabilitation of the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park visitor centre and headquarters building. These initiatives are not just about preserving a site but an effort to keep alive the stories of nonviolent activism and the struggle for civil rights. The National Park Service manages many sites of brutal violence and historic significance to the Civil Rights Movement, including the Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail, the Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument and the Freedom Riders National Monument in Alabama, keeping alive these stories of sacrifice and inspiration. In a parallel development, the Fermanagh & Omagh District Council in Northern Ireland is working to create a Peace Park in Omagh, County Tyrone, the site of the deadliest incident during The Troubles. This incident, a car bombing by an IRA splinter group in 1998, resulted in tragic loss of life and numerous injuries. Now, a proposed Peace Park is envisioned as a space of unity and remembrance, a testament to resilience in the face of violence. Both projects underscore the power of museums and heritage sites as spaces for reckoning with our pasts and healing. They serve as poignant reminders of our collective history, offering insights and tools for fostering dialogue around violent and traumatic histories while giving visitors space for their own experiences. We thought these two initiatives were both unique opportunities for museum and heritage sector professionals to engage in work that is not only about conservation but also about educating, reflecting, and healing. Find out more about these projects at MuseumINSIDER. #MuseumProfessionals #HeritageConservation #CivilRights #PeaceBuilding #Omagh #HistoricalSites #MLK #MartinLutherKingJr