- From The Anne Frank House to Vancouver’s Neighbourhood Houses
Co-Executive Director of PeerNetBC, Romi Chandra Herbert says, “On the heels of the 70th Anniversary of the Liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, we are honoured to be collaborating with Anne Frank House to bring her story to Vancouver.
Anne Frank – “A History for Today” connects the horrific history of the Holocaust with the challenges our communities face today in regards to discrimination, acceptance of diversity and providing a window through dialogue to make change both here and abroad”.
The exhibition features 34 large scale panels that speak about Anne Frank’s story, World War II, and addresses themes of discrimination, acceptance, and human rights. The exhibition will be led by young people in the communities as well as partnering with seniors. They will provide space to consider challenges that they and their neighbourhoods face in embracing diversity and acceptance of difference.
In addition to hosting the exhibition, youth participants will have the opportunity to reflect on what they’ve seen in the exhibition and create short videos about their own experiences in a diverse city.
The exhibition will be featured at Mount Pleasant Neighbourhood House from Feb 16 to March 6th with opening ceremony on Feb 20th from 4 - 6pm, then moving to following neighbourhood houses: South Vancouver Neighbourhood House –Youth & Seniors lead tours March 7-31st; Frog Hollow Neighborhood House – May 2st-31st; Collingwood Neighborhood House– June 2st-19th.
To book a tour, get in touch with each neighbourhood house or drop by for self-led tours during operating hours in the neighbourhood house in your community.
“Anne Frank House is visited by millions who were touched by her story. Youth and seniors will be asked to identify areas in their own communities that speak to challenges and successes in regards to diversity and acceptance to serve as reminders of how far we’ve come, and how much further we have to travel,” said Chandra Herbert.
The Project is supported by the Inspirit Foundation, the City of Vancouver, Youth Philanthropy Council at Vancouver Foundation, Coast Capital Savings, the Government of BC, and Hamber Foundation.
PeerNetBC envisions communities where people are connected. We provide training, resources and support to peer-led initiatives across British Columbia, fostering opportunities for people to learn from each other and make connections.
The Anne Frank House was established on 3 May 1957 as an independent, non-profit organisation dedicated to the preservation of Anne Frank’s hiding place (open as a museum on May 3rd 1960) and her diaries. Anne Frank House develops educational programmes with the aim of raising young people’s awareness of the dangers of anti-Semitism, racism and discrimination and the importance of freedom, equal rights and democracy.
You can follow the youth-led conversation online through @peernetbc and hashtag #AFMW2015 to see this fantastic project make its way throughout the city.
For more details, contact Romi Chandra Herbert at romi@peernetbc.com or 604-733-6186.
We Hope to see you at the opening at Mount Pleasant Neighbourhood House on February 20th, starting at 4pm.