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Hate & racism
Victoria, B.C. – BC’s Office of the Human Rights Commissioner is hosting an audio-visual exhibit in Victoria that will allow visitors to witness the stories of the people impacted by hate in our province. Open to the public on March 3 to 9, the From Hate to Hope exhibit will provide an immersive experience based on what the Commissioner heard during her Inquiry into experiences of hate in the pandemic and the large-scale works of art that emerged from it across B.C.
The Royal BC Museum will host the 20-minute immersive experience, which weaves together animation, projections, interviews and soundscapes. The inquiry report on which the exhibit is based was released three years ago and included the contributions of thousands of participants from communities across the province that described the wave of hate that arose during the pandemic and continues today. The exhibit amplifies the voices represented in the inquiry and builds upon the artistic contributions of public murals that were unveiled in 2023 in Nanaimo, Fort St. John, Vancouver and Keremeos. Through the immersive exhibit, audiences will be able to experience elements of the four murals, learn how art has catalysed conversations about creating change in our province and reflect on their own experiences and actions being taken to address hate in their communities.
“As we continue to see hate incidents in our communities, it is important to continue to educate ourselves and foster spaces for dialogue, including through the power of public art. By providing opportunities for people to engage with the From Hate to Hope report findings, I hope that we can gain a sense of connection by seeing our experiences reflected in this work or develop a greater understanding by hearing another person’s story.”
The Victoria public presentation of the immersive exhibit will take place at the Royal BC Museum, Conference Hall (675 Belleville St, Victoria) on March 3 to 9 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Registration is not required and there is no cost to attend.
The immersive exhibit has traveled to Vancouver, Kelowna, Fort St. John and Nanaimo in the initial tour and has had nearly 500 attendees.
In our work to address hate in B.C., we have launched a campaign to raise awareness about the ways in which mis and disinformation drive hate and violence online and in real life. The exhibit will have an added feature of a nine-foot interactive cellphone on March 4 and 5. The phone is part of the Office’s campaign, Misinformation: Can You STOP It? The cellphone gamifies finding and stopping the spread of mis and disinformation online by inviting visitors to take a quiz.
Resources
- Photos of the murals: From hate to hope murals
- More about BCOHRC’s inquiry: From hate to hope: Inquiry into hate in the COVID-19 pandemic
This release is also available as a PDF (238KB).
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Media contact
To request an interview with Commissioner Kasari Govender, please contact Sandi Barrett, A/Manager, Communications, at [email protected] or 604-306-7369.
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About BCOHRC
BC’s Office of the Human Rights Commissioner exists to address the root causes of inequality, discrimination and injustice in B.C. by shifting laws, policies, practices and cultures. We do this work through education, research, advocacy, inquiry and monitoring. Learn more at: bchumanrights.ca
About the Commissioner
B.C.’s Human Rights Commissioner, Kasari Govender, started her five-year term on Sept. 3, 2019. As an independent officer of the Legislature, Commissioner Govender is uniquely positioned to ensure human rights in B.C. are protected, respected and advanced on a systemic level. Her work through BC’s Office of the Human Rights Commissioner centres listening deeply to British Columbians to inform educational materials, policy guidance, public inquiries, interventions, community-based research and more that protects marginalized communities, addresses discrimination and injustice and upholds human rights for all.
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