Lessons Learned from 25 Years of Resistance and Remembrance
Civic Spaces are Neccessary Spaces
Addressing the Silences: Supporting Sites to Find the Courage to Change In these polarized times, when active conflict, mass migration and hate crimes abound, it can be easy to fall into “us vs. them” mindsets. Knowing just how dangerous this dichotomy can be, ICSC works to support Sites of Conscience to become more inclusive and reflective in their own practices – to become models of continuous, positive change in their communities. Through its three-year Addressing the Silences project, which began in late 2022, ICSC is supporting 13 North American member sites to examine their own historic role in perpetuating injustice and to explore how they instead might foster social cohesion today. Supported by the Institute for Museum and Library Services, ICSC’s Methodology and Training team has been guiding the sites through virtual and in-person trainings in a three-pronged process involving: • Reflection , during which participating sites systematically identify and develop a comprehensive understanding of the absences in representation in their operations, collections and programs; • Correction , wherein sites work alongside community partners to design and implement actions to amend these absences, including those that involve board restructuring, internship programs, advisory committees and hiring practices. • Collaborative Transformation , which positions sites for the long-term to collect, share and amplify stories with their communities that had been previously excluded from their site’s narratives, as well as foster dialogue and social cohesion both inside and outside the museum..
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