FROM THE PRESIDENT
Dr Richard Benjamin
 The plains of Calgary already seem a distant (albeit pleasant) memory as I settle back into work here in Liverpool. August is always a particularly busy period for me and my team as we host our largest annual event – Slavery Remembrance Day on 23rd August which culminates in a libation ceremony on the historical Liverpool waterfront. On the 22nd we hold the Dorothy Kuya Slavery Remembrance lecture, named after a local historian and activist who was a good friend of the Museum. The keynote speaker can focus on a historical theme, and possibly challenge often accepted narratives of history, in a constructive and inspiring way or discuss a current social justice theme.
This year’s speaker was one Dr Gee Walker, the mother of Anthony Walker, a young Black man brutally murdered in a racist attack in 2005. His sisters Dominique and Stephanie also participated in a Q & A after Gee’s talk on the future of hate crime reporting in Liverpool. In the UK this refers to crimes committed against someone due to identity, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability or religion. Sadly this is something which is on the rise, not just in the UK, but across the globe and indeed the Commonwealth family. The divisive, nationalistic and frankly archaic rhetoric expressed by some politicians and commentators on matters of immigration and indeed Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender LGBT issues is not just unhelpful; it often fans the flames of intolerance.
Is it really acceptable that in the 21st century many Commonwealth countries still criminalize same-sex activities? Should museums be silent on this matter? Museums are vessels for challenging social justice issues – and lobbying for change in our respective countries is one way to answer that and not be passive. It was a positive step when the Commonwealth accredited its first LGBT focused organisation, the Commonwealth Equality Network, but I feel much more can be done, and museums have a role to play in that. Some of the many real issues that I and members of the Board can discuss at our next meeting.
Best regards,
Richard
Meet the New CAM Executive Council, 2017-2020
President: Dr Richard Benjamin heads the International Slavery Museum at National Museums Liverpool where he is responsible for capital projects, partnerships and collections. He is also Co-Director of the Centre for the Study of International Slavery, a partnership with the University of Liverpool. Richard gained a BA (Hons) degree in Community and Race Relations at Edge Hill College and then went on to complete an MA and PhD in Archaeology at the University of Liverpool. In 2002 he was a Visiting Research Scholar at the W.E.B. DuBois Institute of African and African American Research, Harvard University and was appointed as the Head of the International Slavery Museum in 2006. Richard is an Edge Hill University Governor, Anthony Walker Foundation trustee and member of the UNESCO Slave Route Project International Scientific Committee.
 Vice-President: Nirvana S. Persaud joined the National Trust of Guyana in 2003 as a Researcher and in 2010 became the first Chief Executive Officer. She holds an MA in World Heritage Management from the University of Turin, Italy (2010), a BA in History (2002), and a Post Graduate Diploma in International Studies (2004) from the University of Guyana, as well as Certificates in Collections Management (2017) and Heritage Conservation Planning (2007) and a Diploma in Cultural Resource Management (2008) from the University of Victoria, Canada. She is a UNESCO Fellow and completed research in Heritage Conservation Management (University of Victoria) in 2006-2007. Her interests are in the areas of heritage, conservation and preservation, management, public awareness and education.
 Treasurer: Dr Shabnam Inanloo Dailoo is Assistant Professor and Director of the Heritage Resources Management Program at Athabasca University. Her research interests include cultural landscapes, Indigenous cultural places, values-based management, community engagement, and intangible cultural heritage. Her dissertation deals with the challenges of conservation of world heritage cultural places. During her post-doctoral research with the Canada Research Chair on Built Heritage, she examined the application of a values-based approach in the management of landscapes that are culturally significant. She has extensive experience working on cultural landscapes and has researched Indigenous worldviews and traditions. Inanloo Dailoo is a member of the Ministerial Advisory Committee for the updating of Canada’s Tentative List for World Heritage and a board member of the Alberta Historical Resources Foundation.
 Past-President Rooksana Omar (2011-2017), is the Chief Executive Officer of the Iziko Museums of South Africa, where she provides leadership and strategic direction to 11 museums, a planetarium and the Social History Centre in Cape Town, South Africa. She is a Director on the Groote Constantia Trust and a member of the Castle Control Board. Rooksana has a BA (Hons) in History and a MBA from the University of Durban-Westville. In 2001 to 2003 she was the President of the South African Museums Association (SAMA) . She has also served as an Executive Board Member of the International Commission on Museums in South Africa (2006-2008) and President of ICOM-South Africa (2010-2013), and was appointed to the Ethics Committee of the International Council of Museums (ETHCOM) in 2017. She has extensive experience in transforming heritage institutions in the post-apartheid era.
Members
 Poulomi Das is a Consultant for Museums & Heritage Spaces. She is presently the Project Coordinator, Sister Nivedita Museum & Knowledge Centre, Kolkata and creator of the Collection Management System for the Hiremath Art & Heritage Foundation, Mumbai. She is also a Visiting Faculty at ISDI Parsons, Mumbai. She was a Nehru Trust Fellow to V&A and British Museum, London, in 2015 and 2006 and an International Visitor Leadership Program Fellow, Department of State, Bureau of Educational & Cultural Affairs, USA, in 2010. Previously she was Senior Assistant Curator, Special Exhibitions & Marketing, and Outreach Officer for the Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Mumbai City Museum and worked in a number of museum and archival positions including the Bihar and Buddha Smriti Park Museums, Patna. She has a BA (Hons) in English Literature, Sub: Drawing & Painting, from Rajasthan University, Jaipur and an MA in English Literature from M S University, Baroda.
 Rachel Erickson is Manager of Museum Programs at the Manitoba Museum where she oversees the design, development and delivery of learning programmes; develops and implements strategy for audience engagement; and develops and maintains community partnerships and new initiatives. She has an MA in Museums Cultures from Birkbeck, University of London (UK) and a BA from the University of Winnipeg. She was the CAM Curatorial Intern (World Cultures) at Glasgow Museums from October 2013 to June 2014 assisting with organisation of the 2014 CAM Triennial and in the planning, delivery and evaluation of the museum’s RENEW outreach programme, engaging Glasgow’s South Asian community through workshops inspired by a new collection of contemporary Indian art. She returned to Glasgow Museums as an Outreach Assistant with The Open Museum for two years, where she worked with community groups who face barriers to museum participation. Previously she worked at the Winnipeg Art Gallery and interned at the Victoria & Albert Museum of Childhood (London, UK).
 Ken Hall is a curator at Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetu, New Zealand, and has a background as an artist, designer and teacher, with a BFA (Hons) in painting and Diploma of Visual Communication Design. He has also lived and worked in Wales, Pakistan, Uganda and Australia. Follo wing the 2010-11 Christchurch earthquakes, he curated an award-winning outdoor exhibition on the city’s past and recently-destroyed architectural heritage. Art and exhibition projects, both contemporary and historical, have involved working with Māori artists, cultural advisors and descendants of portrait subjects. Working with the historical collection has in recent years involved discovering the stories attached to individual objects to open up broader, global stories; often linked to an imperial British past. Manifestations of Empire connected to the works – particularly portraits – include slavery, British rule in India and nineteenth century colonisation of Aotearoa New Zealand. He has also developed a successful ongoing series of exhibitions for younger audiences.
 Dr. Asma Ibrahim is an eminent scholar in Archaeology, Museology and Conservation with a doctorate in Numismatics and was a Post-Doctoral Fulbright Fellow in Archaeological Chemistry. Dr. Asma established the first Monetary Museum of the Central Bank of Pakistan, where she presently serves as Director. Her recent projects include conservation of Varun Dev Temple with the support of the US Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation for the SEAS Pakistan. She serves on consultative committees for the Government of Sindh, the Board of Governors for different educational institutions, is a Founding Member of the Sindh Exploration and Adventure Society, established the Centre for Archaeological & Environmental Research and Terracotta, a project of the Zohra Ibrahim Foundation. She is author of several research articles, catalogues and books. Her research projects are documented by BBC (Horizon), Discovery Channel, ZDF, BBC Channel-4, in the form of documentaries.
 David Mbuthia Is Keeper, Antiquities Sites and Monuments, Central and Western Regions, Natio nal Museums of Kenya. He has worked at the National Museums of Kenya (NMK) for 16 years as Project Officer, Education Officer, Curator, and Coordinator of Public Programmes. While in these positions, his roles have included implementing and evaluating education programmes, workshops, seminars and training for different museum audiences, volunteers, interns and peers. His areas of interest include: museum audience and community engagement in a sustainable way in the background of modern changes. David has a BSc In Environmental Studies from Kenyatta University and an MSc in applied Ecology and Conservation from the University of East Anglia (UK). He is currently undertaking a PhD in Cultural Heritage Management at the University of Pau, France.
 Dr Jeremy Silvester has been the Project Development Manager for the Museums Association of Namibia since 2005, after working as a History Lecturer at the University of Namibia for 8 years. MAN provides training, supports regional museum development and works on new exhibitions. He is the Chairperson of the ‘Africa Accessioned’ project established by the International Committee of Museums of Ethnography of ICOM (ICME) and a member of the Executive Committee of the Heritage Association of Southern Africa (HASA). Recent publications include the co-authoring of The Heritage Handbook (2011), a guide to the current laws, institutions and policies in place to protect Namibia’s heritage, Consuming Culture: The Market for Cultural Tourism in Namibia (2012) and Making an Impact (2015) on exhibition planning. Jeremy most recently edited two books on the liberation struggle: Re-viewing Resistance in Namibian History (2015) and Resistance on the Banks of the Kavango River (2016).
 Wesley A. Wenhardt is Executive Director of the Foss Waterway Seaport Maritime Museum in Tacoma, Washington. Wesley has been fortunate to have worked with museums, science centres, IMAX theatres and cultural attractions. His expertise is in the startup and revitalization of organizations: planning, branding, revenue development, and sponsorships. His work has taken him around the world; from Canada, the United States, South Africa, Scotland, Brunei to New Zealand. Wesley launched the innovative BMW Pavilion and IMAX Cinema in Cape Town, South Africa in 1994 and served as Director for two years. Wesley was also involved in the launch and opening of the Canadian Museum of Civilization, National Capital Region, 1988 to 1994; Ontario Science Centre in Toronto, 1994 to 1997; Tech Museum of Innovation, Silicon Valley; 1998 to 2006, the Imiloa Astronomy Center of Hawaii, University of Hawaii in Hilo, in 2006 and Beaty Biodiversity Museum, University of British Columbia, in 2010.
Ex-Officio:
 Secretary-General Catherine C. Cole has been CAM’s unpaid staff person since January 2013. She works as a cultural consultant based in Edmonton, Canada for nearly 25 years specialising in cultural planning and policy development, strategic research and planning, and community-based arts and heritage projects. She worked in the Solomon Islands from 1991-1993 and was previously a curator and interpreter in museums in Ontario and Alberta. Her publications deal with museology and Western Canadian history. Catherine led the CAM Triennial General Assembly organising committees in Calgary (2017), Glasgow (2014) and Singapore (2011), as well as organising regional workshops in Cape Town, Jaipur, Bridgetown, Barbados, and Nassau, Bahamas. She has administered interns in Scotland, India and South Africa and about 40 distance learning programme students. She is Vice-Chair of ICOM CAMOC (Collections and Activities of Museums of Cities).
UPCOMING CAM EVENTS
MIGRATION:CITIES I (IM)MIGRATION AND ARRIVAL CITIES Workshop
Mexico City, October 28, 2017
In collaboration with ICOM CAMOC, ICOM ICR and ICOM Mexico
Doug Saunders, international-affairs columnist for Canada's Globe and Mail newspaper and author of three books on migration and cities will give the keynote address, The Museum at the Centre of Arrival.
Saunders acknowledges the role museums can plan in the process of integration for newcomer communities in adapting to the established community and its economic, educational, civic and cultural life. “Museums, with their central mission of building linkages among community members, can become crucial components in inclusion, integration and social mobility if they find ways to connect themselves to these new communities.” His talk will look examples such as by becoming explicit centres devoted to the realities, present-day and historic, of emigration and immigration, and as places that include newcomer communities as voices who can show us better ways – and past failures – in creating inclusion (including his own experience in creating a travelling museum exhibition devoted to showcasing the experience of migrant settlement in Europe).
Find full program details on the CAMOC website http://network.icom.museum/camoc/projectsworkshops/workshops/L/8/.
CAM is particularly interested in learning about any migration-related projects in Commonwealth countries that can be included in the project. We will be launching a project website in Mexico and would like to include case studies and best practices from as many countries as possible throughout the Commonwealth. How is migration impacting your cities? How are museums engaging with migrants and migration support agencies on exhibitions and programmes? Would you be interested in creating a 5-minute video that we could post to the website? We’d like to hear from you.
CAM is also collaborating with colleagues at the University of Victoria, BC on a funding application for a project on Canadian Museums and Refugees and will be participating on a panel at the Canadian Museums Association Conference next April about this topic.
HUMAN REMAINS MANAGEMENT
CAM, the Iziko Museums of South Africa, Museums Association of Namibia, National Museum of Botswana, together with our ICOM partners ETHCOM (Standing Committee on Museum Ethics) ICME (International Committee for Museums of Ethnology) and the National Committees of Botswana, Namibia and South Africa are continuing work on the human remains management project. Our priorities for 2017-2918 include to initiate consultation in Namibia’s San community regarding what, when, where, and how to repatriate remains from Iziko Museums to Namibia, as well as to develop a travelling exhibition and website.
CAM INTERNSHIP PROGRAMME
CAM has recruited Paige Linner of London, Ontario to work on the Human Remains Management Project at the Museums Association of Namibia from October 1, 2017 to March 31, 2018. We’ll publish her first impressions in the next CAM Bulletin. We are grateful for the funding received from the Young Canada Works at Building Careers in Heritage Program of the Department of Canadian Heritage by the Canadian Museums Association.
 
CAM DISTANCE LEARNING PROGRAMME
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Recent CAM DLP graduates Curators Louise Roderick (L) and Bongekile Zondi (R) with their tutor Liz Mackay of the Himeville Museum in South Africa
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Congratulations to Eusébio Sanjane of Banco de Moçambique for completing the CAM Certificate in Basic Museums Studies. Several students in South Africa are nearing completion while students in the Caribbean are working on modules two and three. If you or your staff need training in basic museum studies, please review the information on our website and contact the Secretariat for more information or to register http://www.maltwood.uvic.ca/cam/programs/distance_learning.html.
CAM PUBLICATIONS
Download your copy of CAM’s newest publication Access in Museums in South Asia from our website http://www.maltwood.uvic.ca/cam/publications/access-museums-south-asia.html.
NEWS FROM THE COMMONWEALTH
CAM is continuing to meet with the Commonwealth Secretariat to determine how we can best contribute to the major upcoming Commonwealth meetings – the Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers (CCEM) in Nadi, Fiji February 19-23 and the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in London, UK the 14-24 April. As an Affiliated Organisation, CAM has formal observer status at both meetings but it’s important that we are able to participate fully, to provide advice regarding the role of museums in addressing agenda items and to collaborate with local museums and heritage organisations.
 The theme of next year’s CCEM is Sustainability and Resilience: Can Education Deliver? Now two years old, you are no doubt familiar with the UN’s S17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): 1. No Poverty; 2. Zero Hunger; 3. Good Health and Well-Being; 4. Quality Education; 5. Gender Equality; 6. Clean Water and Sanitation; 7. Affordable and Clean Energy; 8. Decent Work and Economic Growth; 9. Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure; 10. Reduced Inequalities; 11. Sustainable Cities and Communities; 12. Responsible Consumption and Production; 13. Climate Action; 14. Life Below Water; 15. Live on Land; 16. Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions; 17. Partnerships for the Goals.
Which of these are most important in your country, and which have been addressed by your museum? Please send information to the CAM Secretariat about any educational programmes your museum provides that relate to sustainability and we will use them as examples in any presentations we are able to make during the conference.
Does your museum fall under the Ministry of Education in your country? If so, could you help us to convey the importance of museum education – and of professional development opportunities for museum workers to your government?
NEWS FROM COMMONWEALTH MUSEUMS
Ordinary Women with Extra Ordinary Lives
By Zameka Yamile, Collections Manager, KwaZulu Cultural Museum, South Africa
This article emanated from a temporary exhibition at the KwaZulu Cultural Museum “Ordinary Women with Extra Ordinary Lives”. The aim of this exhibition was to acknowledge women's contributions to local society. These role models from our communities are motivators, setting the example that we are the architects of our future. Learners see these success stories, realising they can choose any career.
The exhibition is now showcased at Ulundi Library opening during Women s month. Apart from its more traditional role as a custodian of artefacts, the Museum sees local social needs as critical to its role. In the overwhelming patriarchal African context, gender inequality was well entrenched, with women taking on subservient roles. Times have changed and African women have challenged this role, achieving high office in business and government.We have identified 15 women from Ulundi and surroundings, who are making a difference in community development, and women challenging male dominated space. These are women from all spheres of life. They include leaders in traditional authorities (“chiefs”), initiators of schools and crèches, pushing a strong youth development agenda. Some work as brick layers, forklift drivers, and some are founders of the non-profit organisations assisting HIV patients and those with disabilities. There are boxing and soccer club founders, and women's development programmes, promoting skills development in their communities and encouraging job creation to alleviate poverty.
I believe museums are educational facilities, in service of the public. As custodians of information it is our role to research our own society, and educate future generations. Lives can be changed through such exhibitions, stimulating the apathetic, the unemployed and demotivated to seek answers within themselves. Facilitating such changes in perspective gives museums a great social responsibility.
Celebrating 70 Years of independence
The Exhibition of Visually Impaired Students
By Dr. Asma Ibrahim, Director, State Bank Museum and Art Gallery
State Bank Museum and Art Gallery as per its tradition organised a special exhibition at the auspicious occasion of 14th August to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Independence.
Blind Children Photography Workshops: April-May
Photography by the visually impaired is in the remotest of our imagination and most of us are unaware that they can take pictures and also they can be trained in photography like the sighted people.
Blind photography typically consists of a vision impaired photographer and an assistant with whom they share a close professional or personal bond. While the creative process varies between photographers, generally there will be an ongoing dialogue between the photographer and their assistant throughout the process.
The State Bank Museum held three photography workshops with blind children from the Blind Resource Centre from April 4th to 6th May. Blind students took hundreds of photographs, a few of which were put on display and sale August 14th, with proceeds going to the student photographer as a means for them to earn money. The Governor of the State Bank, Mr. Tariq Bajwa, distributed Certificates of Appreciation and Rs.5,000 to workshop participants of the workshop.
We’re intending to maintain this program as a permanent feature under our Social Cooperate Responsibility program; the photos could also be available for sale at the museum’s souvenir shop but they were very popular among visitors at the exhibition and most of the works sold immediately.
Please do purchase these for the cause, was the slogan of the exhibition. The event was covered thoroughly by television and print media. http://epaper.dawn.com/DetailNews.php?StoryText=19_08_2017_118_007.
Acknowledgement: My special thanks to CAM’s 2016 Regional Workshop; in partnership with the Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II Museum Trust, the workshop addressed the challenges of making buildings and collections physically and intellectually accessible, with a special focus on historic properties and collections.
CAM MEMBERS
RENEW YOUR CAM MEMBERSHIP OR JOIN NOW!
CAM values your ongoing support. If you have not yet done so, please renew your 2017 membership as soon as possible. New members are always welcome. Members receive the CAM Bulletin, may participate in the distance learning programme, host an intern at your museum, receive a registration discount, and are eligible for travel bursaries for CAM events. CAM members have a voice – and votes – at ICOM and contribute to Commonwealth deliberations. Payment is accepted by PayPal, electronic bank transfer or bank draft. Please complete the membership form: http://www.maltwood.uvic.ca/cam/about/membership_info.html.
Welcome New Members
Zahra Hussain (Durham University PhD student/ Laajverd, Pakistan); Syed Faraz Ale, Altaf Ahmed, Tamjeed Anjum, Abid Hussain Ansari, Rizwan Aziz, Zulnonain Haider, Ali Lashiri, Ayaz Mugheri, Faraz Muhammad, Zahid Hassain Retho, Culture, Tourism & Antiquities Department, Ghulam Abbas Khaskhelt, Sindh Wildlife Dept, Tahir Mahmood, Government of Sindh; Kaleemullah Lasheri, Management Board for Antiquities, Karachi; Tanveer Afzal, Saeed Ahmed, Bezan, Mirza Babar Ahmed Baig, Muhammad Eiaz Ahmed Khan, Asad_ur_Rehman, State Bank Museum; Muhammad Shah Bukhari, Muhammad Yaqoob Khan Kanwar, Kamran Munir, Saima Siddiqui, Anwar Hussein Khan, National Museum of Pakistan, Karachi; Mushtaque Ali Lashari, Mahnoor Salman, Saeed Husain, Karachi; Slaman Hazder Rana, Lahore.
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