The two programs that we’re recommending to our readers this weekend (for those within relatively easy reach of the Canadian capital) are quite different, but they are both relevant in different ways to those interested in Hungary and Hungarian society.
- First off, the Hungarian Studies Association of Canada (HSAC) is holding its annual conference as part of the Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences, at the University of Ottawa, from May 30th to June 1st, 2015. (Read the HSAC program here.) The conference will host researchers from across Canada, Hungary, Romania, the United Kingdom and the United States. Additionally, to mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Canada and Hungary, HSAC will host a special panel on May 30th, 2015 with Greg Donaghy, the head of the Historical Section of the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development, Agnes Pust, the Deputy Director of the Canadian Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs and László Sinka, the Economic and Trade Counsellor at the Embassy of Hungary in Ottawa. The embassy is also offering a reception on May 30th, 2015 at 7:45 PM, held at St. Joseph’s Parish (151 Laurier Ave. East), directly across the street from the University of Ottawa. Of special interest, perhaps, to many HFP readers is a talk by Holocaust survivor Ibi Gábori, scheduled for Monday, June 1st, at 10:45 AM.
- The second program that we’re recommending involves issues of remembrance, reconciliation and ‘righting’ historic wrongs. This is something that Hungarian society continues to struggle with and there certainly is no “one size fits all” approach. But Canada has tried to address the issue of residential schools, abuse and systemic discrimination against Aboriginal populations through a Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which issues its Declaration and Call to Action on June 1st, 2015. In conjunction with this, a public art exhibit showcasing the work of Cree artist Ovide Bighetty (1970-2014) is being held at St. Joseph’s Parish and can be viewed Monday through Saturday, from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM, until June 2nd, 2015. (Use the church entrance at 174 Wilbrod Street to access the exhibit.) Entitled Kisemanito Pakitinasuwin (The Creator’s Sacrifice) the exhibit was originally commissioned by the Indian Metis Christian Fellowship of Saskatchewan, which is a ministry of the Christian Reformed Church. The exhibit has been travelling across Canada for four years and St. Joseph’s Parish in Ottawa is its final stop. “A significant challenge was to depict the teachings in a way consistent with both Aboriginal symbolism and the biblical sources. For each commission, Ovide consulted with elders from the Pukatawagan and in the urban communities of Regina and Winnipeg, where he painted the commissions,” explains the Indian Metis Christian Fellowship. St. Joseph’s Parish is celebrating a special mass with Bishop Sylvain Lavoie of Keewatin-Le Pas (Manitoba) focusing on truth and reconciliation, in partnership with Aboriginal groups in Ottawa, on Saturday, May 30th, 2015 at 5:30 PM. A reception in the parish hall will follow. All are welcome.
Detail from Ovide Bighetty’s “Creating a New Family” (2002). Acrylic on canvas, (42 inches x 54 inches).
