Museum on human rights opens in Canada

Governor General of Canada David Johnston inaugurate the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg, Manitoba in central Canada Friday.

The Museum can play a vital role in helping to engage in dialogue, to learn and to stand up for what is right and good, Xinhua quoted Johnston as saying.

The opening ceremony was attended by numerous dignitaries. The new museum is believed to be the world's only entity devoted to the exploration and celebration of human rights. It is also the only national museum outside of the country's capital Ottawa.

The museum, designed by architect Antoine Predock and costing more than 350 million Canadian dollars (about $319 million) for construction, is located next to the Forks National Historic Site in downtown Winnipeg.

It has 11 galleries, featuring topics such as Comfort Women who were abducted and raped by the Japanese troops during the Second World War and issues related to aborigines including Inuit.

The inspiration for building a human rights museum came 14 years ago from the late Israel Asper, a Canadian philanthropist and entrepreneur.

Asper wanted to create a place where Canadians, especially young ones, could learn about human rights and the importance of protecting those rights.

When Asper died in 2003, his family continued to pursue his vision and in 2007, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced the government of Canada's intention to build a national museum on human rights.