- MinorMatters to launch virtual museum
The Museum of Religious Freedom will be designed as a trilingual space for archiving, learning, and critically reflecting on the complex histories and contemporary concerns relating to the freedom of religion or belief in Sri Lanka.
MinorMatters has also organised and will be conducting a series of webinars ahead of the launch of the museum. The first of the series of webinars was held last Sunday (3) and discussed the thinking behind and objectives for the museum, the research process, and the historical events featured in the museum and the curatorial work concerning the arrangement of artefacts, community narratives and archival documents within the museum space.
The webinar, moderated by Mike Gabriel, featured Chief Researcher Shamara Wettimuny, Museum Curator Dr. Vindhya Buthpitiya, Art Director Thilini Perera, Museum Developer Shanil Wijesinghe, and MinorMatters Campaign Director Yamini Ravindran as panellists.
In conversation with Yamini Ravindran, she explained that the virtual museum on religious freedom is a platform to expose youth to history. “Unfortunately, youth are not exposed to history; even what they are taught in school is very biased. So we will be looking at history and it's narratives and talking about it as it is,” she explained.
She further informed us that they are looking at 200 years of history and key events on the landscape of freedom of religious belief. This will be presented in a very innovative and gamified language which will speak to the youth.
Vision and mission
During the webinar, Ravindran touched on why the museum was launched. “I vividly remember what it was like when I visited Digana in the aftermath of the 2018 riots. Of course, I have heard countless stories told by my parents, mentors and others about the devastating impact of the 1983 riots. In Digana, I felt a little bit of that emotion, especially when speaking to and hearing the stories of the young and old alike – whose houses and shops and belongings were burnt down or demolished and their lives completely turned upside down in the violence.” She went on to describe that moment, explaining that she remembers feeling sad that young people were very much involved in bringing about this destruction and that at some level youth were responsible for it. She remembers thinking that something wasn’t right and that there was much more to do with youth, especially as it concerned how we treat each other irrespective of our religious identities and in advancing this very complex but at the same time, the all so important right to freedom of religion or belief, which perhaps touches our innermost being and has a bearing on our innate dignity in ways that other rights don’t.
This is when MinorMatters thought about launching a campaign on freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) – which would relate to the youth, speak their language, and constantly explore how we could engage with them better, and that is when they launched MinorMatters as a campaign dedicated to fostering religious harmony and protecting the freedom of religion or belief in Sri Lanka.
She further added that by exposing the truth behind biased historical teachings, it will help eradicate one pressing challenge to social peace in the country today. “There is a glaring absence of a robust public discourse of religious freedom in general, and we will be using the approach of historical dialogue to bring to the contemporary conscious the complex history and the current concerns regarding freedom of religion or belief,” she highlighted, on the topic of how they aim to bring change to the current social context.
Objectives and goals
With extremism growing in Sri Lanka, we know that youth are a particularly vulnerable group. Research shows that most often extremism is intertwined with injustice and marginalisation as well. We live in a context where youth are also feeling disillusioned, with biased narratives being taught to them in schools, and extremist and divise narratives rampant in society as well.
The main objective behind this virtual museum is to promote critical thinking and historical awareness. As Sri Lanka is multi-religious, we really need to know about each other more; since young people are change makers and influencers, MinorMatters aim to get to them, and thus get to everyone.
With the museum, they will be creating an inclusive space for learning, thus creating a tool for anti-biased education so that the youth would be more informed on the pluralistic, diverse, multicultural history of the country. Ravindran explained: “We will be employing the help of a virtual reality tool – the virtual museum – where youth can skillfully learn alongside people who may or may not share their religious identity.” The virtual museum will give space for youth to discuss controversial issues and seek solutions and develop their critical thinking.
As complex as our history is, the panellists at the webinar highlighted the importance for young people to know the truth and history as it is, for them to understand the core of the issues we live with today. Most often, as minorities and majority communities, it was noted that we tend to look at history from these lenses. However, it is important that the youth learn to look and learn from history, from the understanding, experiences from each of these communities. They also emphasised that it is essential for youth to not just know the past but to learn from it so that we can shape a better “present” and create an even better tomorrow.
Ravindran further added that they aim to increase religious freedom literacy and promote social respect among key stakeholders; one of the main being youth, along with faith leaders and civil society.
In Sri Lanka, the historical narrative concerning FoRB is very complex. Also, it was observed that there is very little historical awareness concerning such histories especially among youth because there is hardly anything in the formal education system that speaks to it. “For example, we know of Aluthgama, Digana, and perhaps even Gintota. But not too many know about 1915 pogrom and the striking similarity of such events when compared to the more contemporary incidents of acute violence. There is much to reflect on and learn here,” highlighted Ravindran, adding that there is a knowledge gap in terms of how we got here, in relation to our current religious freedom landscape.
Concluding the webinar, it was agreed that we, as citizens, really need a new generation that embraces Sri Lanka’s pluralistic identity so that we can have a better future with less tension and more social solidarities, particularly along religious lines.