VALIDATING OUR STORIES

By SHAGORIKA EASWAR

Isha Khan took over as the new president and CEO of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR) last August.

Her mandate is to help realize the vision the museum was created around – to be a place where people could learn about human rights and engage in a dialogue.

“Respect for everyone and the belief that human rights can be a force for change can inspire action,” as Khan says. “The CMHR has great potential to become a strong and effective national voice for human rights education and action.”

Many of us talk about human rights with only a vague understanding of what they encompass. Khan offers this definition. “When we hear ‘human rights’ often what comes immediately to mind are the rights of others, of the marginalized groups. But it’s also about shared humanity. It’s the fundamental principle that we are all born free and equal, in dignity and rights. That everyone is worthy of respect. It really is as simple as that.”

We typically think of museums as places filled with relics of the past that allow us to experience old civilizations, something not available outside of the museum. Asked if a museum for human rights might be sending the message that they are dead and done with, Khan points out that it’s Canadian Museum for Human Rights, not of, and a national institution that focuses on human rights, on real stories.

“It’s not a collection of artefacts, but a place which includes the concept of dialogue,” she says. “We describe our role as storytellers. We have lots of virtual programs allowing us to reflect on our collective history, not a lot of glass cases! It’s a place where people can come learn in an experiential way, and ponder the questions of the day. Who are we? What’s our identity? Where they can connect with stories and learn from the stories of others. The museum plays a powerful role in the fabric of society in how we think about others and how we interact.”

The typical visitor to the museum could be an older adult with knowledge of past injustices or with relatives who were holocaust survivors or on the Komagata Maru, for instance. Or it could be the young activist engaged in the BLM movement and LGBTQ rights. Thousands of students are also taking virtual field trips of the museum during the COVID-19 restrictions. Someone interested in architecture might wander in and then find themselves enthralled in the stories. Others might be tourists who happen upon the museum and that could mark the beginning of their journey in human rights.

“We meet visitors where they are,” says Khan. “We recognize that they may not know anything or they may have a real connection to some of the stories. It’s interesting to see the various levels at which they connect, to see the response of someone who has their story validated.”

She has been advocating for and alongside people who have experienced violations of their rights for years in different organizations.

She was director of Organizational Development at the United Way Winnipeg and is currently the chair.

As senior counsel and then executive director at the Manitoba Human Rights Commission, she led the development of a strategic plan to improve the agency through various initiatives including creation of an Elders’ council. At the time they were looking at ways to better serve the northern communities and it was clear that the process should be led by Indigenous elders who could provide guidance on how to approach their communities, and how to build relationships.

“At the museum, too, there’s a standing Indigenous advisory committee,” says Khan. “I value that shared partnership. I value that as a public institution in Canada, we acknowledge the land we are on, and where we come from. When we tell the story about Canada, we do so with guidance from the elders and are centred in Indigenous teachings.

“We look at museums in a different way. It’s not about taking someone’s cultural artefacts and telling others what these are about – here we provide a shared platform. It’s a shift in how museums can educate and help foster and strengthen relationships.”

She sits on the executive committee of the Canadian Council of Muslim Women (Winnipeg chapter), directing its operations and delivering workshops on Canadian family law, family violence and racism.

Appointed by the minister of Public Safety to coordinate a review of conditions for people incarcerated in segregation at 14 federal penitentiaries across Canada, Khan directed the release of people from segregation and issued recommendations to alter conditions of confinement, including providing better access to mental health services, spiritual programming and other interventions.

She went in, she says, because the conditions in penitentiaries is an important human rights issue.

“The number of women and Indigenous people incarcerated is disproportionate to their numbers in the overall population. I made recommendations about their conditions of confinement. I think some change has taken place, but there is so much work to be done.”

Some stories hit home for her as a woman of South Asian origin and as a Muslim. She met prisoners who didn’t have access to religious services. People who had only packets of oatmeal but no hot water to make breakfast before they began their fast during Ramadan, who then saved their lunch and dinner trays and had the food cold when they opened their fast.

“I thought, is this what their day looks like? They are supposed to be reflecting on their crimes and transgressions, working on themselves, but if we don’t give them access to basic things that add dignity to life, how are we going to rehabilitate anyone? If we are just putting people away to punish them, we are no further along than when we started.”

But before all this, before stepping into this life, Khan enjoyed the perks that come with a corporate life as she managed an active litigation practice in Calgary at Borden Ladner Gervais.

“I went into law in the first place always with the idea – this sounds flowery! – to change the world through advocacy. Even at the law firm, I was attracted to issues of discrimination and equity. I provided advice on corporate mergers and acquisitions, but as a litigator, I went to court  on labour and employment issues.”

Seeking more of a human connection, she left law and went into the not-for-profit sector. But it was back to law when she realized that she had the skills and could use her training as a lawyer to navigate the system for the rights of people from marginalized groups.

As someone born and raised in Winnipeg, but nonetheless a child of immigrants, she had a deeper understanding of issues many of us face. Whether it comes from things one is taught or absorbs from being ‘different’ or whether it stems from watching one’s family navigate a culture that was different from theirs’, one gains empathy, she says.

Her father is originally from Rampur in India and her mother, from Hyderabad. Both are physicians, who, after medical school in Karachi, went to England for specializations. They lived and worked in Libya for a while before moving to Canada in 1970 when things became unstable there. Their story, says Khan, mirrors that of many immigrants who came here for a better,  more stable future for their children.

“I had a privileged background and I don’t recall a single incident of overt racism, but I know what it’s like to be othered. What you brought for lunch to school, or the costume your immigrant parents came up with for a Halloween party... you feel it in small, subtle ways.”

But she was fortunate in that she had the support of a small group of South Asian friends at school. Seeing others like yourself gives you a sense of confidence, says Khan.

“It gives you a sense of identity. The community was small, but closely-knit and weekend dinners at friends’ places by turn were a regular feature. All the parents would gather upstairs, and the kids in the basement. I didn’t realize it at the time, but having all those uncles and aunties mattered in a very positive way. My parents made sure we were also involved in the larger community and thus my childhood was rich in experience.”

 Her name is an example of this mix of cultural influences. Her father asked his non-desi friends how they would spell Aisha and they all said, Isha. “You know, Irene, Ida, Isha?” she says with a laugh. “They thought that would make my life easier!”

Khan is married to Paul whom she met at law school, but he went back to school to study medicine and is now a physician. The couple have three daughters, Safiya, 16; Zehra, 14; and Lina 11.

The girls are familiar with their mother’s work, being used to playing in  her office while she attended to something after picking them up from daycare or attending a human rights dinner with her.

“I’m not allowed to say my teenagers are influenced by their mother! But they are aware of current issues. I see that in how they respond, how they challenge me when we discuss issues at the dining table. I love it – though it can sometimes be exhausting! Not just my kids, this generation is very aware. One can see that from social media posts. My daughters may or may not go into this field, but they have the lens and that makes me happy.”

Khan feels that she got to be where she’s at and to achieve what she set out to, because of good people around her who supported her. She shares this with those who ask her for advice on how to succeed in Canada, telling them to surround themselves with people who encourage their dreams. To seek them out or recognize those who are already supporting them.

And to pace themselves.

“You may not need to have it all planned out right at the very beginning. Seek opportunities that are not so obvious. Meet people from different backgrounds. The world is so competitive and there’s so much pressure on young people to know what they want to be, but not everyone does at a young age. I didn’t! But doors opened. We are told to make a plan and stick to it. I say to make a start and be flexible, be willing to change tracks.”

She finds seeing the impact of her work very rewarding. “Whether  it’s on an individual or a system, if my involvement in some way made it better. And you can see the impact so easily in human rights issues. People have thanked me for helping tell their stories. That is so very meaningful to me. I go to work everyday because there’s so much more we can do. Raise awareness to better understand our legal protections, our rights, and also our responsibility to treat each other better. I remind myself of this every day. We have to do this.”

• Grant’s is proud to present this series about people who are making a difference in the community. Represented by PMA Canada (www.pmacanada.com).