Preparations Underway for Anne Frank: A Visit to Nova Scotia

Dozens of Nova Scotians will spend time this fall familiarizing themselves with some unsettling topics, including discrimination, prejudice and even genocide.

The residents will be preparing to act as docents -- specially trained volunteer guides -- for the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission's upcoming Anne Frank in the World exhibit.

Anne Frank was 13 when she and seven other Jews went into hiding in a secret annex above her father's Amsterdam office during the Second World War. Her diary, discovered after German authorities raided the space and took away its occupants, details the more than two years that the group spent in the cramped quarters.

Anne Frank in the World is a travelling exhibit that features excerpts from Anne's diary as well as historic photos by her father, Otto, and others. It has also been customized for its Nova Scotia visit to include panels specific to provincial issues of prejudice and discrimination.

The exhibit opens at Victoria Park in Sydney on Monday, Sept. 11, and remains there until Oct. 15. It then travels to the Museum of Natural History in Halifax for a showing from Oct. 24 to Jan. 28, 2007.

"This is an inspiring event that the commission has actually been working on for more than a year," said Michael Noonan, acting director and CEO of the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission. "We have received tremendous support from private and public sector partners -- all of whom understand the impact a display of this kind can have on Nova Scotians' thoughts about prejudice, propaganda and personal accountability."

The travelling display was developed by the Anne Frank Foundation in Amsterdam and sponsored in the United States and Canada by the New York-based Anne Frank Center USA, Inc. Training for the docents is also being provided via the center.

"The training will be held the week before the display opens in each community so there is still time for people to come forward if they are interested in becoming a docent," said Mr. Noonan. In Cape Breton Regional Municipality, volunteers should call 563-2140. Individuals interested in participating in Halifax should call 424-3137.

The commission is cautioning Nova Scotians that some viewers may find portions of the display disturbing and that it may not be appropriate for young children.

"Some of the content could be considered graphic," said Mr. Noonan, "that is why context is so important. We hope many families and schools groups will take advantage of this opportunity to not only look at the historic realities but to also explore how we identify and deal with acts of discrimination in a modern context."

For more information on the exhibit see the website at www.gov.ns.ca/humanrights/annefrank .