The Dominion Institute
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Dominion Institute is a national charitable organization in Canada dedicated to creating active and informed citizens through greater knowledge and appreciation of Canadian history.
The Institute was formed in 1997 by a group of young professionals, led by Rudyard Griffiths, who were concerned about the erosion of a common memory and civic identity.
The Institute uses public opinion research and television, new media, print and in-school programmes, to helps Canadians learn about the country's history, shared citizenship and democratic institutions and values.
The Institute's mission is encapsulated in three simple words: "Memory, Identity, Democracy."
The Dominion Institute operates with a full-time staff of 7 and annual revenues of $1.6 million. Revenues are generated from government, foundation and corporate grants.
The Dominion Institute runs a number of educational program. These include:
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[edit] The Memory Project
Through the Memory Project, 1500 World War II, Korean War and Canadian Forces veterans visit local schools and community groups to share their stories of service and sacrifice. Its speakers bureau operates in every province and reaches more than 150,000 youth each year.
[edit] The Memory Project Digital Archive
The Memory Project Digital Archive is an extensive online collection of the oral histories and personal memorabilia of the men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces. The Archive provides more than 500 firsthand stories and 1,500 original artifacts (photos, letters and memorabilia) that chronicle 85 years of Canada's military heritage.
[edit] Great Questions of Canada
Great Questions of Canada brings together twelve prominent Canadians including Michael Ignatieff, Jack Granatstein and Naomi Klein to debate six essential questions from Canada's history. Video, print and online resources are provided to encourage critical thinking about how different interpretations of Canadian history shape debate of contemporary public policy issues. Each May, The Great Questions Essay Contest provides high school and university students the opportunity to participate in this ongoing dialogue and to win a cash prize.
[edit] Our Story
Our Story is a joint project of the Dominion Institute and Doubleday Canada. Our Story is a short story compilation that brings together nine leading Aboriginal authors including Thomas King, Tomson Highway and Tantoo Cardinal. The Canadian Aboriginal Youth Writing Challenge provides an opportunity for Aboriginal youth (ages 15-18) to have their voices heard by writing a short story (800-1,200 words) based on an event in Canada's past.
[edit] Passages to Canada Speakers' Bureau
Passages to Canada is a national storytelling initiative that provides Canadians with a greater understanding and appreciation of the contributions that immigrants and refugees make to Canada. The Passages to Canada Speakers' Bureau is comprised of over 350 immigrants and refugees. These speakers visit schools and community groups across the country to share their stories of coming to Canada.
[edit] Passages to Canada Digital Archive
The Passages to Canada Digital Archive presents a portrait of the life experience of the members of the Passages to Canada Speakers' Bureau through multilingual interviews and original artifacts (photos, letters and memorabilia) that recount their personal journeys to Canada. The Digital Archive is a collaboration between the Dominion Institute and the Canadian Museum of Civilization.
[edit] LaFontaine-Baldwin
The LaFontaine-Baldwin Symposium is a national forum for exploring the future of Canadian democracy. Each year, in a different Canadian city, a public thinker leads a two-day discussion on the historical antecedents and future trajectory of our democratic institutions and culture. The Symposium is co-hosted by John Ralston Saul and the Dominion Institute. It is made available to wider audience by the Symposium's media partners.
[edit] TV programming
The Dominion Institute has formed an alliance with National Dream Productions, a documentary film production company, to produce television documentaries about Canadian history, including:
- American Myths (Canadian Learning Television, 2005)
- Foreign Fields (Global Television, 2003)
- The Memory Project (Discovery Civilization, 2003)
- The Retrial of Louis Riel (CBC Newsworld, 2002)
- Facing the Century (Global Television, 2002)
[edit] Books
The Dominion Institute has co-ordinated the publication of a series of essay and short-story collections of Canada's leading authors, public thinkers and historians, such as Margaret Atwood, Timothy Findley, Thomas King and Naomi Klein.
- Rare Courage (McClelland and Stewart, 2005)
- Our Story (Doubleday, 2004)
- Story of a Nation (Doubleday, 2002)
- The LaFontaine-Baldwin Lectures (Penguin, 2002)
- Passages to Canada (Doubleday, 2001)
- Great Questions of Canada (Stoddart, 2000)
[edit] Public opinion research
The Dominion Institute has sponsored research into quantifying Canadians' historical and civic knowledge and keeping the issue of cultural literacy on the public agenda.
