It contains one liter of vegetable oil, three kilograms of pasta, three kilograms of rice, two kilograms of dried beans, one kilogram of sugar and 100 grams of yeast. These sparse portions will feed one person for a month. A room containing an assortment of artificial limbs is complemented by posters and videos from all over the world warning of the dangers of landmines. Another room displays over 1,500 photographs of children separated from their parents by the conflict in Rwanda. Thanks to the publicity operation launched by the Red Cross, over a thousand of these children have been reunited with a family member.
Further displays inform about relief work in Africa, Asia and, somewhat surprisingly, America.
Perhaps it is the presentation of these little known facts in such a direct and visual way that makes the visit memorable. Perhaps it is the engaging sense of human contact communicated by the many photographs, quotes, interviews and short films. What is certain is that this invitation into history offers a rarely glimpsed insight into other, more vulnerable lifestyles. Whatever the reasons behind its success, few museums capture such a scope of human tragedy or convey such admirable human achievement. Comments about this story.