Where History Meets Humanity: Interview with Flora Mei-Ling Chong (Executive Director)

A Museum Built for Teaching WWII

Kyeol : The Asia Pacific Peace Museum (APPM, from now on) opened in Toronto in June 2024. What was the main vision behind establishing the museum? In this historical context, what does “peace” mean to you?

Flora Chong : We had three main goals. First, we wanted to present a more comprehensive history of World War II in Asia, including its root causes, wartime atrocities, and postwar reflections. This history is still often little known, fragmented, or distorted by denial narratives.

Second, by presenting primary historical sources from multiple perspectives, we hope young people can learn to approach both history and present-day issues with a critical mind. Third, peacebuilding is central to the museum’s mission. Peace is more than the absence of war; it is shaped by the choices people make. Through the museum, we hope young people will see that their actions can help build or damage the world. Peace is a choice.

Kyeol : Who are the museum’s main founding and operating members?

Flora Chong : I was assigned by ALPHA’s board to lead the museum project, with support from the building committee, the ALPHA team, and many professionals and volunteers. My background includes education, corporate work, and interior design.

The museum has also been supported by people from diverse backgrounds, including Korean Canadians, Chinese Canadians, Jewish community members, and others. This diversity reflects our hope that the museum will present the history in a broad and inclusive way. The war caused immense suffering among ordinary people across many countries, including China, Korea, the Philippines, Indonesia, Canada, and Japan. We want younger generations to understand this history from a global perspective.

Kyeol : Could you explain more about ALPHA Education to our readers?

Flora Chong : In 1997, Dr. Joseph Wong founded Toronto ALPHA to raise awareness of World War II in Asia among Toronto communities. In 2004, it was reorganized as ALPHA Education, reflecting its core educational mandate: to foster a critical understanding of World War II in Asia through the lens of humanity and peace education. In 2017, ALPHA launched the Asia Pacific Peace Museum project to further this educational mission.

Kyeol : Why did ALPHA feel that Canada needed a museum focused on the history of World War II in Asia?

Flora Chong : There was no museum of this kind outside Asia. Even in Asia, many museums on this history focus on specific atrocities and are often operated by governments. We felt it was important to build an independent and inclusive museum grounded in research, authenticity, respect, and justice. We wanted to create a space that presents World War II in Asia not as a regional conflict between Japan and China or Japan and Korea, but as a global history that affected many communities across Asia and beyond.

Kyeol : Many people in Canada may be more familiar with World War II in Europe than with the war in Asia. Why is it important to teach the history of World War II in Asia to Canadian students and the broader public?

Flora Chong : Canada was directly connected to the war in Asia. Nearly 2,000 Canadian soldiers were sent to Hong Kong, and about a quarter died during the battle or later in prisoner-of-war camps.

Canada also has its own difficult wartime history, including anti-Asian racism and the internment of Japanese Canadians. Our “Canada at War” gallery addresses these histories, along with the Battle of Hong Kong and Force 136. By teaching this history, we hope Canadians can better understand both the global impact of the war and Canada’s own place within it.

Learning Through Exhibitions: From Historical Facts to Human Stories

Kyeol : The museum has several exhibition galleries and educational facilities. Could you introduce some of the exhibitions or spaces that visitors should pay special attention to?

Flora Chong : APPM has ten themed galleries, grouped into three major sections: a prewar understanding of the root causes and broader historical overview; wartime atrocities, including massacres, Japanese military sexual slavery, human experimentation, biological and chemical warfare, prisoners of war, and forced labor; Canada’s role in the war; and Japan’s defensive turn; and postwar reflection through the themes of justice and memory.

All of these galleries are important for gaining a comprehensive understanding of the history. The exhibitions are curated with young people in mind and include guiding questions, storytelling, and interactive and digital features.

Kyeol : How does the museum help visitors understand the human impact of war, colonialism, and military violence?

Flora Chong : This is at the core of the museum’s learning mission. The exhibitions show how militarism, colonialism, and imperialism can cause devastating harm to humanity, and how such ideologies are cultivated and imposed on ordinary people.

Through images, quotations, personal stories, and survivor testimonies, visitors are invited to understand not only historical facts but also the suffering, injustice, and resilience of those who lived through this history. We want visitors to see the victims and survivors as human beings, not simply as numbers or historical examples.

Kyeol : What do you hope visitors will feel or think about after walking through the museum’s exhibitions?

Flora Chong : We hope visitors leave with a deeper sense of humanity and peace. While the museum addresses victimization and violence, it also highlights the bright side of humanity. During the Nanjing Massacre, for example, there were people who risked their lives to save others. Many victims later became survivors and peace activists, working to make sure their voices would be heard. We also pay tribute to those who have worked to preserve this history and to speak for the voiceless.

Visiting the Exhibition: The “Comfort Women” Issue and War Atrocities

Kyeol : How does the museum present the history of the Japanese military “Comfort Women” system?

Flora Chong : We present the history of Japanese military sexual slavery by explaining its historical context—what happened, when, where, to whom, and why it was a system. We use primary documents, survivor testimonies, personal stories, and digital displays to help visitors understand the scale and structure of the violence. We emphasize human experiences—suffering and pain from systemic violence, and the courage and perseverance of survivors—how they sought healing through art, fought for justice, and even stood up for others.

The exhibition also explores broader themes such as violence against women, exploitation, dehumanization, and racial discrimination. It includes the stories of Korean, Chinese, Filipino, and Dutch survivors, as well as the postwar movements that helped break the silence and seek redress.

Kyeol : Could you explain the interactive exhibition featuring “Comfort Women” survivors and its use of an AI-assisted program?

Flora Chong : The interactive testimony program was developed by the USC Shoah Foundation, which has worked extensively to preserve the testimonies of Holocaust survivors and other survivors of mass violence.

At our museum, visitors can interact with the digital testimony of Grandma Peng, a Chinese survivor of Japanese military sexual slavery. Visitors can speak or type questions, and the AI-assisted program draws from the survivor’s recorded testimony to generate responses. This allows visitors, especially young people, to experience a more direct and personal encounter with survivor testimony.

Kyeol : Have there been any notable reactions from the audience regarding the “Comfort Women” exhibition?

Flora Chong : Many visitors have been deeply moved by the exhibition. The exhibition helps visitors see Japanese military sexual slavery within a broader context of militarism, patriarchy, dehumanization, and the use of women’s bodies as tools of war. Many come away with a deeper understanding of why this violence occurred, why it remained silenced for so long, and why public recognition only became more widespread in the 1990s.

Kyeol : ALPHA has previously invited Korean “Comfort Women” survivors to Canada for lectures and press conferences. What impact did those visits have on students, teachers, and local communities?

Flora Chong : In 2007, ALPHA invited four survivors—Liu Mian-Huan from China, Fidencia David from the Philippines, Jang Jeom-Dol from Korea, and Ellen van der Ploeg from the Netherlands—to Canada to testify before the public and Parliament. Their testimonies played a pivotal role in the unanimous passing of a parliamentary Motion 291 asking the Japanese government to apologize to all victims of Japanese military sexual slavery.

Their visits also raised awareness among students, teachers, and local communities. Later, we invited survivors, including Grandma Gil Won-ok, to ALPHA’s international educators’ conference in 2010, seminars in 2013, and events such as the premiere of the film The Apology.^[1]

For young people, the survivors’ presence was living history. For teachers, their testimonies became powerful educational resources. And for those who deny or suppress historical truth, the survivors stood as witnesses.

Teaching From Head to Heart to Hand

Kyeol : Some histories are painful not only to remember, but also to teach. How do you approach teaching such difficult histories?

Flora Chong : We have developed pedagogies for peace education and for teaching war atrocities. Historical accuracy is essential, so we use multiple primary and secondary sources. At the same time, we try to make the history relatable through empathy, personal stories, and survivor testimonies.

One of our approaches is “Head, Heart, and Hand”: learning with the head, understanding with the heart, and taking action with the hand. The “head” means learning the facts and asking why such violence happened. The “heart” means developing empathy and compassion for human suffering, resilience, and courage. The “hand” means taking action even in small ways, to help create change.

We have seen this approach resonate with students. After visiting the museum, one student wrote, “This museum healed something in me today.”

Kyeol : Some teachers are hesitant to teach topics such as the “Comfort Women” issue because of the sexual violence and atrocities involved. They worry that such subjects may trigger trauma or emotional distress. What advice would you offer to educators who face these concerns?

Flora Chong : The first step is to create a safe and respectful learning environment. Teachers need to make clear that the purpose is not to blame any ethnic group, but to understand broader questions of humanity, including violence, injustice, bystanding, courage, and responsibility.

Educators do not need to begin with the most graphic details. They can first connect the topic to issues students may already understand, such as bullying, gender bias, discrimination, or the importance of apology and accountability. From there, they can introduce wartime violence against women, including Japanese military sexual slavery, as a historical example.

The approach should also be adjusted to students’ age and maturity. Younger students may need a more careful and less graphic introduction, while older or university students can engage with more complex historical contexts. The goal is not to overwhelm students, but to help them understand victims’ suffering and the importance of justice, memory, and peace.

Even for adults, this history can be very heavy. I have met survivors and worked with difficult testimonies, and at times it has been emotionally overwhelming. That is why balance is so important. We need to teach the truth in a way that helps people stay engaged rather than shutting down.

We also find that many educators are willing to teach these topics when proper educational materials are available. One teacher wrote after visiting the museum, “I would have certainly paid more attention in history class if this information had been presented. I will definitely be back with many groups of students.” A professor described the exhibition as “sobering, provocative, and inspiring,” and said they would inform their teaching and research on human rights and activism. These responses show that difficult histories, when taught with care, can open space for reflection, redress, solidarity, and peace.

Kyeol : What kinds of educational programs does the museum offer for students and teachers?

Flora Chong : For student groups, we usually communicate with teachers in advance to understand their goals and decide which galleries to focus on. A few hours are not enough to see everything in depth, so students may visit two or three galleries. During the visit, facilitators guide students with questions, activities, and discussions, followed by a debriefing and workshop. In this way, the museum experience becomes more than viewing exhibitions; it becomes a space for reflection, dialogue, and learning.

For teachers, ALPHA has long developed educational programs beyond the museum. The Peace and Reconciliation Study Tour, which began in 2004, brought Canadian, American, and Australian educators to China and Korea to visit historical sites, meet historians, survivors, and peace activists. Although the tour ended after 2014, ALPHA continues this work through Learning@APPM, which brings middle and high school students to the museum.

ALPHA Education is also compiling a comprehensive five-volume Teacher’s Resource Guide on teaching World War II in Asia through the lens of peace education. Unlike the exhibitions, the guide focuses not only on historical content but also on pedagogy, offering teaching strategies, primary sources, classroom activities, projects, glossaries, and well-researched materials for educators in Canada and beyond.

Kyeol : What role do you hope the museum will play in future history education in Canada?

Flora Chong : We hope the museum will play an important role not only in history education, but also in peace education, which is still not widely emphasized in many institutions. Peace education centered on shared humanity is essential for the future.

Memory, Collaboration, and the Future

Kyeol : The visitors’ messages on your website seem very impactful. Some wrote, “Remembrance is resistance,” and “Remembering is tough and requires so much courage.” How did it make you feel when you saw these responses?

Flora Chong : Those messages are very encouraging. They show that visitors understand what we are trying to do. The museum was not built simply to preserve historical facts. It was built for future reconciliation, peacebuilding, and the hope that people can see light even after learning about dark histories.

Kyeol : Could you share the museum’s future exhibition or event plans?

Flora Chong : We are currently developing a digital museum project funded by Digital Museum Canada. The virtual platform, titled Living History, Hope and Peace, will present stories and historical episodes related to World War II in Asia through five themes: vulnerability, solidarity, silence, hope, and peace.

Each theme will use different interactive methods to engage young people. For example, one section will use a map to show where historical events took place, while another will use a gamified format to encourage learning about peace. The project is scheduled to be completed by March 2027.

APPM also plans to organize featured exhibitions in the summer in partnership with artifact collectors, researchers, artists, and other collaborators. We are also working on traveling exhibitions and new features that will enhance visitors’ learning experiences.