After the success of ‘The Crocus Project’ last year, which saw the implementation of the Crocus Project in 23 schools around Malta and Gozo involving more than 1500 students, the Malta UNESCO Youth Association will this year be collaborating with the Scout Association of Malta. This is done to ensure that the message conveyed by this project is spread to as many children as possible.
The Crocus Project is intended for young people aged eleven years and upwards. The project is now a perennial activity with schools and youth groups from all over the world becoming involved in it every year. The project is being done in collaboration with Holocaust Education Trust Ireland which usually provides schools with yellow crocus bulbs to plant in autumn in memory of one and a half million Jewish children and thousands of other children who died in the Holocaust. This year like the last, through the Malta UNESCO Youth Association and the Scout Association of Malta, the Trust will be providing the schools and groups not with yellow crocus bulbs, but with yellow daffodil bulbs due to the fact that crocus plants do not survive in Malta. The yellow flowers recall the yellow Stars of David that Jews were forced to wear under Nazi rule. The daffodils bloom around March and when people admire the flowers, the children can explain what they represent. The Crocus Project is a tangible way to introduce young people to the subject of the Holocaust and to raise awareness about the dangers of racism, discrimination, prejudice and bigotry. The Trust makes available guidelines and information which may be of assistance to teachers during this activity. These resources complement existing material on integration and acceptance. The children’s involvement in planting the bulbs and watching the flowers grow encourages ongoing learning about the importance of tolerance and respect. The Trust also launched the Online Crocus Club, a secure online forum, where participating schools can share their experiences of The Crocus Project and make new friends. There are separate forums for teachers and students and it is administered by the Trust. For more information about the project, one can contact the Malta UNESCO Youth Association on [email protected]. |