The Crocus Project 2010 will this year be a collaboration between the Malta Unesco Youth Association and the Scout Association of Malta to ensure the message reaches as many children as possible.

The Crocus Project is intended for young people aged 11 and up. It has become a perennial activity with schools and youth groups from all over the world involved in it each year.

The project is being carried out in collaboration with the 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.

In Malta, schools and groups will be provided with yellow daffodil bulbs instead of yellow crocus bulbs, due to the fact that crocus plants can 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, 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, contact the Malta Unesco Youth Association on info@muya.info.

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