The Legacy of the Great Mother Russia by Maria Mikaelyan
Topical News
The Armenians' massacre in Karabakh in the Western unconcern
The extent of the fighting on Tuesday and Wednesday, September 19 and 20, as reported by one of the region's leading experts, Laurence Broers, is 500 Armenian deaths confirmed. A massacre against a starving population that, unable to receive anything from Armenia, did not even have gasoline to transport the wounded in ambulances or medicine to treat them, as well as ammunition to defend themselves. A massacre that was announced like few others, and that no one (I repeat: no one) tried to avert. Karabakh is lost, for the Armenian majority who have lived there for many centuries. Now in danger is Armenia itself, which already a year ago was attacked, losing territories on its proper borders. How much further can the humiliation, violence and abuse suffered by Armenians be pushed forward?
Stories
Lorenzo Perrone
A bricklayer at Auschwitz, he helped Primo Levi resist in the concentration camp. Basically forgotten for decades despite the fact that Levi would write and speak about him on numerous other occasions, and until the last months of his life, Lorenzo Perrone, the “man of few words” who had saved him, would become a Righteous Among the Nations almost half a century later. By Carlo Greppi
Maria del Carmen “Coca” Maggi
Maria del Carmen "Coca" Maggi was an Argentine professor and university principal, kidnapped (and later executed) by militant members of the CNU - Concentración Nacional Universitaria, a far-right terrorist movement - on the morning of May 9, 1975.
Silvia Ana Filler
After completing her high school studies in 1971, Silvia decided to enroll in the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Mar del Plata. During a student meeting, an armed contingent belonging to the CNU - National University Concentration Centre, an extreme right-wing terrorist movement - broke into the building. Ana Silvia Filler was hit in the head by a stray bullet fired by a CNU militant. Silvia Filler became the symbol of Argentine university activism, intent on strongly opposing the continuous political interference in the academic life of the country.
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Claudio Hugo "Pocho" Lepratti
Claudio Hugo Lepratti, called "Pocho", was an Argentine political activist volunteer who worked in a poor neighbourhood in the city of Rosario (province of Santa Fe, Argentina), and who was shot and killed by the Santa Fe Provincial Police during the December 2001 riots, when he tried to stop police agents from firing at a children's school.
The Garden of Argentina and its Righteous
The first Garden of the Righteous in South America
On Friday 8th September, at 2pm local time, the first Garden of the Righteous in South America was established in Mar del Plata, in the province of Buenos Aires. The Garden arises in one of the most stunning views of the coastal city of Mar del Plata, in the middle of the Plazoleta dedicated to Astor Piazzola. It is promoted by the Gariwo Foundation, alongside the Municipalidad de General Pueyrreden of Mar del Plata and the association Casa D’Italia. Silvia Ana Filler, Maria del Carmen "Coca" Maggi, Claudio Hugo "Pocho" Lepratti, Pierantonio Costa, Armin T. Wegner e Aristide de Sousa Mendes are the first Righteous to be honored in the Garden.
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The Garden of the Righteous in Mar del Plata
The Jardín de las Personas Justas is the result of collaboration between the Gariwo Foundation, the Municipalidad de General Pueyrredon of Mar del Plata and the Casa D'Italia association. The ceremony was attended by delegations of students, the Italian, the Jewish and the Armenian communities and organizations involved in the protection of human rights in Argentina. The first Righteous honored are: Pierantonio Costa, Armin T. Wegner, Aristides de Sousa Mendes, Maria del Carmen "Coca" Maggi, Silvia Ana Filler, Claudio Hugo "Pocho" Lepratti.
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Opening ceremony of the Jardin de las Personas Justas in Mar del Plata - The pictures
On September 8, 2023 the first Garden of the Righteous in Argentina was inaugurated. It is located in Mar del Plata, a city symbol for freedom and solidarity. The Garden was promoted by Gariwo Foundation with Municipalidad de General Pueyrredon of Mar del Plata and Associazione Casa D’Italia.
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About us
Gariwo is the acronym of Gardens of the Righteous Worldwide.
We are a Non-Profit Organization based in Milan, with international coworkers.
Since 1999 we have worked to make the people aware about the Righteous: we think that the memory of Good is a powerful educational tool and can help prevent cases of genocide and crimes against Humanity.
This is why we create Gardens of the Righteous worldwide and use the communication means, social networks and public events to spread the message of responsibility. From the European Parliament we have obtained the establishment of the European Day of the Righteous - 6 March.
Our activity is supported by institutions, schools, volunteers, an International Scientific Committee and our 'Ambassadors'.
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The Gardens of the Righteous
The Gardens are like open books that tell the Righteous’ stories.
They are public spaces, places of memory, meeting and dialogue. Here it’s possible to organize initiatives for students and citizens, to keep alive the examples of the Righteous all the year round, not only by planting new trees.
The Garden of Milan was born in 2003 at Monte Stella Park. The Association for the Garden of the Righteous - formed by Gariwo, Milan City Hall and UCEI - was created in 2008, and it takes care of the Garden activities.
Every year, a lot of Gardens arise in cities and schools in Italy and all over the world.
Our aim is to create a widespread network to connect everybody who believes in these topics.
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European Day of the Righteous
On 10 May 2012, the Parliament in Strasbourg approved Gariwo’s call establishing the European Day of the Righteous on 6 March - remembering the death of Moshe Bejski, the creator of the Avenue of the Righteous. On 7 December 2017 Italy became the first country to officially join the marking of that recurrence, with the law that establishes also at the national level a Day in memory of the Righteous of the humanity. Starting from Yad Vashem, we have extended the meaning of the term “Righteous” including men and women who saved lives in all the genocides and defended human dignity during totalitarianisms.
Every year we celebrate the example of the Righteous of past and of the present, to spread the values of responsibility, tolerance and solidarity.
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The Charter of responsibilities 2017
The Charter of responsibilities 2017 arises from the collective reflection proposed by Gariwo through the series of meetings The crisis of Europe and the Righteous of our time, held in cooperation with Teatro Franco Parenti - Accademia del Presente and under the patronage of Università degli Studi di Milano and the Corriere della Sera Foundation.
The Charter, inspired by the experience of Charta ’77 and subscribed by important personalities from the world of culture and society, represents our ethical commitment for the memory of Good and the education to responsibility, to reaffirm the value of plurality, of peace and non violence, as opposed to the culture of hatred and enemy.
Interview
A Foundation for the Righteous
Gariwo along with the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation
On January 9th, in Warsaw, Gariwo’s and Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation’s representatives, along with a member of the Warsaw Garden of the Righteous Committee, Jozèf Wancer, instituted the International Garden of the Righteous Foundation. The establishment of the Foundation was announced in a press conference held in Warsaw in occasion of the 2023 European Day of the Righteous.
Iran
A dance with the Iranian community at the Milan's Garden
A gallery of the pictures taken during the event organized by Gariwo Foundation, along with the Association of the Iranian’s diaspora Maana, in occasion of the Sizdah bedar, the Iranian’s Day of nature. It was a morning of celebration, but also of discussion on very important topics alongside the Iranian community. A very emotional moment was, particularly, the dancing one, which was guided by the professional Iranian dancer Saba Poori.
Genocide prevention
Memory and knowledge for the prevention of genocides
Genocides and mass atrocities reappear in history in different ways but with similar mechanisms, languages, and dynamics. Therefore, knowing how to read, recognize and bring them to the world's attention is fundamental for preventing such crimes. That is why the knowledge of what happens inextricably links to memory so that we can keep the promise of "never again." But what are the most severe and urgent scenarios of genocide and mass atrocities today?
Teaching pathways through Europe's Gardens
Gariwo Sarajevo