Flowers laid at Armenian Genocide Memorial were collected to be processed

April 27, 2011 - 18:43 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - The flowers laid at the Armenian Genocide Memorial on April 24 were carefully collected and taken to the backside of the memorial as part of an event launched jointly by VivaCell-MTS, the Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural Assets (FPWC) in Armenia and the Armenian Genocide Museum Institute.

Stalks were separated from petals to be later on recycled and used as fertilizer for Tsitsernakaberd gardens. Petals, being dried out, will be later on used for decorating recycled paper by SunChild Eco-Clubs young members. The recycled paper decorated by those flowers is also being used by the Armenian Genocide Museum Institute for various certificates and cards.

Groups of volunteers from various organizations and individuals participated in the event. This year over 300 volunteers decided to join the initiative, including VivaCell-MTS employees.

27.04.11 - Flower recycling campaign by FPWC

The Armenian Genocide

The Armenian Genocide (1915-23) was the deliberate and systematic destruction of the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire during and just after World War I. It was characterized by massacres and deportations, involving forced marches under conditions designed to lead to the death of the deportees, with the total number of deaths reaching 1.5 million.

The majority of Armenian Diaspora communities were formed by the Genocide survivors.

Present-day Turkey denies the fact of the Armenian Genocide, justifying the atrocities as “deportation to secure Armenians”. Only a few Turkish intellectuals, including Nobel Prize winner Orhan Pamuk and scholar Taner Akcam, speak openly about the necessity to recognize this crime against humanity.

The Armenian Genocide was recognized by Uruguay, Russia, France, Lithuania, Italy, 45 U.S. states, Greece, Cyprus, Lebanon, Argentina, Belgium, Austria, Wales, Switzerland, Canada, Poland, Venezuela, Chile, Bolivia, the Vatican, Luxembourg, Brazil, Germany, the Netherlands, Paraguay, Sweden, Venezuela, Slovakia, Syria, Vatican, as well as the European Parliament and the World Council of Churches.