In Geneva, there exists a place dedicated to the thousands of women, men, and children all over the world who are victims of the abominable crime of involuntary disappearance. It is a place of memory and remembrance, a place where the families and friends, as well as the human rights activists could meet, meditate, share, and get together in order to continue the essential fight against oblivion and against impunity.
The initiative of building a memorial came from a group of most concerned people, members of different communities who have survived terrible tragedies themselves that took place in their own countries. They know of what they speak about because they all have relatives and friends who disappeared. They all ask and fight for truth and justice.
With the support of the Town Council of Meryn at the outskirts of Geneva, a Memorial Park was created and inaugurated by the Mayor on October 7, 2000. Five trees-one for each continent-were planted and in March 2001, a sixth tree was planted to symbolize human rights. In the presence of a large audience, a marker was also unveiled.
Since then, every year on several occasions, ceremonies and meetings have taken place at the site. The committee of the “Association du Jardin des Disparus” is active in promoting and coordinating activities related to its mandate. Hopefully, more and more groups and NGOs which are active in human rights work will pay a visit to the Memorial Park when they come to Geneva.
All together, throughout the world, we will keep alive the flame of memory and the hope so that justice will be achieved.
Founding Members of the Memorial Park:
-Association of Bolivians in Geneva
-Mesopotamian Association of Geneva
-Chilean Residents in Geneva Association
-Association of Families of “Disappeared” in Bosnia-Herzegovina
(ISTINA/TRUTH)
-Association of Families of Sahraouis (AFAPREDESA)
-Association of Palestinians in Switzerland
-Association for Oriental Timor (ACTO)
-Kurdish Center for Human Rights Geneva
-Albanian Circle of Meyrin Geneva
-Committee Memory and Justice / Chile-Switzerland-Latin America
-Donde Estan / Where Are They/ Uruguay
-Support Group of Plaza de Mayo's Grandmothers
-Saprikay's Group / Paraguay / H.I.J.O.S. Geneva
-IBUKA / Memory and Justice -Rwanda
-Isquierda Unida
-Las Golondrinas
-The Friends of Oriental Timor
-Mothers for Peace
-MEU Wixan MAPU/ Mapuche Organization
-Memoria Viva
-UBUNTU Action / Burundi
-Albanian Popular University (UPA)
Committee of the “Jardin des Disparus”
P.O. Box 108
CH-1217 Meyrin 1
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