The mayor of Cogollos Vega, Manuel Lucena, and the director of the Fundación Tres Culturas del Mediterráneo, Concha de Santa Ana, inaugurated last Friday in this town in Granada the 'Garden of Peace', a unique space in which olive tree species from 22 different countries can be admired.
This initiative is part of the RESGEN project, promoted by the International Olive Council and based on the conservation, characterisation, collection and use of the genetic resources of the olive tree. This is a programme with which this town in Granada has committed itself, as in addition to ensuring a more sustainable future for olive oil (a key crop in this municipality), it is a key tool for halting desertification and the flight of the rural population to large cities.
But there is also an important component that gives this garden a special significance and has aroused the interest of the Fundación Tres Culturas: the very symbolism of the olive tree as an example of union between different peoples.
In this sense, Concha de Santa Ana, director of the foundation insisted that "this project is directly linked to the essence of Tres Culturas, where we understand that knowledge, dialogue and coexistence are the best instrument for combating intolerance". "This peace garden, from its very name, is a plea for solidarity, fraternity and respect", she added.
In fact, this space has been conceived as a large olive grove in which the route takes visitors on a journey through different Mediterranean countries where the so-called monotheistic religions are professed: Christianity, Judaism and the Muslim religion, in whose traditions the olive tree has always played an important role. In this way, the visitor will feel that sense of peace, stability and communion between different peoples over and above any differences they may have.
An essential role in the realisation of this project has been played by the valuable collaboration of the International Association 'The Garden of Peace', highlighting the excellent work carried out by its president Mr. Francesco Serafini, its secretary Mr. Oriano Spadoni and its treasurer Mr. Francisco Javier García Vialard, who have also contributed their professional experience to the design of various aspects of the Garden of Peace.
The inauguration will be accompanied by various activities related to this theme and also to the original objective of the project, such as the display of a mural against gender violence, environmental workshops, concerts and a theatrical performance, among others.
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