Armenian National Committee of America
1711 N Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036
Tel. (202) 775-1918
Fax. (202) 775-5648
Email.anca@anca.org
Internet:

PRESS RELEASE
February 7, 2008
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918

SECOND ANNUAL ANCA / GENOCIDE INTERVENTION NETWORK
CAPITOL HILL ADVOCACY DAYS SET FOR MARCH 12-14

Efforts to "End the Cycle of Genocide" Take Renewed Meaning
Following Sudan Dictator Omar al-Bashir’s Visit to Turkey

WASHINGTON, DC – The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA)
and Genocide Intervention Network (GI-Net) have teamed for the
second annual Capitol Hill advocacy campaign to encourage
Congressional action to end the cycle of genocide.

The expanded program, titled the "End the Cycle of Genocide:
Grassroots Capitol Campaign," will take place March 12th through
14th in Washington DC, beginning with a special breakfast briefing
on the morning of March 12th and followed by three days of
Congressional visits to encourage U.S. action to stop the genocide
in Darfur, the adoption of the Armenian Genocide resolution (S.Res.
106 / H.Res.106), and the strengthening of U.S. resolve to act
against all instances of genocide.

Activists will be able to share their experiences, exchange ideas,
communicate with Members of Congress, and add new connections to
the growing national anti-genocide coalition at a special Capitol
Hill reception on the evening of Wednesday evening, March 12th.

For more information and to register for the campaign activists can
visit: .

Last March over 100 activists from 25 states participated, visiting
all 100 Senate and 435 House of Representatives offices, meeting
with Members of Congress, their staff and disseminating information
regarding pending Armenian and Darfur genocide legislation. Ten
Members of Congress, including House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee
on Africa Chairman Donald Payne (D-NJ), Congressional Armenian
Caucus Co-Chair Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Armenian Genocide Resolution
author Adam Schiff (D-CA), Brad Sherman (D-CA), Jim Costa (D-CA),
David Dreier (R-CA), Rush Holt (D-NJ), Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX),
John Sarbanes (D-MD), and Jean Schmidt (R-OH), joined with advocacy
day participants in urging continued grassroots advocacy to secure
proper acknowledgement of the Armenian Genocide and targeted
divestment of firms aiding and abetting the ongoing genocide in
Sudan.

The need for continued and expanded advocacy to end the cycle of
genocide was never more stark than earlier this year when Sudanese
President al-Bashir completed a three-day state visit to Turkey, at
the invitation of President Gul. As the rest of the world tries to
isolate Sudan’s genocidal regime, Turkey continues to embrace it,
signing a memorandum of understanding to strengthen military
relations and expanding cooperation on military technology
transfers and training. Turkey’s Minister of Trade projects that
Sudan will soon be Turkey’s largest trading partner in Africa.

Despite calls from human rights groups such as Amnesty
International and Human Rights Watch, Turkish President Gul did not
pressure Sudan to end the atrocities in Darfur, but instead claimed
that it was merely a "humanitarian tragedy" that "is not only a
matter of politics, but also stems from poverty and environmental
conditions."

"Al Bashir’s red carpet welcome in Turkey starkly illustrates that
the cycle of genocide must be confronted," said Genocide
Intervention Network Executive Director Mark Hanis. "The world’s
continued failure to unequivocally fight against genocide, in all
its forms, encourages future despotic leaders to resort to
genocide. For this reason, we are organizing to demand an end to
this cycle in the halls of Congress."

"We are looking forward to joining forces once again with the
Genocide Intervention Network to strengthen the anti-genocide
constituency in the country," said ANCA Executive Director Aram
Hamparian. "Coming in a year when Turkey seems to be instructing
Sudan in its denial tactics and providing political cover for its
genocidal policies, our partnership with GI-Net could not be more
important."

To learn more about Genocide Intervention Network visit:

For more information and to register for the campaign visit:

#####

________ _____________________________
Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Communications Director
Armenian National Committee of America
1711 N Street NW
Washington, DC 20036
Tel: (202) 775-1918
Fax: (202) 775-5648
E-mail: anca@anca.org
Internet: