Armenian National Committee – Western Region
104 North Belmont Street, Suite 200
Glendale, California 91206
Phone: 818.500.1918
Fax: 818.246.7353
[email protected]
PRESS RELEASE
April 28, 2009
Contact: Andrew Kzirian
California Activists join ANC-WR for State Capital Commemorations
Sacramento, CA – On April 22nd, the ANC-WR hosted an Issues Awareness
Caucus to update Armenian Americans about issues and legislation as
well as discuss the opportunities they have to reach out to their
representatives while in the state capital. Activists from across the
Golden State joined the Armenian National Committee – Western Region
(ANC-WR) for a series of educational events and Armenian Genocide
commemorations in Sacramento. In addition to attending a floor
ceremony in the California Legislature, the ANC-WR co-hosted a
screening of the anti-genocide documentary, SCREAMERS with California
State Assembly Assistant Majority Leader Paul Krekorian. The event
was supported by several state legislators including Speaker of the
Assembly, Karen Bass.
On April 23rd, both chambers of the California Legislature held
commemorations for the Armenian Genocide during floor sessions. In a
moving commemoration event led by Assistant Majority Leader Krekorian,
the State Assembly adopted AJR 14, an Armenian Genocide commemoration
resolution authored by Krekorian. Several legislators rose in support
of the resolution and urged their colleagues to adopt the measure.
Introducing the agenda item, Krekorian briefly recalled the Armenian
Genocide and his own family’s experience, including his great uncle, a
professor at Euphrates College in Husenik who was tortured and killed
during the genocide.
Krekorian noted that since the Turkish government has not been held
accountable for the genocide, subsequent governments `consumed by
bigotry and hatred learned the lessons of impunity from the Armenian
Genocide… And yet even today as we meet here in this chamber, right
now genocide is consuming the people of Darfur.’
`AJR 14 is a step toward realizing the values we claim to hold… By
passing this resolution we, as a body, will stand up for truth and
justice and we will help heal a wound that is still intensely painful
to the many families of victims and survivors who now proudly call
California their home,’ he added. `This resolution gives all of us,
Armenian and non-Armenian alike, an opportunity to recommit ourselves
to building a society that is free of bigotry and of inhumanity and of
mass violence. And if we can do that Members, perhaps we will be able
to say at long last, truthfully and finally, `never again’.’
The message was a powerful one not lost on those in the chamber. The
ceremony was closed by a solemn duduk performance by Wings of Passion
which included a rendition of `Der Voghormya’ (`Lord Have Mercy’, a
hymn commonly used in Armenian Church requiem services).
`As an Armenian American and an engaged citizen it was important for
me to be here as part of the commemoration events, to learn more about
the issues, and take time to personally reach out to my
representatives to let them know that I care deeply about this issue,’
said Rich Kazanjian. Kazanjian, an activist from Santa Cruz, joined
the ANC-WR for the days’ events and observed the commemoration from
the Assembly gallery.
Earlier in the day, the CA Senate opened with a prayer by Father Vahan
Gosdanian, parish priest at Holy Trinity Armenian Apostolic Church in
Fresno – one of the oldest parishes in California. The ceremony
included remarks from the community as well as recognition of those in
attendance from the Armenian American community as well as the Consul
General of the Republic of Armenia in Los Angeles, Grigor
Hovhannissian.
Amy Kaladzhyan, a student at UC Santa Barbara and former ANC-WR intern
took Wednesday to travel to Sacramento for the caucus and
commemorations. Joined by Shant Karnikian, a UC Santa Barbara alumni
and fellow intern alumnus, both were participating in the ANC’s events
for the second year in a row. They also took the opportunity to meet
with their representatives while at the State Capitol.
`Armenian Americans need to regularly reach out to their
representatives on issues of such magnitude and I was glad we could
participate in this year’s commemoration events,’ said Kaladzhyan.
Each year, the ANC-WR leads activists to the state capital to network
with colleagues from across the state and update them on the latest
developments regarding issues of concern to the community.
`We were proud to see members of the community from across California
join us these past couple of days,’ remarked ANC-WR Board Member Aida
Dimejian. Dimejian chairs the ANC-WR State/Regional Affairs
Committee. `With activists from the San Fernando Valley to Davis,
Santa Cruz to Pasadena, Santa Barbara to Sacramento, and many more it
shows that Armenian Americans across California are working together
with the ANC-WR to help raise awareness about issues of importance to
our community,’ she added.
The Armenian National Committee – Western Region is the largest and
most influential Armenian American grassroots advocacy organization in
the Western United States. Working in coordination with a network of
offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the Western United States
and affiliated organizations around the country, the ANC-WR promotes
awareness of the Armenian American community on a broad range of
issues.
###
Statements on the Floor from Legislators:
Assembly Member Charles Calderon (D-Montebello) — `The fact remains
that it happened. And they [the government of Turkey] may not
remember it, but we can never forget.’
Assembly Member Cameron Smyth (R-Santa Clarita) — Referenced
Ambassador Morgenthau in his remarks and noted `I think that today is
very poignant that today is bring your sons and daughters to work day
and that we have many students that are here visiting the Capitol and
maybe for the first time are hearing of this atrocity and I am very
proud to be a co-author of this resolution.’
Assembly Member Anthony Portantino (D-Pasadena) — `The other night I
was speaking to the Armenian Youth Federation, about a hundred
students who again, still had that same fire in their eyes, and that
same passion in their eyes, and that same pride in their eyes as the
nearly one hundred year old survivors who are fighting… And the phrase
that was said to me the other night, `Always Remember’.’
Assembly Member Kevin de Leon (D-Hollywood) — `I would like to take
an opportunity to join the Armenian American community in its campaign
for the Fierce Urgency of Now… The urgency of ending the cycle of
genocide now is the part of a growing grassroots movement that will
attempt to stop the ongoing slaughters that current are taking place
in Africa.’
Assembly Member Fiona Ma (D-San Francisco) — `Every Easter morning
on the top of San Francisco’s highest point, a 103 foot monumental
cross is illuminated for a morning prayer service… this serves as a
memorial of the genocide. At the base of the cross is a plaque where
the quotation, in Armenian and English, from writer and educator,
Avedis Aharonian. This quote underscores why this resolution is
before us today. `If evil of this magnitude can be ignored, if our own
children forget, then we deserve oblivion and earn the world’s scorn.’
Thank you Assembly Member Krekorian for honoring them today.’
Assembly Member Juan Arambula (D-Fresno) — `… I rise to speak in
support of this resolution and as I rise on behalf of the tens of
thousands of proud and hard working people of Armenian descent from my
region of California and so on their behalf I urge support of this
resolution because what happens to any of us, happens to all of us.’
Assembly Member Sam Blakeslee (R-San Luis Opispo) — `It took courage
to bring this matter before the US House of Representatives and we
hope that we will see that body take all the right steps to ensure
that we do not let the opposition of a foreign government prevent us
from standing strongly for human rights. It is essential that we
remember that we are defined by what we stand for and who we stand
with and who we are willing to stand against when it is inconvenient
to do so. We remember Burke’s words that all it requires for evil to
triumph is for good men to remain silent.’
Assembly Member Lori Saldana (D-San Diego) — `I think that we have
demonstrated today with adopting this resolution, next week when we do
our annual remembrance of the Holocaust, and have survivors come here
to the chamber that California is very committed to international
peace and we do that every day in our communities as we struggle with
managing the differences but knowing in the end that when we do that
well, we are all the stronger for it. So I am very proud to support
the resolution today.’
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
