MOTION TO BE INTRODUCED IN CANADIAN PARLIAMENT TO DECLARE APRIL GENOCIDE REMEMBRANCE MONTH

March 26, 2015

Motion to be Introduced in House of Commons to declare April Genocide
Remembrance, Condemnation and Prevention Month

Ottawa – The Armenian National Committee of Canada (ANCC) is proud
to have worked closely with Mr. Brad Butt, Member of Parliament for
Mississauga – Streetsville (Conservative) on a motion to declare
April as Genocide Remembrance, Condemnation and Prevention Month and,
among other things, to mark April 24 of each year as Armenian Genocide
Memorial Day.

The ANCC urges all Canadians dedicated to the cause of preventing
future genocides and properly recognizing past genocides to make
their voices heard by writing or calling their Members of Parliament
and asking them to vote for this motion.

ANCC President Dr. Girair Basmajian said “This motion reaffirms
Canada’s commitment to the important cause of genocide prevention
and recognizes that the first step to prevention is to ensure that
we remember and condemn past genocides.” Dr. Basmajian further stated
“We are very grateful that this motion designates April 24 as Armenian
Genocide Memorial Day so that all Canadians can join with the Armenian
community to work to prevent future genocides, which is especially
important in light of the religiously and ethnically motivated violence
against minorities currently taking place in Iraq and Syria.”

The Genocide Remembrance, Condemnation and Prevention Month motion
was published on the Notice Paper today, which is the first step that
must be taken before the motion can be introduced in the House of
Commons and then brought to a vote. It is expected that the motion
will be formally introduced in the House of Commons next week by Mr.

Butt. It is also expected that other Members of Parliament will speak
in favour of the motion at that time. It is not yet clear when the
motion would be approved.

The Genocide Remembrance, Condemnation and Prevention Month motion
recalls that Canada has officially recognized four genocides (the
Holocaust, the Holodomor, the Rwandan Tutsi Genocide and the Armenian
Genocide) and that three of these genocides have a memorial day
in April, so it is appropriate to designate April of each year as
Genocide Remembrance, Condemnation and Prevention Month. The ANCC
notes that the designation of April 24 of each year as Armenian
Genocide Memorial Day in this motion is the first time that any
Canadian federal government body has formally recognized April 24 as
Armenian Genocide Memorial Day.

Motion 587

March 26, 2015- Brad Butt, Member of Parliament for
Mississauga-Streetsville, gave notice for a motion today. Motion
587 reads:

That this House re-affirm its support for

(a) the Holocaust Memorial Day Act, which received Royal Assent on
November 7, 2003;

(b) the Armenian genocide recognition resolution, adopted on April
21, 2004;

(c) the Rwandan genocide resolution, adopted on April 7, 2008; and

(d) the Ukrainian Famine and Genocide (“Holodomor”) Memorial Day Act,
which received Royal Assent on May 29, 2008;

That this House call upon the Government of Canada to honour the
victims of all genocides by recognizing the month of April as Genocide
Remembrance, Condemnation and Prevention Month; and

That this House acknowledge the associated commemorative days of

(a) Yom ha-Shoah, Holocaust Memorial Day, as determined by the Jewish
Lunar calendar;

(b) Armenian Genocide Memorial Day, April 24;

(c) Rwandan Genocide Memorial Day, April 7; and

(d) Ukrainian Famine and Genocide (“Holodomor”) Memorial Day, fourth
Saturday in November.

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The ANCC is the largest and the most influential Armenian-Canadian
grassroots human rights organization. Working in coordination with
a network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout Canada and
affiliated organizations around the world, the ANCC actively advances
the concerns of the Armenian-Canadian community on a broad range
of issues and works to eliminate abuses of human rights throughout
Canada and the world.