October 20, 20021) SENATE SUPPORT GROWS FOR GENOCIDE RESOLUTION2) ASK YOUR U.S. REPRESENTATIVE TO CONGRATULATE NAGORNO KARABAGH PRESIDENT ARKADY GHOUKASSIAN ON HIS RECENT REELECTION3) ANCA LAUNCHES "TAKE A FRIEND TO ARARAT" PROGRAM---------------------------------------------------------------===============================================================1) SENATE SUPPORT GROWS FOR GENOCIDE RESOLUTION===============================================================-- Edwards, Wyden and Conrad latest Cosponsors of S.Res.307-- Diverse Group of Organizations Support LegislationWASHINGTON, DC - As the Senate works to address key initiatives andadjourn prior to November elections, support for the GenocideResolution marking the 15th anniversary of U.S. implementation ofthe Genocide Convention continues to grow, reported the ArmenianNational Committee of America (ANCA.)Top Senate leaders including Senate Foreign Relations CommitteeChairman Joseph Biden (D-RI), Armed Services Committee ChairmanSander Levin (D-MI), Banking Committee Chairman Paul Sarbanes (D-MD), Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad (D-ND), GovernmentAffairs Committee Chairman Joe Lieberman (D-CT), Health andEducation Committee Chairman Ted Kennedy (D-MA), and Small BusinessCommittee Chairman John Kerry (D-MA) are among the bipartisan groupof over 30 Senators who have expressed their support for themeasure. The full list of co-sponsors is provided below.The support comes as a diverse coalition of over 40 organizationsrepresenting human rights groups and a variety of ethnicorganizations have worked with Senators on this critical issue.The coalition includes the NAACP, Sons of Italy, CambodianAssociation of America, Brookdale College Center of HolocaustStudies, the International Campaign for Tibet and some 20 ArmenianAmerican organizations. NAACP Washington Bureau Director HilaryShelton noted why their organization has spoken out on S.Res.307."Now, more than ever, it is important that the United Statesgovernment, through S.Res.307, recommit itself to the tenets andprinciples of the U.N. Convention on the Prevention and Punishmentof Genocide, implemented by the U.S. in 1988," explained Shelton.The full list of coalition members is provided below.Introduced by Senator Robert Torricelli (D-NJ) in July, S.Res.307recognizes the 15th anniversary of U.S. implementation of theGenocide Convention as a "principled stand" by the American people"toward ensuring that the lessons of the Holocaust, the ArmenianGenocide, the genocides in Cambodia and Rwanda, among others, willbe used to help prevent future genocides."The Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime ofGenocide, first approved in 1948, confirms that genocide is a crimeunder international law and defines genocide as actions committedwith intent to destroy a national, ethnical, racial or religiousgroup. The Convention calls on signatory states to enact domesticlegislation to provide effective penalties for persons who areguilty of genocide.S.Res.307 cosponsor Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI) explained thesignificance of S.Res.307 as follows: "The United Statesimplementation of the 1948 Genocide Convention was a declaration ofthe nation's revulsion at the crime of genocide and itsdetermination to punish those guilty of atrocities. S.Res.307commemorates the dedication to the principle that while a treatyalone cannot prevent the genocide of another of the world's people,or restore the lives of thousands of Armenians, Jews and Cambodianskilled by ruthless leaders, it can provide the standards andconsequences for changing the behavior of states"#####Senate Co-Sponsors of S.Res.307George Allen (R-VA)Evan Bayh (D-IN)Joseph Biden (D-DE)Barbara Boxer (D-CA)Max Cleland (D-GA)Hillary Clinton (D-NY)Kent Conrad (D-ND)Jon Corzine (D-NJ)Richard Durbin (D-IL)John Edwards (D-NC)John Ensign (R-NV)Russell Feingold (D-WI)Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)James Jeffords (I-VT)Tim Johnson (D-SD)Edward Kennedy (D-MA)John Kerry (D-MA)Herb Kohl (D-WI)Mary Landrieu (D-LA)Carl Levin (D-MI)Joseph Lieberman (D-CT)Barbara Mikulski (D-MD)Jack Reed (D-RI)Rick Santorum (R-PA)Paul Sarbanes (D-MD)Charles Schumer (D-NY)Arlen Specter (R-PA)Debbie Stabenow (D-MI)Robert Torricelli (D-NJ)Paul Wellstone (D-MN)Ron Wyden (D-OR)Coalition In Support of S.Res.307-----------------------------------------National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) - Baltimore, MDInternational Campaign for Tibet - Washington, DCOrder, Sons of Italy in America - New York, NYNational Congress of Indian Americans - Washington, DCBrookdale College Center of Holocaust Studies - Lincroft, NJThe Center for the Study of Human Rights at Worcester State College - Worcester, MAThe Center for World Indigenous Studies - Olympia, WACampaign to End Genocide - Washington, DCNear East Foundation - New York, NYChristian Solidarity International - Westlake Village, CALao Human Rights Council - Eau Clair, WICambodian Association of America - Los Angeles, CABulgarian Institute for Research and Analysis - Bethesda, MDAmerican Hellenic Institute - Washington, DCAmerican Hellenic Media Project - New York, NYHellenic American Council - Los Angeles, CAUnited Hellenic American Congress - Chicago, ILArab American Institute - Washington, DCArab Community Center - Dearborn, MichiganArmenian National Committee of America - Washington, DCApostolic Exarchate for Armenian Catholics - New York, NYArmenian Evangelical Union of North AmericaArmenian Missionary Association of America - Paramus, NJPrelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church - New York, NY and Los Angeles, CADiocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church - New York, NY and Los Angeles, CAArmenian Assembly - Washington, DCArmenian General Benevolent Union - New York, NYArmenian Council of America - Paramus, NJ and Los Angeles, CAArmenian Relief Society - Watertown, MA and Glendale, CAArmenian Youth Federation of America - Watertown, MA and Glendale, CAHamazkayn Armenian Cultural and Educational Association - Watertown, MA and Glendale, CAHomenetmen Armenian General Athletic Union - Watertown, MA and Glendale, CAKnights of Vartan - New York, NYTekeyan Cultural Association - Watertown, MAArmenia Fund USA - New York, NYArmenian American Democratic Leadership Council - Falls Church, VAArmenian Bar Association - Los Angeles, CAArmenian Engineers and Scientists Association - Los Angeles, CALand and Culture Organization - New York, NYNational Organization of Republican Armenians - Washington, DC===================================================================2) ASK YOUR U.S. REPRESENTATIVE TO CONGRATULATE NAGORNO KARABAGH PRESIDENT ARKADY GHOUKASSIAN ON HIS RECENT REELECTION=================================================================== -- Send a free ANCA WebFax today==========Situation:==========The Co-Chairs of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues areasking their colleagues in the U.S. House to join with them incongratulating the recently re-elected President of the NagornoKarabakh Republic (NKR), Arkady Ghoukassian.International observers from the United Kingdom, Italy, Russia, theUnited States, France and others certified the election to be fairand free of voting irregularities. An astounding 75.7% of theeligible population of Nagorno Karabakh participated in theelection.=======Action:=======Visit the following link on the ANCA Website to send a freeANCA WebFax to your Representative urging them to co-sign thecongratulatory letter to President Ghoukassian.http://capwiz.com/anca/issues/alert/?alert...921&type=COThe current list of House Members who have already agreed toco-sign the letter include:Representatives Eric Cantor (R-VA), Lois Capps (D-CA), MichaelCapuano (D-MA), Jerry Costello (D-IL), Joseph Crowley (D-NY),Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), Chaka Fattah (D-PA), Michael Ferguson (R-NJ),Barney Frank (D-MA), Maurice Hinchey (D-NY, Joseph Hoeffel (D-PA),Rush Holt (D-NJ), Steny Hoyer (D-MD), Joseph Knollenberg (R-MI),Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), James Langevin (D-RI), Barbara Lee (D-CA),Sander Levin (D-MI), William Lipinski (D-IL), Stephen Lynch (D-MA),James McGovern (D-MA), Michael McNulty (D-NY), Connie Morella (R-MD),John Olver (D-MA), Frank Pallone (D-NJ), George Radanovich (R-CA),Lynn Rivers (D-MI), Ed Royce (R-CA), Hilda Solis (D-CA), Mark Souder(R-IN), John Sweeney (R-NY), John Tierney (D-MA), and Albert Wynn (D-MD).===================================================================3) ANCA LAUNCHES "TAKE A FRIEND TO ARARAT" PROGRAM===================================================================WATERTOWN, MA - The Armenian National Committee of Americaannounced the launching of the "ANCA Take A Friend To Ararat"campaign, this week, to raise public awareness about the ArmenianGenocide of 1915. The nationwide program was initiated by the ANCAWestern Region and Eastern U.S. headquarters and will include thegrassroots support of over 50 ANC chapters and thousands ofactivists across the country.The film "Ararat," written, directed, and produced by Oscarnominated Canadian film director/writer Atom Egoyan deals with thetopic of the Armenian Genocide with Egoyan's unique film-within-a-film approach. The movie focuses on the issue of the current denialof the Armenian Genocide by the Turkish government. Following lastweek's special pre-screening of the movie "Ararat" at the Libraryof Congress, the ANCA reported the launching of a nationalgrassroots campaign, encouraging Armenian Americans not only to see"Ararat" but also to take a friend along when it opens in LosAngeles and New York theaters on November 15th and nationwide soonafter."We hope that this campaign will encourage Armenian Americans,beginning in New York and Los Angeles, to spread the word andcreate awareness about this important movie," stated SharistanArdhaldjian, chairperson of the ANCA ER. "'Ararat' has thepotential to make a tremendous impact on the general public byeducating hundreds of thousands of movie-goers about the ArmenianGenocide and its aftermath, including the continued denial by theTurkish government," concluded Ardhaldjian."Ararat" is a movie that explores how Armenians have dealt with theafter effects of the Genocide and its denial. The movie is atapestry of various stories, each unique yet tied together by theunifying element of the tragedy of the genocide. The story-within-a-story approach deals directly with Turkish denial and aims toeducate its audience about the complexity of emotions thatArmenians have had to deal with as a result."The horror of the Armenian Genocide is not only the brutality ofwhat occurred but the continued denial of that crime againsthumanity. When you have something as horrendous as the death ofover a million innocent men, women and children and have nojustice, there is no other choice but to continue to speak outagainst its denial." stated Steven J. Dadaian, Chairman of theANCA-WR. "Ararat by far has the greatest potential to bring theGenocide into the hearts and minds of mainstream Americanconsciousness and conveying the destructiveness of the denial bythe Turkish Government to the average person."The ANCA Western Region honored Egoyan for "Ararat" with theprestigious ANCA Freedom Award, this weekend, at the ANCA-WRAnnual Banquet. The Freedom Award honors individuals or groups thathave contributed significantly to the Armenian Cause by raisingpublic awareness of Armenian issues.Additional information about the "Take A Friend To 'Ararat'"Campaign is available on the ANCA website at www.anca.org.The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) is the largestand most influential Armenian American grassroots politicalorganization. Working in coordination with a network of offices,chapters, and supporters throughout the United States andaffiliated organizations around the world, the ANCA activelyadvances the concerns of the Armenian American community on a broadrange of issues
