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Armenian Genocide Commemoration
The Armenian Community of Greater Kansas City invites you to: Armenian Genocide Commemoration Wednesday April 24, 2019 6:30 - 7:00 pm At the St. Garabed Armenian Church |
| Attachments:
April 24 Newsletter.pdf
Alabama Becomes 49th U.S. State to Recognize the Armenian Genocide
 MOBILE, AL – Alabama officially became the 49th U.S. state to recognize the Armenian Genocide when Governor Kay Ivey issued a powerful proclamation recognizing the Ottoman Turkish Empire’s centrally-planned and executed annihilation of close to three million Armenians, Greeks, Assyrians and Syriacs from 1915-1923, according to the Armenian National Committee of America – Eastern Region (ANCA-ER). “We welcome this proclamation by Governor Ivey, making Alabama the 49th state in the union to officially re-affirm this international crime against humanity,” said ANCA-ER Board Chairman Steve Mesrobian. “This proclamation serves as a powerful reminder that truth about genocides should never be held hostage to the denial of its perpetrators and those who continue to profit from that crime. We salute the Alabama Armenian community and our ANCA coalition partners who together stand united in our efforts to create awareness about the Armenian Genocide and prevent future such atrocities,” said Mesrobian. While Governor Ivey’s proclamation notes that the Ottoman Turkish government’s crime “still requires justice,” it also provides a glimpse into Alabama’s active participation in the Near East Relief’s efforts during the Armenian Genocide as well as the U.S. recognition of the Armenian Genocide in 1951. The proclamation recognizes genocides that followed the Armenian Genocide as well as the act of genocide committed against Christians and Yazidis by ISIL, recognizing that proper commemoration and awareness and education about the Armenian Genocide helps ensure that similar atrocities do not occur again. “I am so proud of the work that the ANC of Alabama and our friends in Alabama have done to obtain this official recognition of the Armenian Genocide,” said ANC of Alabama activist Jack Hagopian. “Armenians have long called Alabama home, aiding in the education and awareness of the Armenian Genocide throughout the state. It brings me great pleasure to know that our work has been successful. I know that we will continue to educate, motivate and activate our community to ensure that the cycle of genocide comes to an end.” With the addition of Alabama as the 49th state, Mississippi remains as the last U.S. state to officially recognize the Armenian Genocide. The full text of Gov. Ivey’s proclamation is provided below. ##### PROCLAMATION WHEREAS, during the Armenian Genocide from 1915-1923, one and one-half million ethnic Armenian men, women and children as well as over one million Greeks, Assyrians, Syriacs and others were massacred as part of the planned complete eradication of those indigenous communities by the Ottoman Turkish Empire during the first modern genocide that still requires justice; and WHEREAS, Near East Relief’s efforts, with the active participation of the State of Alabama, resulted in delivering unprecedented 117 million dollars of assistance from the American people between 1915 and 1930, that directly resulted in the salvation of the Christian Armenian, Greek, and Assyrian survivors from being completely annihilated by the genocide; and WHEREAS, Raphael Lemkin cited both the systemic destruction of the Armenians in the Ottoman Empire and the Jews, Gypsies, Poles and others by the Nazis when he coined the word Genocide in 1943; and WHEREAS, the United States government first officially acknowledged the Armenian Genocide in 1951, in a document submitted to the International Court of Justice; and WHEREAS, the Republic of Armenia, the Hellenic Republic, the Republic of Cyprus, and the Republic of Artsakh are now free, independent, democratic states and strategic allies of the United States of America in the region; and WHEREAS, other cases of genocide include the killings in Cambodia in 1975, the massacres in Bosnia in 1992, the slaughter in Rwanda in 1994 and now in the 21st century, the displacements and deaths in Darfur as well as targeting of religious minorities by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in the Middle East; and WHEREAS, the United States House of Representatives adopted H. Con. Res. 75 in 2016, declaring the atrocities perpetrated by the ISIL against Christians, Yezidis and other religious and ethnic minorities in Iraq and Syria war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide; and NOW, THEREFORE, I, Kay Ivey, Governor of the State of Alabama, do hereby proclaim April 2019 as GENOCIDE AWARENESS MONTH. https://er.anca.org/press-release/alabama-becomes-49th-u-s-state-to-recognize-the-armenian-genocide/  People lay flowers to commemorate the 103rd anniversary of mass killings of Armenians by Ottoman Turks, at the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex in Yerevan, Armenia, April 24, 2018 Alabama has become the 49th U.S. state to officially recognize Ottoman-era killings and deportations of Armenians as genocide. Kay Ivey, Governor of the State of Alabama, proclaimed April 2019 as Genocide Awareness Month. “We welcome this proclamation by Governor Ivey, making Alabama the 49th state in the union to officially re-affirm this international crime against humanity,” said Armenian National Committee of America-Eastern Region Board Chairman Steve Mesrobian. “This proclamation serves as a powerful reminder that truth about genocides should never be held hostage to the denial of its perpetrators and those who continue to profit from that crime.” Thus, all U.S. states except Mississippi have recognized the Armenian Genocide. Since the 1960s, the Armenian community of the United States has sought Washington’s reaffirmation that the massacres of 1.5 million Armenians in Ottoman Turkey in 1915 constituted genocide and its condemnation of the crime. However, the White House leaders have generally avoided the use of the term genocide in their annual addresses and offered their support in the reconciliation of Armenians and Turks. The 44th and 45th U.S. Presidents, Barack Obama and Donald Trump, used the Armenian expression “Meds Yeghern” in their April 24 messages. |
“Prince of Armenia”
“Prince of Armenia” written by Nshan Erganian, brother of St Garabed parishioner Carolyn Freese: |
France’s Macron Announces April 24 National Day Marking Armenian Genocide
Article in English here: Video in French here: |
U.S. Delegation Commemorates Spitak Earthquake
This week the U.S. Embassy was pleased to welcome to Armenia a delegation from the U.S. state of Kansas headed by Governor Jeff Colyer and the Adjutant General of Kansas, Major General Lee Tafanelli. The delegation traveled to Armenia to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the devastating Spitak earthquake and to pay their respects to the Armenian people. During his visit, Governor Colyer presented the Armenian Government with proclamations designating December 6, 2018, as Kansas-Armenia Partnership Day and December 7, 2018, as Spitak Remembrance Day in the state of Kansas. The Governor’s relationship with Armenia dates back to 1988, when as a White House Fellow with the USAID Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance, he was part of one of the first U.S. assistance teams on the ground in Armenia, providing food and supplies to survivors of the earthquake. On Friday, the delegation was honored to participate in the “Disaster Resistance Day” events in Gyumri, dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the Spitak earthquake, and to place a wreath on the Memorial of the Innocent Citizens. The delegation also traveled to Vanadzor to meet the family of an Armenian high school student, Emilya Nazinyan, who is currently studying in the state of Kansas as part of the Embassy’s Future Leaders Exchange Program (FLEX). The Governor was pleased to be able to deliver a package to the family from Ms. Nazinyan, and to bring a package back to her in return – understanding the importance of maintaining that family connection even from thousands of miles away. Earlier in the week, General Tafanelli accompanied U.S. Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Rafik Mansour to meet with Armenia’s acting Defense Minister David Tonoyan. The General also met with officials from the Ministry of Emergency Situations and observed an earthquake simulation exercise. General Tafanelli oversees the Kansas Army and Air National Guard, which celebrated the 15th anniversary of its partnership with Armenia earlier this year. Since the beginning of the partnership in 2003, the Republic of Armenia and the state of Kansas have engaged in a number of military, emergency preparedness, law enforcement, business, medical, public health, educational and humanitarian exchanges. |
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