MADISON, WI — The Wisconsin State Senate recently passed a resolution designating April 24th of each year as "Wisconsin Day of Remembrance for the Armenian Genocide of 1915 to 1923.”
The resolution identifies that 1.5 million Armenians perished and some “hundreds of thousands more were uprooted from their homes and ancient homeland,” as well as stating that Turkey continues to deny and distort the facts of the Armenian Genocide. By passing the resolution, the Wisconsin State Senate raises awareness of atrocities, such as genocide, in order to prevent similar crimes from occurring again. Full text of the Proclamation is appended
Introduced by Senators Kimberly Plache, Richard Grobschmidt, Robert Wirch, Robert Welch, Brain Burke, Alberta Darling, Carol Roessler, Robert Cowles and Mary Lazich on February 20, the Resolution was passed on March 7.
“The Armenian National Committee (ANC) of Wisconsin and the entire Armenian American community here in this great state are proud that the State Senate has honored the victims of the Armenian Genocide by commemorating this great tragedy,” stated Levon Saryan, chairman of the ANC of Wisconsin. “We want to thank the State Senate for properly commemorating the Armenian Genocide and denouncing the continued campaign of denial by the Turkish government” he added.
The Wisconsin State Assembly passed an identical resolution on the Armenian Genocide in 2000. With the Senate's adoption, the ANC of Wisconsin will be thanking both the State Assembly and Senate at this year's commemorative event [for the Armenian Genocide] at the State Capitol. It will be held on Wednesday, April 24, 2002, from 10:30am – 12:00pm.
For more information on the State Capitol event or about the Armenian National Committee of Wisconsin, please email Levon Saryan at lasaryan@aol.com.
The Armenian National Committee is the largest Armenian American grassroots political organization in Wisconsin and nationwide. The ANC actively advances a broad range of issues of concern to the Armenian-American community.
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Full text of Proclamation
Whereas, a systematic destruction of thousands of Armenian communities, through massacres and death marches in which some 1,500,000 Armenians perished and hundreds of thousands more were uprooted from their homes and ancient homeland, was carried out from 1915 to 1923; and
Whereas, despite the overwhelming evidence borne out by a wealth of documentation, the Turkish government has never recognized nor accepted responsibility for the genocide of the Armenian people from 1915 to 1923; and
Whereas, by denying and trying to expunge the record of their genocide, the Turkish government deprives the Armenian people of their own history; and
Whereas, recognition of these instances of the Turkish inhumanity to the Armenian population is crucial to guarding against the recurrence of genocide and provides the Armenian people with a greater understanding of their heritage; and
Whereas, the discrimination against and the hardship of the Armenian people persist today as fundamental freedoms are eroded through various governmental administrative orders; and
Whereas, the differences between the Turkish and Armenian people remain and even today lead to the loss of human lives and numerous violations of human rights; and
Whereas, the government of Turkey denies its Armenian community religious freedom, the right to control its own schools, the right to teach its children its own language, and the right to express its ethnic identity; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the senate, That the senate of the state of Wisconsin hereby designates April 24 of each year as "Wisconsin Day of Remembrance for the Armenian Genocide of 1915 to 1923"; and, be it further
Resolved, That the senate chief clerk shall provide a copy of this resolution to the Governor, the Armenian Genocide Commemorative Committee, and the President of the United States.
(End)
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