Armenian Assembly of America
122 C Street, NW, Suite 350
Washington, DC 20001
Phone: 202-393-3434
Fax: 202-638-4904
Email: [email protected]
Web:
PRESS RELEASE
May 4, 2004
CONTACT: David Zenian
E-mail: [email protected]
ASSEMBLY, AGBU AND WESTERN DIOCESE:
TOGETHER AT CALIFORNIA ARMENIAN GENOCIDE DAY OF REMEMBRANCE
Los Angeles, CA – A joint delegation representing the Armenian Assembly, the
Southern California District of the AGBU and the Western Diocese of the
Armenian Church joined members of the California State Assembly in
Sacramento last week in marking the 89th anniversary of the Armenian
Genocide.
Traveling from Los Angeles to Sacramento as a single delegation to
participate in the annual “California Day of Remembrance for the Armenian
Genocide of 1915-1923” further reinforced the unity of purpose by the three
major non-partisan Armenian organizations which emerged from their
cooperation at the Assembly’s three-day National Conference and Banquet in
Washington earlier this month – the largest such advocacy gathering in the
nation’s capital.
The National Conference and Banquet brought together hundreds of activists
from across the United States to Washington to advocate for issues of
importance for not only the Armenian-American community, but for Armenia and
Nagorno Karabakh.
“I am happy we have a coalition with the AGBU, the Armenian Assembly and the
Diocese and that we are speaking with one voice again today in Sacramento,”
said Primate of the Western Diocese Archbishop Hovnan Derderian at a
luncheon with State Assembly members.
“The AGBU, with its strong network of chapters and schools, is committed to
serving the Armenian-American community at the local and state level,” AGBU
Southern California District Chairman Vahe Imasdounian said.
Archbishop Derderian, who led the special opening prayer at the State
Assembly, was joined at the California Day of Remembrance event by Assembly
Western Office Chairman Richard Mushegain, Board of Directors member Lisa
Kalustian, Assembly Western Office Director Lena Kaimian, Western Office
Deputy Director Nicole Shahenian and AGBU Southern California District
Chairman Vahe Imasdounian.
“I was very pleased by the response that our delegation received from the
members of the State Legislature and the support for our cause,” Mushegain
said.
In his homily, Archbishop Derderian said:
“In our prayers we thank God for our many great friends in the California
State Legislature who have stood with the Armenian-American community
throughout the many years in reaffirming the record on the Armenian Genocide
and establishing relations with Armenia.”
Following the Archbishop’s prayer, several members of the California State
Assembly also spoke and expressed their support for California Assembly
Joint Resolution (AJR-73) which was introduced by Assemblyman Joseph
Simitian (D-Palo Alto).
Among them were California State Assembly Majority Leader Dario Frommer
(D-Glendale) Assemblymen Greg Aghazarian (R-Stockton), Carol Liu
(D-LaCanada/Passadena), John Longville (D-San Bernardino) and Mark Wyland
(R-Del Mar).
After the unanimous passage of AJR-73, the delegation met with California’s
new speaker of the State Assembly Fabian Nunez (D-Los Angeles).
California was one of the first States to affirm and recognize the Armenian
Genocide and designate April 24 as a “Day of Remembrance for the Armenian
Genocide of 1915-1923.”
This year, in a letter to State Senator and California Senate Education
Committee Chairman John Vasconcellos, the Armenian Assembly advocated for
the passage of a key resolution which would ensure that high school history
and social science textbooks fairly and accurately portray human rights
violations and historical atrocities of the 20th century.
In her letter to Vasconcellos, Assembly Western office Director Lena Kaimian
urged the committee to pass (California State) Assembly Concurrent
Resolution 116 which will help provide “a fair and accurate age-appropriate
portrayal of historical atrocities of the 20th century, including, but not
limited to, the Armenian Genocide of 1915-1923, the Rwandan Genocide of
1994, and the Bosnian-Serbian human rights violations of the 1990s.”
Learning about these crimes, Kaimian said in her letter, “will instill in
our students the importance of personal dignity and human rights.”
The Armenian Assembly of America is the largest Washington-based nationwide
organization promoting public understanding and awareness of Armenian
issues. It is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt membership organization.
NR#2004-050
Photograph available on the Assembly’s Web site at the following link:
CAPTION: L to R: Assembly Board Members Lisa Kalustian and Richard
Mushegain, Assembly Western Office Deputy Director Nicole Shahenian, Rev.
Yeghia Hairabedian, Sen. Charles Poochigian, Asm. Negret McLeod, Speaker
Fabian Nunez, Arch. Hovan Derderian, Asm. Joseph Simitian, Asm. Carol Liu,
AGBU Southern California District Chairman Vahe Imasdounian, and Assembly
Western Office Director Lena Kaimian.