Armenian National Committee
47 Nichols Avenue
Watertown MA 02472
617-926-1918
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PRESS RELEASE
May 7, 2008
High School Students Lead Efforts to Pass Genocide Resolution
Urge Massachusetts Congressional Delegation to Champion H.Res.106
Lexington, MA– Two high school seniors are leading efforts to
activate their classmates and high school students across eastern
Massachusetts in support of H.Res.106, the Armenian Genocide
Resolution, reported the Armenian National Committee.
Nairi Khachatourian and Sosse Beugekian, both seniors at Lexington
High School, began circulating a petition calling on the Massachusetts
Congressional Delegation to lead efforts to ensure passage of the
Armenian Genocide Resolution.
`What an amazing way for students to become involved,’ stated
Sharistan Melkonian of the Armenian National Committee. `Nairi and
Sosse are role models to a generation of activists and are proving
that one person (or two) can make a difference. We hope their action
will encourage other individuals to also be creative and to make a
difference.’
Nairi and Sosse began circulating the petition in their own high
school but then reached out to friends in other communities. The
petition now has signers from Lexington, Watertown, Natick,
Lincoln-Sudbury, Waltham, Belmont, Newton, and Arlington.
H.Res. 106, the Armenian Genocide Resolution, calls on the President
to ensure that the foreign policy of the United States reflects
appropriate understanding and sensitivity concerning issues related to
human rights, ethnic cleansing, and genocide documented in the United
States record relating to the Armenian Genocide. 213 Members of
Congress, including every one of the Congressmen from Massachusetts
has cosponsored H.Res.106.
Asked why they were targeting the Massachusetts delegation, all of
whom have already cosponsored the resolution, Khachatourian said, `We
appreciate that the Congressmen from Massachusetts have all
cosponsored H.Res.106, but cosponsoring the Resolution is not
enough. We need their leadership now more than ever to get the
resolution passed.’
"High school students are more interested than ever in making a
difference," said Beugekian. "We are a powerful and energetic voice
and we know what we want. And, we want to do everything possible to
ensure that this resolution passes this year."
Khachatourian and Beugekian, both 18 years old, will graduate on May
23. Khachatourian will attend Boston University in the fall and
Beugekian will attend Suffolk University.
The petition calls on Members of the Massachusetts Congressional
Delegation to urge their Colleagues to vote yes on the Resolution.
The petition reads:
We the undersigned, students in the Greater Boston area, strongly
believe that H.Res.106, the Armenian Genocide Resolution, should pass
when it is sent to the House floor. It is very important to show the
world that `genocide’, `ethnic cleansing’, and `racial discrimination’
will not be overlooked and that we are committed to ending and
preventing genocide. As students who are becoming adults and going
into `the real world’ we are beginning to realize the important role
that the United States’ can play on important issues. And, as
soon-to-be voters we are more and more interested in these matters. We
thank you for your cosponsorship of H.Res.106 and ask you to urge your
Colleagues to take a stand and support this Resolution. How can we
expect to end and prevent genocide in the future if we refuse to
properly acknowledge a genocide of the past?
Nairi and Sosse launched their petition on April 24 at the Greater
Boston Community Armenian Genocide Commemoration and intend to
circulate the petition through May 22.
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