Armenian National Committee of America
1711 N Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036
Tel. (202) 775-1918
Fax. (202) 775-5648
Email. [email protected]
Internet
PRESS RELEASE
November 11, 2009
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918
COUNTDOWN TO ERDOGAN: ANCA URGES NATIONWIDE CALL-IN DAY IN
SUPPORT OF SENATE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE RESOLUTION
— Thousands Visit anca.org/countdown for Month-long
Countdown to Erdogan’s December 7th White House Visit
WASHINGTON, DC ? The Armenian National Committee of
America’s (ANCA) ‘Countdown to Erdogan’ moves from the
internet to phone lines on Thursday, November 12 with the
launch of a National Call-In Day to encourage Senators to
cosponsor and work for the adoption of the Armenian
Genocide Resolution, S.Res.316.
"The strong early response by Armenian Americans ? and also
a growing number of non-Armenians ? to our ‘Countdown to
Erdogan’ campaign has really broadened our community’s
civic engagement, with thousands of WebMails already being
sent to support both the adoption of the Armenian Genocide
Resolution and decisive U.S. action to end the genocide in
Darfur," said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. "We
now urge team members to pick up the phone and call their
Senators to thank those who have already cosponsored the
initiative and urge others to take immediate action."
Contact information for Senate offices and sample phone
scripts are provided through the
website or directly by visiting:
t?alertid=14332646&type=CO
A New Action Item Each Day:
Starting on Monday, November 9th, the ANCA website
launched the innovative program,
announcing a new action item every day, ranging from on-
line activism and call-in days to social networking,
coalition-building, community outreach, and hands-on
activities – all aimed at educating and inspiring President
Obama, on December 7th, to tell Prime Minister Erdogan, to
his face, that American stands for a truthful and just
resolution of the Armenian Genocide. Each week will also
include at least one action item geared to end the ongoing
genocide in Darfur, as part of the ANCA’s broader
commitment to fostering U.S leadership in ending the cycle
of genocide.
Since Monday, in addition to contacting their Senators,
activists have urged President Obama to move beyond
rhetoric and take decisive action to end the Darfur
genocide, participating in a WebMail campaign initiated by
Africa Action. Anti-genocide activists were also
encouraged to watch a special live broadcast of Save
Darfur’s interview with Special Envoy to Sudan Scott
Gration and NSC Assistant Secretary on Multi-Lateral
Affairs Samantha Power on the current situation in Darfur.
On November 11th, in honor of Veterans’ Day, activists are
encouraged to send a special ANCA WebMail to Senate and
House members to help end the cycle of genocide.
Online Social Media networking and Weekend Projects to
Round out First Week of Activism:
"Countdown to Erdogan" daily actions, which take just a few
minutes, are each designed to spread the Armenian Genocide
recognition message to key audiences. Friday’s action will
focus on online social media, encouraging activists to use
the campaign’s logo as their Facebook profile picture, to
give their impressions of the first week of activism on the
ANCA Facebook page, and to take action via Twitter,
LinkedIn, and other networking sites.
On Saturday, activists are encouraged to visit their
community library and identify Armenian Genocide and
Armenian history related resources available for community
education. The ANCA will help by providing a listing of
books and resources that can be donated to Libraries to
augment their collections.
For Sunday, the ANCA will be posting a sample letter to
Senators that activists can print and take to Church and
community centers to encourage dialogue and to collect
signatures in support of the Senate version of the Armenian
Genocide Resolution S.Res.316.