Armenian Assembly of America
122 C Street, NW, Suite 350
Washington, DC 20001
Phone: 202-393-3434
Fax: 202-638-4904
Email: info@aaainc.org
Web: www.armenianassembly.org

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 advocacygathering 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:

http://www.aaainc.org/images/press/2004-050/2004-050-1.jpg
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.