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ANCA / GI-Net Capitol Hill Advocacy Days Set for March 12-14

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  • ANCA / GI-Net Capitol Hill Advocacy Days Set for March 12-14

    Armenian National Committee of America
    1711 N Street, NW
    Washington, DC 20036
    Tel. (202) 775-1918
    Fax. (202) 775-5648
    [email protected]
    Internet: www.anca.org

    PRESS RELEASE
    February 7, 2008
    Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
    Tel: (202) 775-1918

    SECOND ANNUAL ANCA / GENOCIDE INTERVENTION NETWORK
    CAPITOL HILL ADVOCACY DAYS SET FOR MARCH 12-14

    Efforts to "End the Cycle of Genocide" Take Renewed Meaning
    Following Sudan Dictator Omar al-Bashir's Visit to Turkey

    WASHINGTON, DC - The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA)
    and Genocide Intervention Network (GI-Net) have teamed for the
    second annual Capitol Hill advocacy campaign to encourage
    Congressional action to end the cycle of genocide.

    The expanded program, titled the "End the Cycle of Genocide:
    Grassroots Capitol Campaign," will take place March 12th through
    14th in Washington DC, beginning with a special breakfast briefing
    on the morning of March 12th and followed by three days of
    Congressional visits to encourage U.S. action to stop the genocide
    in Darfur, the adoption of the Armenian Genocide resolution (S.Res.
    106 / H.Res.106), and the strengthening of U.S. resolve to act
    against all instances of genocide.

    Activists will be able to share their experiences, exchange ideas,
    communicate with Members of Congress, and add new connections to
    the growing national anti-genocide coalition at a special Capitol
    Hill reception on the evening of Wednesday evening, March 12th.

    For more information and to register for the campaign activists can
    visit: http://www.anca.org/stopgenocide .

    Last March over 100 activists from 25 states participated, visiting
    all 100 Senate and 435 House of Representatives offices, meeting
    with Members of Congress, their staff and disseminating information
    regarding pending Armenian and Darfur genocide legislation. Ten
    Members of Congress, including House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee
    on Africa Chairman Donald Payne (D-NJ), Congressional Armenian
    Caucus Co-Chair Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Armenian Genocide Resolution
    author Adam Schiff (D-CA), Brad Sherman (D-CA), Jim Costa (D-CA),
    David Dreier (R-CA), Rush Holt (D-NJ), Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX),
    John Sarbanes (D-MD), and Jean Schmidt (R-OH), joined with advocacy
    day participants in urging continued grassroots advocacy to secure
    proper acknowledgement of the Armenian Genocide and targeted
    divestment of firms aiding and abetting the ongoing genocide in
    Sudan.

    The need for continued and expanded advocacy to end the cycle of
    genocide was never more stark than earlier this year when Sudanese
    President al-Bashir completed a three-day state visit to Turkey, at
    the invitation of President Gul. As the rest of the world tries to
    isolate Sudan's genocidal regime, Turkey continues to embrace it,
    signing a memorandum of understanding to strengthen military
    relations and expanding cooperation on military technology
    transfers and training. Turkey's Minister of Trade projects that
    Sudan will soon be Turkey's largest trading partner in Africa.

    Despite calls from human rights groups such as Amnesty
    International and Human Rights Watch, Turkish President Gul did not
    pressure Sudan to end the atrocities in Darfur, but instead claimed
    that it was merely a "humanitarian tragedy" that "is not only a
    matter of politics, but also stems from poverty and environmental
    conditions."

    "Al Bashir's red carpet welcome in Turkey starkly illustrates that
    the cycle of genocide must be confronted," said Genocide
    Intervention Network Executive Director Mark Hanis. "The world's
    continued failure to unequivocally fight against genocide, in all
    its forms, encourages future despotic leaders to resort to
    genocide. For this reason, we are organizing to demand an end to
    this cycle in the halls of Congress."

    "We are looking forward to joining forces once again with the
    Genocide Intervention Network to strengthen the anti-genocide
    constituency in the country," said ANCA Executive Director Aram
    Hamparian. "Coming in a year when Turkey seems to be instructing
    Sudan in its denial tactics and providing political cover for its
    genocidal policies, our partnership with GI-Net could not be more
    important."

    To learn more about Genocide Intervention Network visit:
    www.genocideintervention.net

    For more information and to register for the campaign visit:
    www.anca.org/stopgenocide.

    #####

    ________ _____________________________
    Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
    Communications Director
    Armenian National Committee of America
    1711 N Street NW
    Washington, DC 20036
    Tel: (202) 775-1918
    Fax: (202) 775-5648
    E-mail: [email protected]
    Internet: www.anca.org
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