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LOCAL APPOINTED TO GENOCIDE COMISSION
By Joe Piasecki
Valley Sun
http://www.lacanadaonline.com/news/tn-vsl-0421-mehranian,0,3322743.story
April 20 2011
CA
Commission is aimed at increasing recognition of, and fighting against,
atrocities.
Longtime La Caņada Flintridge resident and former city Planning
Commissioner Maria Mehranian will be sworn in Saturday as a member
of the California International Genocide Commission, established by
state leaders to increase global recognition of atrocities committed
worldwide.
In part, the commission represents ongoing calls in California for
federal recognition of the Armenian Genocide, which from 1915 to
1923 claimed the lives of 1.5 million Armenians and which will be
commemorated this weekend.
But Mehranian believes the true strength of the commission is in
building a large tent. In the coming weeks, Gov. Jerry Brown and
other state officials are expected to make appointments to the
nine-member body from among many ethnicities that have been victims
of mass slaughter.
"There are going to be members Jewish, Rwandan, Cambodian, Sudanese
and others. It's much more powerful when members of many groups discuss
the subject of genocide, because you can draw on the similarities. No
matter how different it can look at first, at the end of the day it's
the same thing happening in the same way," said Mehranian, who is
a managing partner of the L.A.-based civil engineering firm Cordoba
Corp. and also serves on the Los Angeles Water Quality Control Board.
Both Mehranian and Assemblyman Mike Gatto (D - Glendale), who earlier
this year wrote a law extending time limits for descendants of genocide
victims to file civil claims, were appointed to the commission
by Assembly Speaker John Perez, said Gatto field representative
Christine Aghakhani.
Gatto led the Assembly's annual commemoration of the genocide last week
under a measure that was co-authored by Assemblyman Anthony Portantino
(D - La Caņada Flintridge).
Also last week, Congressman Adam Schiff (D- Burbank) wrote a letter to
President Obama urging him to use the word "genocide" when referring
to atrocities committed against Armenians that started during World
War I, which Obama did during his campaign but has not done since.
The Turkish government, a U.S. ally in the Middle East, has for years
successfully lobbied Congress to block genocide recognition.
Mehranian and Gatto will be sworn in during the Unified Young
Armenians Candlelight Vigil genocide memorial ceremony, starting at
7:45 p.m. Saturday at St. Gregory Armenian Catholic Church, 1510 E.
Mountain Ave., Glendale.
Under legislation passed in 2006, the California International Genocide
Commission's primary task will be to plan, fundraise for and build
a memorial at the state capitol honoring victims of genocide.
Mehranian hopes to do more.
"It's more about creating a dialogue to put these issues on the map,
not only as something to memorialize, but also something we have to
have and active fight against," she said.
Reporter Bill Kisliuk contributed to this story.
From: A. Papazian
By Joe Piasecki
Valley Sun
http://www.lacanadaonline.com/news/tn-vsl-0421-mehranian,0,3322743.story
April 20 2011
CA
Commission is aimed at increasing recognition of, and fighting against,
atrocities.
Longtime La Caņada Flintridge resident and former city Planning
Commissioner Maria Mehranian will be sworn in Saturday as a member
of the California International Genocide Commission, established by
state leaders to increase global recognition of atrocities committed
worldwide.
In part, the commission represents ongoing calls in California for
federal recognition of the Armenian Genocide, which from 1915 to
1923 claimed the lives of 1.5 million Armenians and which will be
commemorated this weekend.
But Mehranian believes the true strength of the commission is in
building a large tent. In the coming weeks, Gov. Jerry Brown and
other state officials are expected to make appointments to the
nine-member body from among many ethnicities that have been victims
of mass slaughter.
"There are going to be members Jewish, Rwandan, Cambodian, Sudanese
and others. It's much more powerful when members of many groups discuss
the subject of genocide, because you can draw on the similarities. No
matter how different it can look at first, at the end of the day it's
the same thing happening in the same way," said Mehranian, who is
a managing partner of the L.A.-based civil engineering firm Cordoba
Corp. and also serves on the Los Angeles Water Quality Control Board.
Both Mehranian and Assemblyman Mike Gatto (D - Glendale), who earlier
this year wrote a law extending time limits for descendants of genocide
victims to file civil claims, were appointed to the commission
by Assembly Speaker John Perez, said Gatto field representative
Christine Aghakhani.
Gatto led the Assembly's annual commemoration of the genocide last week
under a measure that was co-authored by Assemblyman Anthony Portantino
(D - La Caņada Flintridge).
Also last week, Congressman Adam Schiff (D- Burbank) wrote a letter to
President Obama urging him to use the word "genocide" when referring
to atrocities committed against Armenians that started during World
War I, which Obama did during his campaign but has not done since.
The Turkish government, a U.S. ally in the Middle East, has for years
successfully lobbied Congress to block genocide recognition.
Mehranian and Gatto will be sworn in during the Unified Young
Armenians Candlelight Vigil genocide memorial ceremony, starting at
7:45 p.m. Saturday at St. Gregory Armenian Catholic Church, 1510 E.
Mountain Ave., Glendale.
Under legislation passed in 2006, the California International Genocide
Commission's primary task will be to plan, fundraise for and build
a memorial at the state capitol honoring victims of genocide.
Mehranian hopes to do more.
"It's more about creating a dialogue to put these issues on the map,
not only as something to memorialize, but also something we have to
have and active fight against," she said.
Reporter Bill Kisliuk contributed to this story.
From: A. Papazian