Tweet
ANC OF MASSACHUSETTS TESTIFIES ON GENOCIDE CURRICULUM BILL
http://asbarez.com/116379/anc-of-massachusetts-testifies-on-genocide-curriculum-bill/
Tuesday, November 19th, 2013
ANC of Massachusetts Chairman Dikran Kaligian
BOSTON-On Oct. 31, the Joint Committee on Education of the
Massachusetts State Legislature held a public hearing on H. 420,
"An Act Concerning Genocide Education", which received support from
the Armenian National Committee of Massachusetts (ANC-MA).
The bill was introduced by State Representative Jonathan Hecht
(D-Watertown) and requires that genocide studies, including at least
two case studies, be included in the history curriculum for all
public schools.
While the teaching of genocide and human rights has been part of the
history and social studies curriculum since an earlier bill in the
1990s, inclusion of genocide is currently optional and not required.
ANC-MA Chairman Dikran Kaligian testified in support of the bill,
noting the limited awareness of most cases of genocide among high
school graduates. He stressed the importance of the bill in the case
of the Armenian Genocide; it is unique, he said, in that is has a
foreign government conducting an international campaign to deny it
ever happened.
"The long arm of the Turkish government's denial campaign has reached
here into Massachusetts. Not just in the denialist testimony we heard
earlier today, but also in the lawsuit against the Massachusetts
Department of Education, initiated by an affiliate of the Turkish
government, that was dismissed in federal court," testified Kaligian.
Erkut Gomulu of the Turkish American Cultural Society of New England
had testified in support of the bill but against the inclusion of
any reference to the Armenian Genocide, using standard denialist
talking points. He claimed that legislators cannot make judgments
about historical events because they "only cover the Armenian side
of events."
Rep. Hecht testified that, since the only required subjects in the
social studies curriculum are basic civics, and since the Department of
Education has already issued guidelines for the teaching of genocide,
adoption H. 420 is not only essential but also has readily available
instructional materials.
Pauline Getzoyan, the co-chair of the Rhode Island branch of the
Genocide Education Project, submitted written testimony to the
committee, giving the example of Rhode Island, where half of the
public school systems include genocide education in their curriculum.
Eric Cohen, the president of the Massachusetts Coalition to Save
Darfur, testified on the need for genocide education to build a
permanent constituency to combat human rights violations. Five
students from Harwich High School, members of Massachusetts STAND,
the student-led movement to end mass atrocities, testified about
the urgent need to raise awareness about genocide, and warned that
genocide could happen again if despotic leaders believe they can get
away with it. Awareness and genocide education is the way to ensure
that they know they cannot.
The Joint Committee on Education is currently considering the bill.
The committee is co-chaired by Representative Alice Hanlon Peisch
(D-Wellesley) and Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz (D-Boston), who presided
over the hearing.
http://asbarez.com/116379/anc-of-massachusetts-testifies-on-genocide-curriculum-bill/
Tuesday, November 19th, 2013
ANC of Massachusetts Chairman Dikran Kaligian
BOSTON-On Oct. 31, the Joint Committee on Education of the
Massachusetts State Legislature held a public hearing on H. 420,
"An Act Concerning Genocide Education", which received support from
the Armenian National Committee of Massachusetts (ANC-MA).
The bill was introduced by State Representative Jonathan Hecht
(D-Watertown) and requires that genocide studies, including at least
two case studies, be included in the history curriculum for all
public schools.
While the teaching of genocide and human rights has been part of the
history and social studies curriculum since an earlier bill in the
1990s, inclusion of genocide is currently optional and not required.
ANC-MA Chairman Dikran Kaligian testified in support of the bill,
noting the limited awareness of most cases of genocide among high
school graduates. He stressed the importance of the bill in the case
of the Armenian Genocide; it is unique, he said, in that is has a
foreign government conducting an international campaign to deny it
ever happened.
"The long arm of the Turkish government's denial campaign has reached
here into Massachusetts. Not just in the denialist testimony we heard
earlier today, but also in the lawsuit against the Massachusetts
Department of Education, initiated by an affiliate of the Turkish
government, that was dismissed in federal court," testified Kaligian.
Erkut Gomulu of the Turkish American Cultural Society of New England
had testified in support of the bill but against the inclusion of
any reference to the Armenian Genocide, using standard denialist
talking points. He claimed that legislators cannot make judgments
about historical events because they "only cover the Armenian side
of events."
Rep. Hecht testified that, since the only required subjects in the
social studies curriculum are basic civics, and since the Department of
Education has already issued guidelines for the teaching of genocide,
adoption H. 420 is not only essential but also has readily available
instructional materials.
Pauline Getzoyan, the co-chair of the Rhode Island branch of the
Genocide Education Project, submitted written testimony to the
committee, giving the example of Rhode Island, where half of the
public school systems include genocide education in their curriculum.
Eric Cohen, the president of the Massachusetts Coalition to Save
Darfur, testified on the need for genocide education to build a
permanent constituency to combat human rights violations. Five
students from Harwich High School, members of Massachusetts STAND,
the student-led movement to end mass atrocities, testified about
the urgent need to raise awareness about genocide, and warned that
genocide could happen again if despotic leaders believe they can get
away with it. Awareness and genocide education is the way to ensure
that they know they cannot.
The Joint Committee on Education is currently considering the bill.
The committee is co-chaired by Representative Alice Hanlon Peisch
(D-Wellesley) and Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz (D-Boston), who presided
over the hearing.