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Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region
104 North Belmont Street, Suite 200
Glendale, California 91206
Phone: 818.500.1918
[email protected]
www.ancawr.org
PRESS RELEASE January 29, 2014
Contact: Haig Baghdassarian
E-Mail: [email protected]
Phone: (415) 596-6163
ARMENIAN GENOCIDE CURRICULUM BILL PASSED UNANIMOUSLY BY CALIFORNIA STATE
ASSEMBLY
SACRAMENTO, CA -- Despite heavy opposition by pro-Turkey lobbying groups,
the California State Assembly voted unanimously, today, to pass
Assemblymember Adrin Nazarian's bill, AB 659, encouraging schools to use
oral histories when teaching about the Armenian Genocide. AB 659 will now
move on to State Senate for consideration.
"The unanimous passage of AB 659 sends a strong message that California
officials cannot be bought or bullied into denying truth and justice. The
ANCA WR commends Assemblymembers Nazarian and Achadjian for spearheading
through this important genocide education legislation and looks forward to
working with them in garnering similar support in the State Senate," stated
Elen Asatryan, Executive Director of the ANCA-WR.
"AB 659 has enjoyed overwhelming support from my colleagues in the
Assembly," commented Assemblymember Nazarian, following the vote. "I look
forward to continuing to work with the ANCA-WR to garner support from our
counterparts in the Senate. The personal testimonies of Genocide survivors
will give educators a powerful tool to engage students in the subject
matter in ways they have never been taught before. If we expect to stop the
genocides of the future, it is important that we strengthen the teaching
mechanisms on past genocides," he continued.
Joining Nazarian as co-authors AB 659 were State Senator Mark Wyland (R)
and Assemblymembers Katcho Achadjian (R), Steve Fox (D), Mike Gatto (D),
Scott Wilk (R), and Cheryl Brown (D). Other members of the State Assembly
who spoke in support of the measure during the floor session today were
Assemblymembers Tim Donnelly (R) and Diane Harkey (R).
Assemblymember Achadjian, principal co-author on AB 659, worked closely
with his Republican colleagues to secure broad bipartisan support for the
measure, noted, "I am proud to be a principal co-author of AB 659. Part of
ensuring a better world for our children includes educating them about the
past. We must take the initiative to recognize such tragic acts of
violence in order to prevent such events from happening again. It
encourages teachers to educate our students on the Armenian Genocide."
Earlier this month, AB 659 was unanimously adopted by the State Assembly
Education and Appropriations Committees. Education Committee Chairwoman
Joan Buchanan explained, "It is important for California students to
understand and learn from the lessons of history, including the atrocities
of genocide around the world. I am proud to support AB 659, which
encourages schools to include the Armenian genocide in our history courses."
In the weeks leading up to State Assembly consideration of the measure, the
ANCA Western Region worked closely with legislators to ensure they learned
of the Armenian American community's enthusiastic support for the measure.
"Grassroots efforts are critical for the success of such legislation,
particularly in light of the increasingly aggressive lobbying campaigns
which are being mounted by Turkey and Azerbaijan. In these times, it is
especially important to activate our grassroots, because while we may be
outspent by our adversaries, active participation by our community makes a
difference," added Asatryan.
Once adopted by the State Senate and signed into law by the Governor, AB
659 would encourage the incorporation of oral testimony and teacher
training, such that the Genocide may be more comprehensively taught in
California's public schools.
The Genocide Education Project (GenEd), a non-profit organization based in
San Francisco which has developed model resources for high school teachers
regarding the Armenian Genocides, hailed the measure. "With the proper
materials and training, teachers can incorporate the Armenian Genocide into
their social studies curriculum in a meaningful way," said Roxanne
Makasdjian of The Genocide Education Project. "This resolution reminds
education administrators across the state of California's commitment to the
inclusion of the Armenian Genocide as an essential part of its courses on
world history, genocide, and human rights."
The Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region is the largest
and most influential Armenian American grassroots advocacy organization in
the Western United States. Working in coordination with a network of
offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the Western United States and
affiliated organizations around the country, the ANCA-WR advances the
concerns of the Armenian American community on a broad range of issues.
####
104 North Belmont Street, Suite 200
Glendale, California 91206
Phone: 818.500.1918
[email protected]
www.ancawr.org
PRESS RELEASE January 29, 2014
Contact: Haig Baghdassarian
E-Mail: [email protected]
Phone: (415) 596-6163
ARMENIAN GENOCIDE CURRICULUM BILL PASSED UNANIMOUSLY BY CALIFORNIA STATE
ASSEMBLY
SACRAMENTO, CA -- Despite heavy opposition by pro-Turkey lobbying groups,
the California State Assembly voted unanimously, today, to pass
Assemblymember Adrin Nazarian's bill, AB 659, encouraging schools to use
oral histories when teaching about the Armenian Genocide. AB 659 will now
move on to State Senate for consideration.
"The unanimous passage of AB 659 sends a strong message that California
officials cannot be bought or bullied into denying truth and justice. The
ANCA WR commends Assemblymembers Nazarian and Achadjian for spearheading
through this important genocide education legislation and looks forward to
working with them in garnering similar support in the State Senate," stated
Elen Asatryan, Executive Director of the ANCA-WR.
"AB 659 has enjoyed overwhelming support from my colleagues in the
Assembly," commented Assemblymember Nazarian, following the vote. "I look
forward to continuing to work with the ANCA-WR to garner support from our
counterparts in the Senate. The personal testimonies of Genocide survivors
will give educators a powerful tool to engage students in the subject
matter in ways they have never been taught before. If we expect to stop the
genocides of the future, it is important that we strengthen the teaching
mechanisms on past genocides," he continued.
Joining Nazarian as co-authors AB 659 were State Senator Mark Wyland (R)
and Assemblymembers Katcho Achadjian (R), Steve Fox (D), Mike Gatto (D),
Scott Wilk (R), and Cheryl Brown (D). Other members of the State Assembly
who spoke in support of the measure during the floor session today were
Assemblymembers Tim Donnelly (R) and Diane Harkey (R).
Assemblymember Achadjian, principal co-author on AB 659, worked closely
with his Republican colleagues to secure broad bipartisan support for the
measure, noted, "I am proud to be a principal co-author of AB 659. Part of
ensuring a better world for our children includes educating them about the
past. We must take the initiative to recognize such tragic acts of
violence in order to prevent such events from happening again. It
encourages teachers to educate our students on the Armenian Genocide."
Earlier this month, AB 659 was unanimously adopted by the State Assembly
Education and Appropriations Committees. Education Committee Chairwoman
Joan Buchanan explained, "It is important for California students to
understand and learn from the lessons of history, including the atrocities
of genocide around the world. I am proud to support AB 659, which
encourages schools to include the Armenian genocide in our history courses."
In the weeks leading up to State Assembly consideration of the measure, the
ANCA Western Region worked closely with legislators to ensure they learned
of the Armenian American community's enthusiastic support for the measure.
"Grassroots efforts are critical for the success of such legislation,
particularly in light of the increasingly aggressive lobbying campaigns
which are being mounted by Turkey and Azerbaijan. In these times, it is
especially important to activate our grassroots, because while we may be
outspent by our adversaries, active participation by our community makes a
difference," added Asatryan.
Once adopted by the State Senate and signed into law by the Governor, AB
659 would encourage the incorporation of oral testimony and teacher
training, such that the Genocide may be more comprehensively taught in
California's public schools.
The Genocide Education Project (GenEd), a non-profit organization based in
San Francisco which has developed model resources for high school teachers
regarding the Armenian Genocides, hailed the measure. "With the proper
materials and training, teachers can incorporate the Armenian Genocide into
their social studies curriculum in a meaningful way," said Roxanne
Makasdjian of The Genocide Education Project. "This resolution reminds
education administrators across the state of California's commitment to the
inclusion of the Armenian Genocide as an essential part of its courses on
world history, genocide, and human rights."
The Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region is the largest
and most influential Armenian American grassroots advocacy organization in
the Western United States. Working in coordination with a network of
offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the Western United States and
affiliated organizations around the country, the ANCA-WR advances the
concerns of the Armenian American community on a broad range of issues.
####