New Mexico Armenian Genocide Recognition

NEW MEXICO

April 24th 2006

WHEREAS, the Armenian Genocide led to the death of 1.5 million Armenians as a result of a campaign of ethnic cleansing waged  by the Ottoman Empire from 1912 to 1923; and

WHEREAS, 500,000 Armenian citizens were deported from their country, forced to leave their homes and worldly possessions behind in a bid to survive; and

WHEREAS, the Armenian Genocide has been recognized by a number of deliberative international bodies, such as the European Parliament, the Council of Europe, a United Nations Sub-Commission, the International Association of Genocide Scholars, the Permanent People’s Tribunal, and the International Center for  Transitional Justice; and

WHEREAS, the Armenian Genocide was cited during the Nuremberg trials as the basis for  the emergence of the Nuremberg law on Crimes against Humanity; and

WHEREAS, the survivors of the Armenian Genocide and their descendants strive to educate the world about the terrible consequences of bigotry and racism so that other ethnic groups will not suffer as they did;

NOW, THEREFORE L Bill Richardson, Governor of the State of New Mexico, do hereby  proclaim April 24^th,  2006 as:

“Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day”

throughout the State of New Mexico and urge New Mexicans to honor the memory of those victims and to teach future generations of the horrors of genocide so that it may be prevented.

Attest:
Done at the Executive Office this 24th day of April, 2006.

Rebecca Vigil-Giron Secretary  of State

Witness my hand and the Great Seal of the Great State of New Mexico

Bill Richardson Governor

SENATE JOINT MEMORIAL 34, 45TH LEGISLATURE

STATE OF NEW MEXICO

2001

INTRODUCED BY

Cisco McSorley

A JOINT MEMORIAL

DESIGNATING APRIL 24, 2001 AS ARMENIAN GENOCIDE REMEMBRANCE

WHEREAS, beginning in 1915, the Ottoman empire killed one and one-half million Armenians and forcibly deported five hundred thousand Armenians during an eight-year reign of terror; and

WHEREAS, Armenians were deprived of their homes, their dignity and ultimately their lives; and

WHEREAS, the United States has not made an official statement regarding the Armenian genocide; and

WHEREAS, the Armenian genocide has been acknowledged by countries and international bodies such as Argentina, Belgium, Canada, the council of Europe, Cyprus, the European parliament, France, Great Britain, Greece, Lebanon, Russia, the United Nations and Uruguay; and

WHEREAS, it is critically important for our nation to acknowledge what happened and to teach present and future generations of the history of genocide in order to prevent future genocides;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that April 24, 2001 be designated “Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day” in honor of the millions of innocent Armenians brutally murdered, in order to teach the horrors of genocide so that it may be eliminated from the human condition; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the New Mexico congressional delegation, the United Nations and the Armenian Assembly of New Mexico

A JOINT MEMORIAL REQUESTING THE CREATION OF A TASK FORCE TO STUDY THE NEED FOR AND FUNDING OF A NEW LOCATION FOR THE NEW MEXICO HOLOCAUST AND INTOLERANCE MUSEUM AND STUDY CENTER.

New Mexico

WHEREAS, the New Mexico holocaust and intolerance museum and study center provides a service to all New Mexicans by increasing their knowledge of the holocaust and their awareness of the suffering that is caused by hate and intolerance; and

WHEREAS, the museum is dedicated to combating hate and intolerance through education; and

WHEREAS, the museum ensures the preservation of the memory of all who suffered in the holocaust during World War II and in other incidents of hate and intolerance; and

WHEREAS, the museum has exhibits that provide information about and depictions of the cultural genocide against Native Americans, the Armenian genocide, the Greek genocide, Danish and Bulgarian assistance to Jews during the holocaust, the Nuremberg trial and the Bataan death march; and

WHEREAS, the museum also provides information concerning the five million non-Jews who perished at the hands of the Nazis, as a result of incarceration in the Russian Gulag system or as a result of the Japanese incarceration in the United States during World War II; and

WHEREAS, extensive resources are available at the museum to advance the prevention of hate and intolerance, including videos, symposiums and  speakers, including Holocaust survivors, and an educational outreach program, which includes a component for training school administrators; and

WHEREAS, the museum serves the entire nation because of its extensive array of exhibits and educational resources that include all areas of intolerance and hate; and

WHEREAS, the museum board and President Werner Gellert have determined that more space is needed to continue the invaluable education provided by the museum and to expand its services, including a proposed children’s museum; and WHEREAS, the museum needs approximately one million five hundred thousand dollars ($1,500,000) for a new location and cannot immediately raise the money on its own; and

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that a task force be created to assess the need for a new location for the New Mexico holocaust and intolerance museum and study center; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force include representatives from the legislature, the governor, the office of cultural affairs, the mayor of the city of Albuquerque, the city council of Albuquerque, the Bernalillo county commission, the university of New Mexico, the Albuquerque public school system, the Albuquerque chamber of commerce and the Hispano chamber of commerce; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force be requested to study possible funding sources for the move, including any governmental agencies that can provide assistance, such as the city of Albuquerque, the state of New Mexico and the federal government, and to determine if there is a need for incorporation of the museum; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to New Mexico legislative council, the governor, the office of cultural affairs, the mayor  of the city of Albuquerque, the city council of Albuquerque, the Bernalillo county  commission, the university of New Mexico, the Albuquerque public school system, the Albuquerque chamber of commerce and the Hispano chamber of commerce.

A MEMORIAL
RECOGNIZING THE HOLOCAUST AND INTOLERANCE MUSEUM OF NEW
MEXICO AND ITS MISSION TO COMBAT HATE AND INTOLERANCE BY THE
PROMOTION OF UNDERSTANDING THROUGH EDUCATION.

WHEREAS, the holocaust and intolerance museum of New
Mexico includes exhibits of the African American experience,
Armenian genocide in the Ottoman empire and hate in America;
and
WHEREAS, the holocaust and intolerance museum of New
Mexico was the first United States museum to have an exhibit
on “Rwanda, the tolerated genocide”;