Boise, Idaho – Armenian Americans in Boise, Idaho will hold an ANCA
Town Hall meeting on Saturday, March 2, 2013. The town hall meeting
will cover a variety of topics, including the Armenian National
Committee of America’s Return of Churches initiative, which calls on
the Republic of Turkey to return stolen Christian church properties
and allow full freedom of faith for all religious minorities.

“We here in Idaho welcome the opportunity to host this ANCA Town Hall
meeting,” remarked John Kazian, resident of Kuna, Idaho.  “We respect
the work of the ANCA and look forward to learning how Armenian
Americans in Idaho can be part of the Return of Churches initiative,
which rightfully seeks to return to our people the churches that were
stolen from us during the Armenian Genocide,” Kazian added.

The ANCA Town Hall meeting will feature remarks by William Bairamian,
Executive Director of the Armenian National Committee of America –
Western Region.  The gathering will be held at Saints Constantine and
Helen Greek Orthodox Church in Boise, Idaho at 7:00pm on Saturday,
March 2, 2013.

“This ANCA Town Hall meeting will provide us with a chance to exchange
ideas, in an open dialogue, with Armenian Americans in Idaho,”
commented William Bairamian. “The Armenians of Idaho are rightly proud
to live in what is known as the Gem State. I know they are dedicated
to advancing issues they care about – like the Armenian Cause – with
their local Members of Congress. For this reason, I am proud to be
headed to Boise, Idaho to share time with John Kazian and other
Armenian Americans who reside in and around Boise, Idaho.

Idaho became the 33rd U.S. state to recognize the Armenian Genocide in
2004, when former Republican Governor Dirk Kempthorne, then Chairman
of the National Governors Association, issued a proclamation citing
April 24th “Idaho Day of Remembrance of the Armenian Genocide of
1915-1923. The proclamation began by noting that “one and
one-half-million Christian Armenian men, women, and children were the
victims of a brutal genocide perpetrated by the Ottoman Turkish
Government.

The gubernatorial proclamation in 2004 closely followed a resolution
unanimously adopted by the Senate of the Associated Students of Boise
State University (ASBSU) recognizing the Armenian Genocide and
condemning efforts to rewrite history. Senate Resolution 13 noted that
the genocide “has resulted in the elimination of the Armenian people
from their historic homeland of over 3,000 years through the criminal
loss of property and life.” The resolution “commemorates the Armenian
Genocide and condemns those attempts made by governments as well as
other entities, both public and private, to distort the historical
reality and legal relevance of the Armenian Genocide to the
descendants of its survivors and humanity as a whole.”

Most recently, an agricultural group in the Republic of Turkey has
apparently applied to the Turkish Patent Institute to trademark the
word “IDAHO” for its agricultural, plant and animal products. In
response, the Idaho Senate has, according to news accounts,
fast-tracked a resolution against the move proposed by the Potato
Commission and passed it unanimously. As reported last week in an
Idaho newspaper, “If that office (in Turkey) grants them that
authority to use IDAHO as their trademark, they can both sell and
market products both in Turkey and internationally using the Idaho
name,” said Sen. Steve Bair, R-Blackfoot, Senate Agriculture Committee
chairman. “I guess we take exception to that. This is not intended to
poke our finger into Turkey’s eye, but they need to understand that we
treasure the Idaho name.”

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.

For more information about the upcoming ANCA Town Hall meeting in
Boise, Idaho individuals are encouraged to contact John Kazian by
emailing stunt2002@msn.com or by calling (208) 922-5235.