WASHINGTON, DC – Broad-based support for the Congressional Genocide Resolution continued to grow this week, with the addition of over forty religious, ethnic and human and civil rights groups to the coalition seeking passage of this measure, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

“We are encouraged by the growing support for the Genocide Resolution from such a wide range of religious, civil and human rights, ethnic, and educational organizations,” said Aram Hamparian, Executive Director of the ANCA. “These groups, and the many others that are joining this effort every day, all share a commitment to ensuring that the lessons of past genocides – the Holocaust, the Armenian Genocide, and the genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, and elsewhere – are used to prevent future crimes against humanity.”

Outreach efforts to bring together a diverse coalition in support of this legislation began last July, during the 107th Congress, when similar legislation (S.Res.307) was introduced in the Senate. Over the past twelve months, the ANCA has actively reached out to coalition partners, bringing together a wide array of supporters, and demonstrating the broad-based appeal of this effort to reaffirm the ideals of the Genocide Convention and prevent future genocides. The original coalition partners, which included such well-known organizations as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the Sons of Italy, and the International Campaign for Tibet have now been joined by the Union of Orthodox Rabbis, National Organization of Women (NOW) and a number of highly-regarded Jewish, Bulgarian, Laotian, Greek, Arab, Italian, Liberian, and Cambodian groups.

The Genocide Resolution was introduced in the House on April 10th by Representatives George Radanovich (R-CA), Adam Schiff (D-CA), and Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-chairs Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Joe Knollenberg (R-MI). With 110 cosponsors, the legislation (H.Res.193) was unanimously adopted by the Judiciary Committee on May 21st and currently awaits consideration by the full House. Senators John Ensign (R-NV) and Jon Corzine (D-NJ) introduced the Senate version of the resolution (S.Res.164) on June 10th. With the recent addition of Minnesota Republican Norm Coleman, the list of Senate cosponsors has reached thirty-one. For a complete list of House and Senate cosponsors, visit www.anca.org.

The Genocide Resolution marks the 15th anniversary of the U.S. implementation of the U.N. Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide. This landmark Convention, adopted by the United Nations in the 1948, specifically identifies genocide as a crime under international law. The legislation cites the Armenian Genocide as an example of past genocides, along with the Holocaust and the Rwandan and Cambodian genocides.

A current list of organizations that have already joined the organizations representing the leadership of the Armenian American community in voicing their support for the Genocide Resolution is provided below:

* American Friends of the Alliance Israelite Universelle –
New York, NY
* American Hellenic Institute – Washington, DC
* American Hellenic Media Project – New York, NY
* American Jewish League for Israel – New York, NY
* American Jewish World Service – New York, NY
* American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee – Washington, DC
* Arab American Institute – Washington, DC
* Brookdale College Center of Holocaust Studies – Lincroft, NJ
* Bulgarian Institute for Research and Analysis – Bethesda, MD
* Cambodian Association of America – Los Angeles, CA
* Campaign to End Genocide/World Federalist Association –
Washington, DC
* Center for Prevention of Genocide – Arlington, VA
* Christian Solidarity International – Westlake Village, CA
* Coalition of Progressive Liberians in the Americas –
Baltimore, MD
* Consultative Council of Jewish Organizations – New York, NY
* Council for Jewish Education – Monsey, NY
* Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund – Berkley, CA
* Federally Employed Women – Washington, DC
* Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs – New York, NY
* Friends of the New England Holocaust Memorial – Boston, MA
* Government Accountability Project – Washington, DC
* Hellenic American Council – Los Angeles, CA
* International Campaign for Tibet – Washington, DC
* Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Boston –
Boston, MA
* Jewish War Veterans of the USA – Washington, DC
* Lao Human Rights Council – Eau Clair, WI
* National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
(NAACP) – Baltimore, MD
* National Committee for Labor Israel – New York, NY
* National Council of American Indians – Washington, DC
* National Lawyers Guild – New York, NY
* National Organization of Women (NOW) – Washington, DC
* Near East Foundation – New York, NY
* Order, Sons of Italy in America – New York, NY
* Reconstructionist Rabbinical College – New York, NY
* The Center for Russian Jewry with Student Struggle for
Soviet Jewry – New York, NY
* The Center for the Study of Human Rights at Worcester State
College – Worcester, MA
* The Center for World Indigenous Studies – Olympia, WA
* The Stewardship Project – Indianapolis, IN
* Union of Orthodox Rabbis – New York, NY
* United Hellenic American Congress – Chicago, IL
* Women’s American ORT – New York, NY
* Workmen’s Circle/Arbeter Ring – New York, NY

Armenian American organizations supporting the Genocide Resolution include: the Apostolic Exarchate for Armenian Catholics (New York, NY), Armenia Fund USA (New York, NY), Armenian American Democratic Leadership Council (San Francisco, CA), Armenian Assembly of America (Washington, DC), Armenian Bar Association (Los Angeles, CA), Armenian Evangelical Union of North America (Paramus, NJ), Armenian Evangelical World Council (Paramus, NJ), Armenian General Benevolent Union (New York, NY), Armenian Missionary Association of America (Paramus, NJ), Armenian National Committee of America (Washington, DC), Armenian Relief Society (Watertown, MA; Glendale, CA), Armenian Youth Federation (Watertown, MA; Glendale, CA), Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church – East (New York, NY), Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church – West (Burbank, CA), Hamazkayin Armenian Cultural Organization (Watertown, MA; Glendale, CA), Homenetmen Armenian General Athletic Union (Watertown, MA; Glendale, CA), Knights of Vartan (New York, NY), National Organization of Republican Armenians (Washington, DC), Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church – East (New York, NY), Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church – West (Glendale, CA), Tekeyan Cultural Association (Watertown, MA), United Armenia Fund (Glendale, CA).