Senator Ed Markey to Receive 2017 ANCA-ER Freedom Award – Eastern Region

November 13, 2017

WATERTOWN, MA – The Armenian National Committee of America Eastern Region (ANCA-ER) will be honoring United States Senator Hon. Edward J. Markey (D-MA) with its highest honor, the prestigious Freedom Award, at the December 2^nd Gala dedicated to the 30th anniversary of Artsakh Liberation Movement.

“We are happy to be able to recognize Senator Markey’s longstanding, staunch support for Armenian-American policy priorities with the ANCA Eastern Region’s Freedom Award,” said ANCA Eastern Region Chairperson Steve Mesrobian. “We look forward to celebrating 2017 as a great year for civic advocacy as well as honoring the individuals who have stood by our side for many years.”

Each year, the ANCA Eastern Region presents its prestigious Freedom Award to an individual who has made extraordinary contributions towards issues that concern Armenian-Americans. Previous ANCA-ER Freedom Award recipients include: U.S. Ambassador to Armenia John M. Evans; Pulitzer Prize winner author and former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Samantha Power; U.S. Senator Robert Menendez; the late U.S. Senator Edward Kennedy; U.S. Senators Robert Dole and Elizabeth Dole; Baroness Caroline Cox; renowned lawyer Robert Morgenthau and the Morgenthau family; Former House Majority Whip David Bonior; lawyer, writer, and human rights activist Fethiye Çetin; President of Artsakh Republic Bako Sahakyan; U.S. Senator Mark Kirk; and U.S. Senator Christopher Van Hollen, Jr.

The December 2nd gala, sponsored by the ANCA Eastern Region Endowment Fund, will take place at the prominent International Place located in the heart of Boston (Two International Place, Boston, MA 02110). The event will kick off with an elegant cocktail reception (open bar for beer and wine) and silent auction at 6:00 pm, followed by buffet dinner and awards ceremony at 7:00 pm.

Out of town guests may lodge at the Newton Crown Plaza Hotel (320 Washington St, Newton, MA 02458) – about 15 minutes from Boston. 10 rooms are available for $119/night and include breakfast for 1, and 5 rooms are available at $129/night and include breakfast for 2. To reserve, please call (617) 969-3010 and mention “ANCA Gala”. The deadline for the reduced rate is November 15, 2017.

A discounted $12 garage parking rate will be available at Two International Place, Boston, MA 02110.

Additional information, sponsorship options, and tickets are available at https://ancaef.org/gala/.

During the 115th Congress – among other initiatives — Sen. Markey introduced Sen.Res.180, condemning the violence against the peaceful protesters outside the Turkish ambassador’s residence on May 16, 2017. The resolution, among other things, calls on to the United States “to take steps to strengthen freedoms for the press and civil society in countries such as Turkey, and combat efforts by foreign leaders to suppress free and peaceful protest in their own countries.”

In April of this year, Sen. Markey joined Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX), Tom Udall (D-NM), and Robert Menendez (D-NJ) as a co-sponsor of the bipartisan S.Res.136, which calls for Turkish recognition of Armenian Genocide. The resolution calls on the President to “work toward an equitable, constructive, stable, and durable Armenian-Turkish relationship that includes the full acknowledgment by the Government of the Republic of Turkey of the facts about the Armenian Genocide.” It goes on to urge that “the foreign policy of the United States reflects appropriate understanding and sensitivity concerning issues related to human rights, crimes against humanity, ethnic cleansing, and genocide documented in the United States record relating to the Armenian Genocide.”

On April 24, 2017 Senator Markey tweeted, “I am proud to stand with the Armenian community in MA and around the globe to affirm the Armenian Genocide.”

Earlier in April, Senator Markey participated in solemn observance of the annual Capitol Hill Armenian Genocide commemoration, joining other Members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives in a standing-room-only Capitol Hill remembrance of the Armenian Genocide that featured strong bipartisan calls on the President and Congress to reject the gag-rule that Ankara has long enforced against honest American commemoration of this still-unpunished crime against humanity.

On September 21, 2016, on the occasion of Armenia’s 25th anniversary of independence, Senator Markey submitted a statement for the Congressional Record. In particular, Senator stated that “…On this day each year, we come together to celebrate the strength and indomitable spirit of the Armenian people. For the last 25 years, Armenia has been a key friend and trusted ally of the United States.  It is an alliance between our two nations that will only continue to deepen in the years ahead. Armenia has come a long way to free itself from terror and tyranny – from the Soviet Union and from the horrors of genocide.  This journey continues today, with our shared responsibility to ensure that the Armenian people are able to build their own independent and prosperous future.  It is our duty to continue to stand with Armenia and with all Armenian people around the globe as they continue this fight…”

For both the 2014 and 2016 ANCA Congressional Scorecards, Senator Markey has received an “A+” grading.

The ANCA Eastern Region Endowment Fund is a 501(c)(3) charitable and educational organization that supports the Armenian National Committee of America Eastern Region in outreach to Armenian American communities.