SACRAMENTO—More than 200 activists, from every corner of California, joined the Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region on Monday, April 15 for the Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide in the California State Legislature.
Participants observed the State Assembly and Senate commemorations which recognized various community groups including the ANCA-WR and were spiritually inspired by invocations from Archbishop Mousegh Mardirossian of the Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church and Archbishop Hovnan Derderian of the Western Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church respectively.
The day’s events were highlighted by passage of two Armenian Genocide Resolutions. Notably, Assembly Members Katcho Achadjian and Adrin Nazarian, two Assembly Members of Armenian descent, introduced and ushered passage of Assembly Joint Resolution 2 which strongly recognizes the Armenian Genocide, designates April 15 – 19, 2013 as a “Week of Remembrance for the Armenian Genocide of 1915-1923,” and calls on the Congress and President of the United States to formally and consistently recognize the Armenian Genocide’s historical truth.
Alongside the commemorative events, the ANCA-WR held its annual Advocacy Day in the State Capitol through which participating activists were able to educate state legislators about issues of concern to the Armenian-American community. Additional details to follow.