100th Anniversary of Armenian Genocide
Floor Speech
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Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, on April 24, the 100th anniversary of the Armenian genocide, runners and cyclists set out from Los Angeles on the Race for Recognition. I had the great pleasure of riding the first 28 miles of their journey with them. On May 7, they completed their 3,000-mile ride across the United States.
They undertook their ride to raise awareness of the Armenian genocide and genocides all around the world and to commemorate and remember the victims. It is my honor to read a portion of the petition that they carried with them across the Nation and to enter the entirety into the Congressional Record.
It provides:
On this 100th anniversary of the Armenian genocide, LA2DC organizing committee members wish to recognize and honor the contributions of the following people and organization:
The American people, for setting the standard in the world for philanthropy, social activism, human rights and prevention of crimes against humanity--in their first nationwide relief campaign from 1915 to 1930, Americans donated the equivalent of $2.7 billion to help save over 1 million Christian Armenians, Greeks, Assyrians, and other minorities during the first mass atrocity of the 20th century, when these minorities were targeted for extermination and deportation by the Ottoman Empire;
Ambassador Henry Morgenthau, who, as the United States Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, alerted the United States Government and the rest of the world to the ``destruction of the Armenian race'';
The Near East Foundation, for providing relief to 1 million refugees and 132,000 orphan survivors of the atrocities perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire;
The American Red Cross, for providing relief to survivors of genocides and mass atrocities for the past 100 years, starting with its first international assistance program in 1915 that provided relief to survivors of the Armenian genocide;
The Museum of Tolerance, for educating and enlightening more than 250,000 visitors per year since 1993 and challenging them to understand the Holocaust and genocides in both historic and contemporary contexts;
Raphael Lemkin, for inventing the term ``genocide'' to describe atrocities that target groups for annihilation, and for working tirelessly to gain approval of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide by the United Nations in 1948;
USC's Shoah Foundation and its founder, Mr. Steven Spielberg, for collecting nearly 52,000 eyewitness testimonies of the Holocaust, the Armenian genocide, and other genocide survivors;
Facing History and Ourselves, for educating over 10,000 teachers and, through them, hundreds of thousands of students on the history of prejudice and racism and the role they play in the events that lead to genocide;
The International Committee of the Red Cross and the United Nations's Children's Fund, for starting a vast relief operation in 1979 for the people of Cambodia, threatened by famine and disease in the aftermath of the Cambodian genocide, which claimed millions of lives;
United States Army Europe and United States Air Force Europe, for delivering humanitarian aid in 1995 and 1996 to the survivors of the Bosnian genocide, during which an estimate 100,000 Bosniaks were systematically targeted and killed;
Senator William Proxmire, for delivering a speech every day the U.S. Senate was in session in support of the ratification of Convention for the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. After 20 years and 3,211 speeches, the United States Senate ratified the convention on February 11, 1986;
President Ronald Reagan, for signing the Genocide Convention Implementation Act of 1987 into law;
The International Rescue Committee, for providing relief to Rwandan genocide survivors, when an estimated 800,000 mostly Tutsi minorities were massacred;
Not On Our Watch and George Clooney, for using his public profile to raise awareness of the genocide in Darfur, where 300,000 civilians were targeted and murdered and 2 million displaced;
U.N. Ambassador Samantha Power, for her groundbreaking book published in 2003, ``A Problem from Hell,'' which recounts the history of genocide and offers a framework for policymakers that can help detect and prevent genocides;
The Armenian National Committee of America, for advocating for the recognition of the Armenian genocide and raising awareness of genocides as crimes against humanity.
Mr. Speaker, these riders carried this important message of truth and gratitude with them across our great Nation. It is an honor to do my small part to make sure they are heard.
Mr. Speaker, on April 24th, the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, runners and cyclists set out from Los Angeles on a ``Race for Recognition.'' I had the great pleasure of riding the first 28 miles of their journey with them. And on May 7th, they completed their 3,000 mile ride across the United States. They undertook their ride to raise awareness of the Armenian Genocide, and Genocides around the world, and to commemorate and remember the victims. It is my honor to read a portion of the petition that they carried with them across the nation, and to enter the entirety into the Congressional Record.
On this 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, LA2DC organizing committee members wish to recognize and honor the contributions of the following people and organizations:
In the past 100 years, over 100 millions lives have been lost in genocides and mass atrocities;
During the same period, heroic American citizens, politicians, diplomats, faith based organizations, and non-government organizations have made it a part of their mission to raise awareness of genocides, help prevent genocides, and provide relief to survivors of genocides;
Some of these citizens, relief organizations, diplomats, and politicians put their lives and treasure at risk by working in conflict zones to alert the world of impending genocides and genocides in progress, rescue genocide survivors, and provide relief.
On this 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, and through this petition, LA2DC organizing committee members wish to recognize and honor the contributions of the following people and organizations for their work in raising awareness of genocides, providing relief to genocide survivors, and working to prevent genocides;
The American People--for setting the standard in the world for philanthropy, social activism, human rights, justice, and prevention of crimes against humanity. In their first act of large scale, nationwide, organization and execution of a relief campaign, from 1915 to 1930, Americans donated more than $117 million--the equivalent of $2.7 billion in 2015 dollars--to relief organizations that saved over 1 million Christian Armenians, Greeks, Assyrians, and other minorities during the first mass atrocity of the 20th century, when these minorities were targeted for extermination and deportation by the Ottoman Empire. Over the past 100 years, Americans continue to be in the front lines of helping to prevent genocides, and providing relief and hope to survivors of atrocities.
Ambassador Henry Morgenthau--who as United States Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, alerted the United States government of ``Destruction of the Armenian Race......'' and called on Americans to get organized to help the survivors.
The Near East Foundation (formerly known as Near East Relief or NER)--for providing relief to 1 million refugees and 132,000 orphan survivors of the atrocities perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire from 1915-1923. During this period, NER raised the equivalent of $2.7 billion in 2015 dollars, and mobilized over 1,000 volunteers to help build 400 orphanages, food and clothing distribution centers, clinics and hospitals, and vocational training schools for the survivors.
The American Red Cross--for providing relief to survivors of genocides and mass atrocities for the past 100 years, starting with its first international assistance program in 1915 that provided relief to the survivors of the Armenian Genocide.
The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum--for leading national and international efforts to promote human dignity, confront hatred, and prevent the next genocide.
The Museum of Tolerance--for educating and enlightening more than 250,000 visitors per year since 1993, and challenging them to understand the Holocaust and genocides in both historic and contemporary contexts and confront all forms of prejudice and discrimination in our world today.
Raphael Lemkin--for inventing the term ``genocide'' to describe the atrocities that target groups for annihilation, and for working tirelessly to gain approval of Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide by United Nations in 1948.
University of Southern California's Shoah Foundation and its founder, Mr. Steven Spielberg--for painstakingly collecting nearly 52,000 eyewitness testimonies of the Holocaust, the Armenian Genocide, and other genocide survivors, and using their first hand accounts to teach the world about the horrors of genocides and the importance of preventing them.
Facing History and Ourselves--for educating over ten thousand teachers in the United States and worldwide, and through them, hundreds of thousands of students, on the history of prejudice and racism, and the role they play in the events that lead to genocide. Since 1976, Facing History has been engaged in genocide prevention work by promoting global citizenship and heightened awareness of genocides.
The International Committee of The Red Cross and United Nations Children's Fund for starting a vast relief operation in 1979 for the people of Cambodia threatened by famine and disease in the aftermath of the Cambodian Genocide, which claimed millions of lives.
United State Army Europe and United States Air Force Europe--for delivering humanitarian aid in 1995 and 1996 to the survivors of the Bosnian Genocide, during which an estimated 100,000 Bosniaks were systematically targeted and killed.
Senator William Proxmire--for following through his commitment to deliver a speech every day the United States Senate was in session in support of the ratification of United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. After 20 years and 3,211 speeches, the United States Senate ratified the convention on February 11, 1986.
President Ronald Reagan--for signing the Genocide Implementation Act of 1987 into law, making genocide a Federal offense, and declaring, ``This legislation still represents a strong and clear statement by the United States that it will punish acts of genocide with the force of law and the righteousness of justice.''
The International Rescue Committee--for providing emergency supplies and restoring infrastructure following the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, where an estimated 800,000 mostly Tutsi minorities were massacred.
Not On Our Watch, and Messrs. George Clooney, Don Cheadle, Matt Damon, Brad Pitt, David Pressman, and Jerry Weintraub for using their public profiles to bring attention to atrocities around the world, and raising awareness of the genocide in Darfur, where 300,000 civilians were targeted and murdered, and 2 million displaced.
United States Institute of Peace Genocide Prevention Task Force, and Co-Chairs Honorable Madeleine K. Albright and Honorable William S. Cohen--for developing a genocide prevention blueprint entitled, ``Preventing Genocide: A Blueprint for U.S. Policymakers'', which affirmed that genocides are preventable, and issued 34 specific actionable recommendations that United States can implement to help detect and prevent genocides.
Ambassador Samantha Power, the United States Ambassador to the United Nations--for her groundbreaking research documented in her book published in 2003, ``A Problem from Hell'', which recounts the history of genocide and offers a framework for policy makers that can help detect and prevent genocides.
Congressman Adam Schiff--for being the leading voice in the United States Congress advocating for recognition of past genocides as an important step towards detecting and preventing future genocides and atrocities.
The Armenian National Committee of America--for advocating for the recognition of the Armenian Genocides and raising awareness of genocides as crimes against humanity.
Countless other Americans and organizations who have made it their mission to help prevent the next genocide and promote peaceful resolution of conflicts.
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