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Sen. Ensign To Headline Assembly Reception at The Genocide Museum

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  • Sen. Ensign To Headline Assembly Reception at The Genocide Museum

    Armenian Assembly of America
    1140 19th Street, NW, Suite 600
    Washington, DC 20036
    Phone: 202-393-3434
    Fax: 202-638-4904
    Email: [email protected]
    Web: www.aaainc.org

    PRESS RELEASE

    February 3, 2009
    Contact: Michael A Zachariades
    Email: [email protected]
    Phone: (202) 393-3434

    SENATOR ENSIGN TO HEADLINE ARMENIAN ASSEMBLY OF AMERICA RECEPTION AT
    ARMENIAN GENOCIDE MUSEUM BUILDING

    Washington, DC - The Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly) is pleased
    to announce that Senator John Ensign (R-NV), will be the Guest of Honor
    at its Monday night reception during the 2009 National Advocacy
    Conference in Washington, DC, March 1-3.

    "I applaud the important work of the Armenian Assembly and I look
    forward to working with my Senate colleagues to prevent future genocides
    and combat denial of the Armenian Genocide," said Ensign.

    Since his election to the U.S. Senate in 2000, Senator Ensign has
    consistently supported Armenian-American issues. In April 2006, Senator
    Ensign, along with Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), co-authored a letter
    urging President Bush to reaffirm the Armenian Genocide. The letter
    read, in part, "As a world leader, it is important that the United
    States reaffirm the incontestable facts of history witnessed and
    reported by U.S. Ambassador Henry Morgenthau... Denial of the Armenian
    Genocide diminishes the value we place on human life and the principles
    of liberty on which this country is founded." Then-Senators Barack Obama
    and Hillary Clinton both signed the letter as well. Ensign also
    introduced S.Res. 164, a resolution that marked the anniversary of U.S.
    implementation of the U.N. Genocide Convention.

    In March 2007, following the introduction of H.Res. 106, which was
    subsequently approved by the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Senators
    Durbin and Ensign introduced a companion measure, S.Res. 106, which
    called upon the President to "ensure that the foreign policy of the
    United States reflects appropriate understanding and sensitivity
    concerning issues related to human rights, ethnic cleansing and genocide
    documented in the United States record relating to the Armenian
    Genocide."

    Speaking about the Conference and the growing support for this event
    from Members of Congress, Conference Co-Chairs Rachel Kaprielian and
    Peter Kezirian said: "This Conference represents an important
    opportunity to ensure that we offer our members and activists a venue to
    meet with policy makers, as a new chapter in U.S.-Armenia relations is
    crafted."

    The reception will be held at the site of the Armenian Genocide Museum
    of America (AGMA), formerly the National Bank of Washington. The Museum
    building is strategically located two blocks from the White House.
    Dedicated to the memory of the victims and the survivors, AGMA will
    serve as a center for genocide education, prevention and affirmation.

    In March 2008, the Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB), which is
    charged with responsibility for the protection, enhancement and
    perpetuation of properties of historical, cultural and aesthetic merit
    in the District of Columbia, in a unanimous vote gave concept approval
    for the AGMA. HPRB commissioners are appointed by the mayor of the
    District of Columbia.

    The former National Bank of Washington has interior and exterior
    designations on the National Register of Historic Places. Only a dozen
    privately-owned structures in the capital city have such a high level of
    historic designation. The bank building is slated for complete
    restoration and renovation, as well as application as the exhibit space
    for AGMA.

    AGMA has contracted the firms of Martinez & Johnson Architecture, which
    specializes in the rehabilitation of historic buildings, Gallagher &
    Associates, as its exhibit design firm, and Regan Associates, as the
    project management firm. Martinez & Johnson Architecture and Gallagher &
    Associates have been working on the development of the museum project
    since mid-2007. Regan Associates joined the planning team in February of
    2008.

    The Armenian Genocide Museum of America is an outgrowth of the Armenian
    Assembly of America and the Armenian National Institute (ANI), catalyzed
    by the initial pledge of Anoush Mathevosian toward building such a
    museum in Washington, DC.

    Established in 1972, the Armenian Assembly of America is the largest
    Washington-based nationwide organization promoting public understanding
    and awareness of Armenian issues. The Assembly is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt
    membership organization.

    ###
    NR#2009-009
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