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  • Local Appointed To Genocide Comission

    LOCAL APPOINTED TO GENOCIDE COMISSION
    By Joe Piasecki

    Valley Sun
    http://www.lacanadaonline.com/news/tn-vsl-0421-mehranian,0,3322743.story
    April 20 2011
    CA

    Commission is aimed at increasing recognition of, and fighting against,
    atrocities.

    Longtime La Caņada Flintridge resident and former city Planning
    Commissioner Maria Mehranian will be sworn in Saturday as a member
    of the California International Genocide Commission, established by
    state leaders to increase global recognition of atrocities committed
    worldwide.

    In part, the commission represents ongoing calls in California for
    federal recognition of the Armenian Genocide, which from 1915 to
    1923 claimed the lives of 1.5 million Armenians and which will be
    commemorated this weekend.

    But Mehranian believes the true strength of the commission is in
    building a large tent. In the coming weeks, Gov. Jerry Brown and
    other state officials are expected to make appointments to the
    nine-member body from among many ethnicities that have been victims
    of mass slaughter.

    "There are going to be members Jewish, Rwandan, Cambodian, Sudanese
    and others. It's much more powerful when members of many groups discuss
    the subject of genocide, because you can draw on the similarities. No
    matter how different it can look at first, at the end of the day it's
    the same thing happening in the same way," said Mehranian, who is
    a managing partner of the L.A.-based civil engineering firm Cordoba
    Corp. and also serves on the Los Angeles Water Quality Control Board.

    Both Mehranian and Assemblyman Mike Gatto (D - Glendale), who earlier
    this year wrote a law extending time limits for descendants of genocide
    victims to file civil claims, were appointed to the commission
    by Assembly Speaker John Perez, said Gatto field representative
    Christine Aghakhani.

    Gatto led the Assembly's annual commemoration of the genocide last week
    under a measure that was co-authored by Assemblyman Anthony Portantino
    (D - La Caņada Flintridge).

    Also last week, Congressman Adam Schiff (D- Burbank) wrote a letter to
    President Obama urging him to use the word "genocide" when referring
    to atrocities committed against Armenians that started during World
    War I, which Obama did during his campaign but has not done since.

    The Turkish government, a U.S. ally in the Middle East, has for years
    successfully lobbied Congress to block genocide recognition.

    Mehranian and Gatto will be sworn in during the Unified Young
    Armenians Candlelight Vigil genocide memorial ceremony, starting at
    7:45 p.m. Saturday at St. Gregory Armenian Catholic Church, 1510 E.
    Mountain Ave., Glendale.

    Under legislation passed in 2006, the California International Genocide
    Commission's primary task will be to plan, fundraise for and build
    a memorial at the state capitol honoring victims of genocide.

    Mehranian hopes to do more.

    "It's more about creating a dialogue to put these issues on the map,
    not only as something to memorialize, but also something we have to
    have and active fight against," she said.

    Reporter Bill Kisliuk contributed to this story.




    From: A. Papazian
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