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ANCA To Host Town Hall In Idaho

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  • ANCA To Host Town Hall In Idaho

    ANCA To Host Town Hall In Idaho

    http://asbarez.com/108267/anca-to-host-town-hall-in-idaho/
    Thursday, February 14th, 2013

    Armenian Americans in Boise, Idaho will hold an ANCA Town Hall meeting

    BOISE, Idaho-Armenian Americans in Boise, Idaho will hold an ANCA Town
    Hall meeting on Saturday, March 2. The town hall meeting will cover a
    variety of topics, including the Armenian National Committee of
    America's Return of Churches initiative, which calls on the Republic
    of Turkey to return stolen Christian church properties and allow full
    freedom of faith for all religious minorities.

    `We here in Idaho welcome the opportunity to host this ANCA Town Hall
    meeting,' remarked John Kazian, resident of Kuna, Idaho. `We respect
    the work of the ANCA and look forward to learning how Armenian
    Americans in Idaho can be part of the Return of Churches initiative,
    which rightfully seeks to return to our people the churches that were
    stolen from us during the Armenian Genocide,' Kazian added.

    The ANCA Town Hall meeting will feature remarks by William Bairamian,
    Executive Director of the Armenian National Committee of America -
    Western Region. The gathering will be held at Saints Constantine and
    Helen Greek Orthodox Church in Boise, Idaho at 7 p.m. on Saturday,
    March 2.

    `This ANCA Town Hall meeting will provide us with a chance to exchange
    ideas, in an open dialogue, with Armenian Americans in Idaho,'
    commented William Bairamian. `The Armenians of Idaho are rightly proud
    to live in what is known as the Gem State. I know they are dedicated
    to advancing issues they care about - like the Armenian Cause - with
    their local Members of Congress. For this reason, I am proud to be
    headed to Boise, Idaho to share time with John Kazian and other
    Armenian Americans who reside in and around Boise, Idaho.

    Idaho became the 33rd U.S. state to recognize the Armenian Genocide in
    2004, when former Republican Governor Dirk Kempthorne, then Chairman
    of the National Governors Association, issued a proclamation citing
    April 24th `Idaho Day of Remembrance of the Armenian Genocide of
    1915-1923. The proclamation began by noting that `one and
    one-half-million Christian Armenian men, women, and children were the
    victims of a brutal genocide perpetrated by the Ottoman Turkish
    Government.

    The gubernatorial proclamation in 2004 closely followed a resolution
    unanimously adopted by the Senate of the Associated Students of Boise
    State University (ASBSU) recognizing the Armenian Genocide and
    condemning efforts to rewrite history. Senate Resolution 13 noted that
    the genocide `has resulted in the elimination of the Armenian people
    >From their historic homeland of over 3,000 years through the criminal
    loss of property and life.' The resolution `commemorates the Armenian
    Genocide and condemns those attempts made by governments as well as
    other entities, both public and private, to distort the historical
    reality and legal relevance of the Armenian Genocide to the
    descendants of its survivors and humanity as a whole.'

    Most recently, an agricultural group in the Republic of Turkey has
    apparently applied to the Turkish Patent Institute to trademark the
    word `IDAHO' for its agricultural, plant and animal products. In
    response, the Idaho Senate has, according to news accounts,
    fast-tracked a resolution against the move proposed by the Potato
    Commission and passed it unanimously. As reported last week in an
    Idaho newspaper, `If that office (in Turkey) grants them that
    authority to use IDAHO as their trademark, they can both sell and
    market products both in Turkey and internationally using the Idaho
    name,' said Sen. Steve Bair, R-Blackfoot, Senate Agriculture Committee
    chairman. `I guess we take exception to that. This is not intended to
    poke our finger into Turkey's eye, but they need to understand that we
    treasure the Idaho name.'

    The Armenian National Committee of America - Western Region is the
    largest and most influential Armenian American grassroots advocacy
    organization in the Western United States. Working in coordination
    with a network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the
    Western United States and affiliated organizations around the country,
    the ANCA-WR advances the concerns of the Armenian American community
    on a broad range of issues.

    For more information about the upcoming ANCA Town Hall meeting in
    Boise, Idaho individuals are encouraged to contact John Kazian by
    emailing [email protected] or by calling (208) 922-5235.

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