Local chapters of the Knights and Daughters of Vartan held their First Annual Armenian Art Night on January 23, 2010 at St. John Garabed Armenian Church. Attendees came from Los Angeles, Orange County and the local San Diego communities.

The event featured the sale over 90 works of art - paintings, sculptures, photography, crafts - by Armenian artists from around the world. Proceeds went to the Armenian School Support Project (ASSP), which rebuilds schools in Armenia with a 9-to-1 match from the World Bank. The Knights and Daughters of Vartan nationwide have worked with the World Bank to raise more than $20 million dollars for Armenia's schools, which have long been in need of repair.

Through the sale of artworks and other donations, the event netted $10,000 for the ASSP. With the 9 to 1 match from the World Bank ($90,000), the total amount raised is $100,000 to rebuild schools in Armenia.

Source: http://www.reporter.am/index.cfm?objectid=63D63F40-17BC-11DF-923A0003FF3452C2

The 13th Armenian Heritage Cruise was a successful event with over 1,100 Armenians from across the world. The AHC is sponsored by the Armenian Cultural Association of America, Inc, which states on their website, www.armenianheritagecruise.com/ :

Each year new participants attend from all over the world. In the past we have had guests from France, England, Venezuela, Switzerland, Canada and from every part of the United States. This idea is definitely catching on and from a modest beginning of only a few hundred guests, on Armenian Heritage Cruise V we had over 600 people. For our Cruise VI the count had over 750 guests and by sailing date, we reached over 800 guests. The record was set for the Armenian Heritage Cruise VII when almost 1600 Armenians and their Friends from all over the world attended the Cruise. "

This year's Armenian Heritage Cruise XIII sailed from Ft. Lauderdale for a week long cruise, January 16-23, 2010. The cruise was a welcome relief from the shivering cold and snow that gripped the northern states.

The destinations included St. Thomas, of the US Virgin Islands; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and Grand Caicos Islands. Everyone had eagerly anticipated a week of beautiful sights, meeting new people, attending cultural programs, listening and dancing to Armenian music, eating good food and having fun in the sun in a profoundly unique Armenian way.

Armenians came from all over the world: Armenia, Argentina, Australia, Canada, Cyprus, England, France, Greece, Italy, Israel, Lebanon, Switzerland and Turkey. The United States was also well represented with people from almost every state in the country. Each guest received an AHC tri-color tote bag and Travel Document Pouch as a gift from the ACAA and Travel Group International. People met relatives, friends and classmates after many years of separation. With tears in their eyes and smiles on their faces they were all reunited on the Armenian Heritage Cruise. There are three ways to experience complete fulfillment on this cruise:

1. Spend a week of fun in the sun, leaving the hustle and bustle of life on hold.

2. Learn and help preserve the Armenian culture and heritage.

3. Meet old friends and make new friends.

For one week we put aside our political and religious differences and come together as one people and one nation to establish a “Little Armenia” in the Caribbean.

The Armenian Heritage Cruise has become a respected and prestigious program working under the guidance of the Armenian Cultural Association of America, Inc., which is a 501 (c) 3, non-profit organization, that primarily assists in Armenian research, cultural events, and especially provides primary assistance to the Armenian language newspapers.

The Armenian Cultural Association of America are involved in many endeavors and work within our mission to assist and help the Armenian people in the Diaspora and the Armenian Republic. From all over the United States, dedicated individuals have volunteered to work on this fabulous event. Each area of the country and Europe are represented. There is no other event in the world that brings Armenians together for seven full days of fellowship and camaraderie. We look forward to seeing you on our 14th cruise sailing on January 21-28, 2011, with a seven day Eastern Caribbean cruise to Nassau, Bahamas, Tortola, British Virgin Islands, Catalina Island, Dominican Republic and Grand Caicos Island. Enjoy the unique experience of a lifetime on “The Original Armenian Cruise” where the Armenian spirit comes alive on the Caribbean Sea.

Sources: Armenian Reporter, www.armenianheritagecruise.com/

The US House Foreign Affairs Committee, which has in the past passed resolutions allowing for the continuing of the Armenian Genocide Bill into the House Floor, will consider the Armenian Genocide Resolution on March 4. The entire resolution text can be found here.

"Committee Chairman, Howard Berman (D-Calif.), a leading Congressional supporter of human rights and a longstanding friend of the Armenian American community, has scheduled a vote of his panel on the Armenian Genocide Resolution, H.Res.252," the ANCA statement said.

A congressional resolution that affirms U.S. record on the Armenian Genocide and recommends to the executive branch to reflect this understanding in its policies will be formally considered by the House of Representatives' Foreign Affairs Committee the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) reported.

Mr. Berman issued a statement later in the day confirming his intention to have his committee vote on the resolution.

The committee vote is the first necessary step for congressional approval of the resolution that currently has the support of 138 of 435 members of Congress.

ANCA reported that on February 4 its chairperson Ken Hachikian consulted with Mr. Berman, as well as the resolution's original co-sponsors Reps. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Frank Pallone (D-N.J.), and senior House Foreign Affairs Committee Members Brad Sherman (D-Calif.), and Ed Royce (R-Calif.) to discuss the committee vote.

A pressure tactic?

Resolution 252 was first introduced almost a year ago. But congressional Democrats led by Speaker Nancy Pelosi, another longstanding proponent of affirmation, are believed to have postponed its consideration because of active U.S. efforts to produce an Armenia-Turkey deal on normalization of relations. That latter effort culminated in signing of Armenia-Turkey protocols last October.

ANCA and other Armenian American groups have criticized this U.S. approach, and also condemned the Armenian government for signing the agreement.

But since the October signing Turkey has refused to ratify the deal and carry out its commitments. Both Armenian and Turkish officials have acknowledged that the diplomatic process is now deadlocked.

Sources familiar with U.S. policy on this issue suggest that the decision to schedule a committee vote at this time may have come with a nod from the executive branch.

The tactic is presumably intended to put pressure on Turkey to move ahead with the protocols' ratification.

For its part, Turkey has sought to use the normalization process as a tool to counter campaigns for international condemnation of the Armenian Genocide.

Past experiences

Armenian Genocide resolutions were successfully voted out of House committees in 2000, 2005 and 2007, but were subsequently not scheduled for the full House vote under pressures from Clinton and Bush Administrations, respectively.

President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton all supported genocide resolutions while they were Senators. As members of the Obama Administration they have not yet taken a position on the resolution.

In his election campaign, Mr. Obama also pledged to affirm the Armenian Genocide in the annual April 24 presidential statement. But like presidents before him, he did not uphold that pledge last year.

At the same time, the president also indicated that his past views on the issue remained unchanged and publicly encouraged Turkey to address its past and improve relations with Armenians.

Source and full article: Emil Sanamyan of Armenian Reporter

Armenian and Jewish leaders from the city of Boston launched an online grassroots petition urging all people of conscience to sign a letter to President Obama and Congress that calls for swift passage of H. Res. 252, the Armenian Genocide resolution currently pending in Congress, reported the Armenian Assembly of America.

"The Assembly commends the work of this important human rights coalition and calls on all American citizens to affirm the U.S. record on the Armenian Genocide by signing the petition to your elected Representatives," stated Assembly Grassroots Director Taniel Koushakjian. The Armenian American Action Committee of Massachusetts (ARAMAC-MA), Armenian National Committee of Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Jewish community and Assembly anti-genocide coalition partner Investor's Against Genocide were instrumental in launching the petition and resource page.

The Boston based coalition of Armenian and Jewish communities have been engaged in a robust civil society dialogue, which was the outcome of a 2007 rift where the local Massachusetts branch of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) broke with national ADL leader Abraham Foxman in acknowledging the Armenian Genocide. ADL later altered their position, and just last month stated, "We continue to believe that there was a genocide..," yet continue to oppose legislation in Congress that would affirm the incontestable truth.

Herman Purutyan, ARAMAC-MA State Chair and coalition member stated, "This is an exciting collaboration of two communities, who have experienced the ultimate crime against humanity, to stop future genocides wherever they may occur. As two communities, Jewish and Armenian, we ask our fellow citizens to let the President and Congress know that the recognition of the Armenian Genocide is critically important, not only because it is morally the right thing to do, but also it is necessary to prevent such crimes from happening again."

ARAMAC-MA activists and Boston area Jewish community leaders have been pressing American Jewish groups, such as the ADL, to cease assisting the government of Turkey in its denial of the Armenian Genocide. In a January 10, 2010, letter to the Jewish Times of South Jersey, three prominent Rabbis from Massachusetts wrote that "precisely because of our experience, Jews and Jewish groups need to be fighting genocide denial, not engaging in it as a way of validating the tragedies of our own history."

Mirrored after H. Res. 106, the Armenian Genocide resolution which passed the House Committee on Foreign Affairs in 2007, H. Res. 252 boasts 137 cosponsors and is currently pending in the aforementioned committee. "What the world witnessed at the turn of the 20th century is being repeated again at the dawn of the 21st century today in Darfur. By signing the online petition, one can play an important role in helping to end the vicious cycle of genocide," stated Assembly Executive Director Bryan Ardouny.

Source: http://www.armradio.am/news/?part=pol&id=16700