April 24, 2004

WHEREAS, the memory of those human beings who perished in the Armenian Genocide must never be forgotten; and

WHEREAS, on April 24, 2004, Bergen County residents of Armenian heritage will call all County residents together to commemorate the 89th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide of 1915; and

WHEREAS, this commemoration will serve as an appropriate time for the people of Bergen County and others to remember the nearly two million Armenian men, women and children who lost their lives; and

WHEREAS, in 1990, the Knights of Vartan, Bakradouny Lodge No.38, dedicated the Genocide Monument that stands on the grounds of the Bergen County Justice Center, and again, this year, the monument will serve as the focus of the commemoration of that tragic time in the history of the people of Armenia and of all humankind; and

WHEREAS, this declaration of a time of remembrance must include a commitment that such inhumanity never again occur in our world;

NOW THEREFORE,

I, DENNIS McNERNEY,

Executive of the County of Bergen, State of New Jersey

do hereby proclaim Saturday, April 24, 2004, as

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE REMEMBRANCE DAY IN BERGEN COUNTY

to honor the memory of those who were killed during the Armenian Genocide, and to encourage the residents of the County of Bergen to renew their resolve that people everywhere are able to live without fear, in freedom, and in peace.

[signed] DENNIS McNERNEY
Bergen County Executive April 24, 2004