April 21, 2015

WHEREAS, 2015, marks the 100th anniversary of the beginning of the Armenian genocide; and

WHEREAS, we honor the memory of those who perished one century ago, and seek to remember all the victims and their descendants; and

WHEREAS, documentation and scholarly consensus regarding the genocide are recognized and accepted by people and governments around the world; and

WHEREAS, that campaign of arrests, torture, and killings launched on April 24, 1915 resulted in the annihilation of 1.5 million Armenians, and the deportation of almost the entire Armenian population from its ancestral lands in Asia Minor; and

WHEREAS, the terrors of ethnic cleansing visited on men, women, and children are unconscionable in every individual instance; and

WHEREAS, it is the duty of all citizens to acknowledge and remember the pain and suffering of victims of genocide and their descendants, to honor the value of all human life, and to work to prevent such acts; and

WHEREAS, many survivors of the Armenian genocide found safe haven in locations across the United States, including Alaska, where their descendants continue to play a vital, productive role in community life.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Bill Walker, Governor of the State of Alaska do hereby proclaim April 24, 2015 as:

Day of Remembrance of the Armenian Genocide in Alaska, and encourage all Alaskans to honor the memory of those who perished in the Armenian genocide and to value the contributions of Alaskans of Armenian heritage to our state.

Dated: April 22, 2015