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ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: April 0, 2010 Action Agenda Item No. SUBJECT: Resolution to Foster Genocide Remembrance DEPARTMENT: Housing/Community Dev. PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No ATTACHMENTS): Proclamation INFORMATION CONTACT: Tara L. F i kes, 245-2490 PURPOSE: To recognize and remember the millions who have perished through acts of genocide. BACKGROUND: Throughout the 20th century and into this century, countries have perpetrated genocide or mass killing for hateful reasons. There have been numerous atrocities against humankind throughout history, horrible cases of genocide directed against innocent people 10-20 million black Africans who died during the 200 years of the international slave trade; the decimation of nearly 12 million Native American Indians in North America between 1000 and 1850; Joseph Stalin's forced relocation and murder of millions of Soviet citizens; and the more recent, so-called ethnic cleansings in Bosnia, Rwanda and Darfur. The first genocide of the 20th century occurred when two million Armenians living in Turkey g ry g Y were, through forced deportation and massacres, eliminated from their homeland. The government order to exterminate the Armenian people on April 24, 1915 led to more than 1.5 million Armenians -- 75% of the population - being killed. In remembrance of this massacre, April 24th has been designated Armenian Martyrs Day. The Armenian genocide spawned other governmental efforts to exterminate populations throughout the 20th century. The most far-reaching was promulgated by Nazi Germany under Adolph Hitler. On August 22, 1939, Hitler gave the following instructions to his Army commanders: "Thus for the time being I have sent to the East my `Death's Head Units' with the orders to kill without pity or mercy all men, women, and children of Polish race or language. Only in such a way will we win the vital space that we need. Who still talks nowadays about the Armenians?" After the initial massacre of the Polish people, the Nazis moved on to acts of genocide against other groups, most notably Jews. In addition to the 5 million Jews who were exterminated in the Nazi Holocaust, an estimated 5.5 million "enemies of the German State" were murdered under equally inhumane circumstances — people known or suspected of being gay/lesbian; leftists; Jehovah's Witnesses, Gypsies, and other non-Aryans. In recognition of the atrocities committed by Nazi Germany, April 11, 2010 is designated as Holocaust Remembrance Day.