Agenda - 08-19-2008 - 4a - Laserfiche WebLink

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2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 2 0 a -1. A Resolution to Foster Genocide Remembrance The Board considered a resolution to recognize and remember the millions who have perished through acts of genocide. Chair Jacobs pointed out that the County Commissioners used to do something for Armenian Martyrs Day, and then they stopped; and they were going to do something related to the Holocaust, but they stopped. He heard something on the radio about Holocaust Remembrance Day tomorrow and he thought about incorporating them all into one resolution. Human Rights and Relations Director Shoshannah Smith introduced this item and read the resolution. A RESOLUTION TO FOSTER GENOCIDE REMEMBRANCE WHEREAS, throughout history genocide has been a tragic part of humanity's existence; and WHEREAS It is important to acknowledge that we are all partners in justice with a shared legacy of intolerance; and WHEREAS, Americans have contributed to historical acts of genocide, including the 10- 20 million black Africans who died during the 200 years of the international slave trade, and the decimation of nearly 12 million Native American Indians in North America between 1600 and 1850; and WHEREAS, the country of Armenia recognizes April 24 as Genocide Remembrance Day in recognition of the government- ordered deaths of 1.5 million Armenians in 1915; and WHEREAS, May 2nd 2008 is recognized as Holocaust Remembrance Day, in honor of the victims of Nazi genocide, including more than 6 million Jews and approximately 5.5 million other targeted groups including Gypsies, Poles, gays and lesbians, Jehovah's Witnesses, and others; and WHEREAS, other major acts of genocide have taken place during the past century, including but not limited to Stalin's Forced famine: (1932 —1933: 7,000,000 Ukrainian deaths); Rape of Nanking (1937 —1938: 300,000 Chinese deaths and more than 20,000 rapes); Pol Pot Cambodia (1975 -1979: 1.7 million deaths); Rwanda (1994; 800,000 Tutsis deaths); Bosnia - Herzegovina (1992 -1995: 200,000 Muslim deaths); and most recently Darfur, Sudan (2003 - present; 200,000 deaths); and WHEREAS, it is important to remember history so that mistakes of the past are not repeated for future generations; and WHEREAS, Orange County finds it equally important to remember the atrocities committed against all peoples in the name of religious, racial and ethnic cleansing so that we may recognize the inevitable outcomes of our daily intolerance;