ANCC Position - Armenian National Committee of Canada

- Justice for the Armenian Genocide will not be served until the current Turkish government recognizes the crimes of its past and delivers a just resolution to the victims and descendants of the Armenian Genocide. The ANCC strongly advocates for a fair and comprehensive reparations package to the Armenian people, who lost nearly all their material and cultural wealth during the Genocide of 1915-23. Canada, along with other advanced western countries, can exert the necessary pressure on Turkish authorities to recognize its past and look forward to building a more open and harmonious relationship with Armenia and Armenians around the world.

- A just resolution of the Armenian Genocide would decrease regional tensions, open the door to improved Armenia-Turkey relations, help reform Turkey into a pluralist and tolerant society, and contribute to putting an end to the cycle of genocide. However, none of this can take place if Turkey cannot come to terms with its past, and it continues to impose pre-conditions on opening its border with Armenia.

- Ensure that the rights of Christians and other ethnoreligious minorities are upheld in Turkey and the Middle East. Through its participation in various international organizations, such as the United Nations, Canada should stand up for the rights of minorities in the region, address the issues facing these populations, condemn any discrimination and persecution, and allocate local funding to help build and empower communities in Turkey and the Middle East.

- On April 24, 2015, the House of Commons unanimously passed a historic motion (M-587) designating the month of April as Genocide Remembrance, Condemnation and Preventiono Month. The ANCC prioritizes its partnership with various organizations and the Canadian government to ensure that the month of April is appropriately marked as Genocide Remembrance, Condemnation and Prevention Month. We firmly believe that it only through such efforts that we will educate the upcoming generations about past atrocities and join our efforts to address similar issues faced by the world today. We are also invested to secure Canada’s maximum input in international genocide prevention efforts and genocide education at home.