[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 51 (Wednesday, May 3, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E711]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               RECOGNIZING THE ARMENIAN YOUTH FEDERATION

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. CAROLYN B. MALONEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Wednesday, May 3, 2006

  Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to share with my colleagues a 
wonderful speech made by Nanor Harutunian of the Armenian Youth 
Federation at a recent event that I attended in New York City to 
commemorate the 91st anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.
  The speech reads:

       Your eminence Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan, Reverend Clergy, 
     Government Officials and Honored Guests.
       In the words of Martin Luther King Jr.: ``Our lives begin 
     to end the day we become silent about things that matter.'' 
     Silence, is a spoken language in itself. Silence may often 
     speak louder than words. Silence, verbalizes fear, ignorance, 
     tacit agreement, carelessness, and defeat. What it does not 
     portray is anger, persistence, perseverance, knowledge, and 
     strength. The Armenian Youth Federation will never be silent. 
     We will continue to speak for justice and truth.
       As the Armenian Youth, the AYF was built on the endurance 
     and determination of its ancestors. Determination to keep our 
     nation and our country united, free and independent. It is 
     this determination that we possess when we hold the Turkish 
     government accountable for the Genocide of the Armenian 
     people 91 years ago. We stand united not only as an 
     organization but as a people to honor the memory of over one 
     and a half million Armenians killed at the hands of the 
     Ottoman Empire. It is by educating ourselves that we become 
     empowered. It is through this education that we can make a 
     difference. We are the children, grandchildren, and great 
     grandchildren of those Armenians who were forced out of their 
     homeland, of those Armenians who perished. We have worked and 
     will continue to work with other communities to raise 
     awareness of crimes against humanity. We have held protests, 
     rallies, vigils and memorials in the name of justice and 
     honor.
       Dr. King also said ``The ultimate measure of a man is not 
     where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but 
     where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.'' If 
     one is afraid to stand up for what he or she believes in, 
     then it is not worth believing in anything at all. We stand 
     for recognition and reparations. Our ancestors had their 
     families, homes, culture, and country taken away from them. 
     The Armenian Youth Federation calls for the atrocities of the 
     past to be recognized. Only by first recognizing the past, 
     can we truly recognize our future.

                          ____________________