PROVIDENCE, R.I—The Rhode Island State House Legislation has passed the General Assembly instructing the Department of Education to help local schools teach students about genocide as a critical component of civic education.
The Rhode Island State House
The legislation, sponsored by Sen. Joshua Miller (D-Dist. 28, Cranston, Warwick) and Rep. Anastasia P. Williams (D-Dist. 9, Providence), directs the state Department of Education to post on its website materials to help schools teach students about genocides including the Holocaust and those in Armenia, Cambodia, Iraq, Rwanda and Darfur.
“The Rhode Island Assembly’s adoption of this genocide education measure, and our local Genocide Education Project chapter’s efforts, are a testamant to this state’s ongoing commitment to genocide prevention,” said ANC RI Chairman George Mangalo. “Victories like this put genocide education on a fast-track in Rhode Island and help build momentum for a nationwide policy on genocide awareness and prevention. Education is a key component to our continued efforts in securing justice for the Armenian Genocide and the broader campaign to ensure our children live in a world without genocide.”
In 2000, the General Assembly passed a law requiring the Department of Education to develop curricular materials on genocide and human rights issues and guidelines for teaching them. The new bill, which has been forwarded to the governor, will require that the curricular materials for middle and high schools be posted online so it can be easily accessed by schools.
The sponsors said they recognize that schools are struggling for funding and that teachers are also pressed for time, so making the curriculum available online would increase the likelihood that the subject would be taught in schools.
“Genocides and human rights violations carried out by governments are ugly chapters of history, but students are future leaders and voters and they need to learn about mistakes of the past to keep them from being repeated,” said Representative Williams.
Said Senator Miller, “One of the purposes of public education is to raise new generations of informed, responsible citizens who understand government. It’s critical that students learn that sometimes governments have done the wrong thing, not only trampling on the rights of minorities, but attempting to wipe out entire races or cultures. Making curriculum on genocide available to Rhode Island teachers online will make it much more likely that students will learn about these subjects, which have had profound and lasting effects on the world in which they live.”
The House bill (2011-H 5732 A) passed the Assembly yesterday and will be forwarded to the governor. The Senate bill (2011-S 0290A) passed the Assembly May 31 and has been transmitted to the governor.
4 Comments
I am very happy about this and I hope that every other state in America will follow course. This is very important as it will teach the newer generations of Americans what transpired from 1915 through 1923, and how practically an entire nation was atrociously killed and wiped out, and then their houses, their crops and their own lands were confiscated by the Turkish government. That the Armenian people didn’t have closure yet as Turkey is still in denyal.
Humanitarian Law Must Blaze Genocide
We remember every year
Our innocent cousin souls’ dear.
We have always been in tears—
Since we sensed our utmost fears.
We can no longer bear
Until our ancestors’ DNAs,
Studied in scientific way,
Provide the questions of a gone race.
Why inhumanly
Are innocents ethnically cleansed?
Is this humanity’s way!
No, never should be, indeed.
We have never been killers,
Neither do we have any killing genes
In our past literate century,*
In our creative ancient history.
Killing is horror in endless disfigured shapes.
As “mourners,” we never want to see this on others.
We will regain our irreplaceable losses
With the help of honest, happy life seekers
By eternally turning the killers to real feelers.
In a new way evident in the Internet century,
By the help of human amnesty, those
Ingenuous “life lovers” serving modestly.
We must remain heartily screaming for our rights
Asking for humans’ help; supportive strides.
Until the whole world, realizes the facts.
Racist killer’s hand, from start muse see lance.
To sign a humanitarian law—
Each, a genocide must be recognized,
Solidly potting in sanded blaze
Before flames reaches round the space.
Vanished tortured cultures
Lived centuries in sour distress,
Worked hard to find relief for their pains,
Keener than to help themselves.
Vanisher gene must be vanished
By talented scientific discoveries—
Creators’ names eternally stay to be praised
Inspiring populace respiring in peaceful grace.
(C) Sylva-Md-Poetry
A Poetic Soul Shined of Genocides, 2008
Indeed children are our future and I have said this numerous times in my past posts…without proper education, without accurate data,they will grow up to be adults without proper knowledge and intelligence of what history truly means and what happened in the past..basically they will become adults like Turkey is producing by feeding her children with lies and “made-up” history…
Kudos to RI for such victorious achievement… THe rest of the states should follow their step…
Seervart, I agree. Education of the issue of Genocides in schools, in governments, is needed since it is to understand that innocents are slaughtered, raped, tortured and worse by despots who eliminate peoples for their own misdirected goals.
Too, last numbers of the states of USA was 43 states recognizing the Turkish Genocide of the Armenian nation. Ironic, isn’t it… that such a high percentage of the citizenry of the USA have recognized the Armenian Genocide – but NOT our leadership, President Obama, who pledged to be the president of the USA who would recognize the Turkish Genocide of the Armenians!
ALL Genocides, from the 19th, 20th, and today 21st centuries shall never have happened if the allies of the USA had joined with President Woodrow Wilson in his efforts to bring the perpetrator, Turkey, to meet the reparations due and owing to the Armenians. Recently President Wilson’s memorial site (IN THE USA) was abused by the Turks… but this was not mentioned either by our government, nor our media… but Turks (in denials of remembering any Genocides) were able to remember that President Wilson had put forth great efforts to aid the Armenians… and Turks, today, act as Ottomans – still.
I am very happy about this and I hope that every other state in America will follow course. This is very important as it will teach the newer generations of Americans what transpired from 1915 through 1923, and how practically an entire nation was atrociously killed and wiped out, and then their houses, their crops and their own lands were confiscated by the Turkish government. That the Armenian people didn’t have closure yet as Turkey is still in denyal.
Humanitarian Law Must Blaze Genocide
We remember every year
Our innocent cousin souls’ dear.
We have always been in tears—
Since we sensed our utmost fears.
We can no longer bear
Until our ancestors’ DNAs,
Studied in scientific way,
Provide the questions of a gone race.
Why inhumanly
Are innocents ethnically cleansed?
Is this humanity’s way!
No, never should be, indeed.
We have never been killers,
Neither do we have any killing genes
In our past literate century,*
In our creative ancient history.
Killing is horror in endless disfigured shapes.
As “mourners,” we never want to see this on others.
We will regain our irreplaceable losses
With the help of honest, happy life seekers
By eternally turning the killers to real feelers.
In a new way evident in the Internet century,
By the help of human amnesty, those
Ingenuous “life lovers” serving modestly.
We must remain heartily screaming for our rights
Asking for humans’ help; supportive strides.
Until the whole world, realizes the facts.
Racist killer’s hand, from start muse see lance.
To sign a humanitarian law—
Each, a genocide must be recognized,
Solidly potting in sanded blaze
Before flames reaches round the space.
Vanished tortured cultures
Lived centuries in sour distress,
Worked hard to find relief for their pains,
Keener than to help themselves.
Vanisher gene must be vanished
By talented scientific discoveries—
Creators’ names eternally stay to be praised
Inspiring populace respiring in peaceful grace.
(C) Sylva-Md-Poetry
A Poetic Soul Shined of Genocides, 2008
Ditto Seervart and Sylva jan…
Indeed children are our future and I have said this numerous times in my past posts…without proper education, without accurate data,they will grow up to be adults without proper knowledge and intelligence of what history truly means and what happened in the past..basically they will become adults like Turkey is producing by feeding her children with lies and “made-up” history…
Kudos to RI for such victorious achievement… THe rest of the states should follow their step…
God Bless
Gayane
Seervart, I agree. Education of the issue of Genocides in schools, in governments, is needed since it is to understand that innocents are slaughtered, raped, tortured and worse by despots who eliminate peoples for their own misdirected goals.
Too, last numbers of the states of USA was 43 states recognizing the Turkish Genocide of the Armenian nation. Ironic, isn’t it… that such a high percentage of the citizenry of the USA have recognized the Armenian Genocide – but NOT our leadership, President Obama, who pledged to be the president of the USA who would recognize the Turkish Genocide of the Armenians!
ALL Genocides, from the 19th, 20th, and today 21st centuries shall never have happened if the allies of the USA had joined with President Woodrow Wilson in his efforts to bring the perpetrator, Turkey, to meet the reparations due and owing to the Armenians. Recently President Wilson’s memorial site (IN THE USA) was abused by the Turks… but this was not mentioned either by our government, nor our media… but Turks (in denials of remembering any Genocides) were able to remember that President Wilson had put forth great efforts to aid the Armenians… and Turks, today, act as Ottomans – still.