2013 SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION 13-026 BY SENATOR(S) Nicholson and Grantham, Aguilar, Balmer, Baumgardner, Brophy, Cadman, Carroll, Crowder, Giron, Guzman, Harvey, Heath, Hill, Hodge, Hudak, Jahn, Jones, Kefalas, Kerr, King, Lambert, Lundberg, Marble, Newell, Renfroe, Roberts, Scheffel, Schwartz, Steadman, Tochtrop, Todd, Ulibarri, Morse; also REPRESENTATIVE(S) Schafer and Gardner, Buck, Buckner, Conti, Coram, Court, DelGrosso, Dore, Duran, Everett, Exum, Ferrandino, Fields, Fischer, Foote, Garcia, Gerou, Ginal, Hamner, Holbert, Hullinghorst, Humphrey, Joshi, Kagan, Kraft-Tharp, Labuda, Landgraf, Lawrence, Lebsock, Lee, Levy, May, McCann, McLachlan, McNulty, Melton, Mitsch Bush, Moreno, Murray, Navarro, Nordberg, Pabon, Peniston, Pettersen, Primavera, Priola, Rankin, Rosenthal, Ryden, Saine, Salazar, Scott, Singer, Sonnenberg, Stephens, Swalm, Szabo, Tyler, Vigil, Waller, Williams, Wilson, Wright, Young. CONCERNING THE DECLARATION OF APRIL 7 THROUGH 14, 2013, AS "HOLOCAUST AWARENESS WEEK". WHEREAS, Prejudice, bigotry, racism, and hate have been the cause of conflict, war, and mass atrocities throughout history; and WHEREAS, The Nazi regime was able to exploit severe economic hardships in the aftermath of World War I to foster prejudice and hatred toward a group that had historically been used as scapegoats throughout Europe, culminating in the attempt to exterminate the Jewish population in Europe, widely known as the Holocaust; and WHEREAS, During the Holocaust, at least 11 million people were brutally murdered, at least 6 million of whom were Jewish people; and WHEREAS, Other marginalized groups such as Soviet prisoners of war, ethnic Poles, political and religious dissenters, intellectuals, homosexuals, children and adults with disabilities, and Roma Gypsies were victims of the Holocaust; and WHEREAS, It is imperative that we and future generations never forget the tragic lessons to be learned from the organized, government-sponsored mass killings of the Holocaust; and WHEREAS, The lessons of the Holocaust are becoming more difficult to teach as survivors continue to pass away and, consequently, first-hand accounts become more scarce; and WHEREAS, It is also important to remember, honor, and emulate those righteous people who risked their lives to save thousands of innocent people during the Holocaust and to learn from their legacy of courage, selflessness, and hope; and WHEREAS, Many courageous people have been honored with the designation of "Righteous Among the Nations" by Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Authority, for acts of bravery in saving lives of Jewish people during the Holocaust, reminding us today of our personal obligations to stand up against prejudice and discrimination; and WHEREAS, As a common standard of achievement for all people and nations, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948 (Declaration) adopted by the United Nations asserts that "recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice, and peace in the world"; and WHEREAS, The Declaration notes that "disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people"; and WHEREAS, Pursuant to the Declaration, "Member States have pledged themselves to achieve, in cooperation with the United Nations, the promotion of universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms"; and WHEREAS, Over half of a century after the conclusion of World War II, too many of the world's nations have not learned the lessons of the Holocaust, as demonstrated by recent episodes of ethnic cleansing and mass killings in so many parts of the world, including Bosnia, Cambodia, Rwanda, and the Sudan; and WHEREAS, It is the responsibility of families, educators, the many diverse religious communities around the world as well as political leaders, humanitarians, public officials, and the media to recognize the Holocaust as both a political and human tragedy and to spread that knowledge to our younger and future generations; and WHEREAS, It is also imperative that all concerned citizens should raise awareness and take action regarding current and potential genocides, organized mass killings, and exterminations; now, therefore, Be It Resolved by the Senate of the Sixty-ninth General Assembly of the State of Colorado, the House of Representatives concurring herein: That we, the members of the General Assembly: (1) Proclaim the week of April 7, 2013, through April 14, 2013, as "Holocaust Awareness Week"; and (2) Declare that the people of Colorado should use these days to teach and remember the great injustices of the past, and to commit to preventing such political and moral atrocities in the future. Be It Further Resolved, That copies of this Joint Resolution be sent to the Jewish Community Relations Council of the Allied Jewish Federation of Colorado, the Mountain States Regional Office of the Anti-Defamation League, the Colorado Coalition for Genocide Awareness and Action, the Colorado Agency for Jewish Education, the Holocaust Awareness Institute at the University of Denver's Center for Judaic Studies, the Interfaith Alliance of Colorado, and American Jewish Committee Colorado. ____________________________ ____________________________ John P. Morse Mark Ferrandino PRESIDENT OF SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE THE SENATE OF REPRESENTATIVES ____________________________ ____________________________ Cindi Markwell Marilyn Eddins SECRETARY OF CHIEF CLERK OF THE HOUSE THE SENATE OF REPRESENTATIVES