Newsletter No 11

ANC UK Launches its first online fundraiser

Dear Members of the Armenian community in the UK,

Thank you for your continued support of ANC UK in our efforts to influence and guide British policy on the issues of Artsakh and the recognition of the Armenian Genocide. This month we have been working on addressing the incursions, on the territory of Armenia, promoting the Early Day Motion on the Armenian Genocide and supporting APPG members to raise the issue of POWs and Artsakh. We are also launching our first online fundraiser. If you want to help raise money for ANC UK, please get in touch.

Give today to help our campaigns

ANC UK has so far worked in volunteering capacity, campaigning on behalf of the Armenian community, continuously pushing the UK government on the issues of Artsakh and the Armenian Genocide, helping remove pro-Azeri propaganda in London, and providing direct assistance to the officers and members of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Armenia.

As we move into the next phase of our campaigning, with an EDM which has attracted serious attention (see below), and a private member’s Bill on the Armenian Genocide due to be put forward within this parliamentary term we need our community’s help to ensure we can gain the support of more parliamentarians. This means, supporting the campaign by contacting your MPs and donating to ANC UK to help us hire a much-needed permanent staff member.

With everything that we’ve all been through and all that lies ahead, we need your faith, your friendship, and financial generosity more than ever before

Donate Now

Our campaign: EDM Motion on the Armenian Genocide

Following significant compaign work by ANC UK and APPG for Armenia members, the Early Day Motion on the Recognition of Armenian massacres as genocide has now secured 22 signatures. The EDM reads:

“That this House welcomes US President Biden’s formal recognition of the extermination of over one million Armenians by the Ottoman Empire in 1915 as genocide; and calls on the Government to issue a similar recognition.”

Help us secure more signatures for the EDM – take action by writing to your MP today.

Write to your MP now

Join us for the third global silent protest to free Armenian POWs and captives. London will be gathering at Trafalgar Square, with several cities around the world participating on the same day.

Our actions on your behalf

Over the last few weeks, we have continued to raise our concerns with the government and raise awareness through media coverage and events. Here are the actions we have taken on your behalf:

ANC UK sent a letter to Foreign Secretary, Dominic Raab, regarding Azerbaijan’s recent incursions in Armenia, alongside a detailed parliamentary briefing which was shared with other parliamentarians and key officials.
ANC UK discussed the incursions with several parliamentarians and devised a plan of action to take forward.
As a result of ANC’s campaign and relationship building activity, two new MPs have joined the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Armenia, John Speller MP (Lab) and Alex Sobel MP (Lab), bringing the total number of MPs to 35.
ANC UK supported the APPG and other parliamentarians, to write an open letter which was published Sunday Telegraph, condemning the incursions on the Armenian territory. The letter was signed by two former Archbishops of Canterbury, Stephen Pound and 15 APPG for Armenia members. An article covering the story was also published in the Sunday Telegraph. This was organised with the leadership of Baroness Cox and Tim Loughton MP.
Several peers, including Baroness Cox and Baroness Eaton, questioned the FCDO in the House of Lords on the situation in the Nagorno-Karabakh region, and reports of human rights violations by the Government of Azerbaijan.
Baroness Cox asked several written questions in Parliament, including on Cultural Heritage of Nagorno Karabakh, Armenian POWs, and anti-Armenian xenophobia in Azerbaijan.

Next Steps

A letter has also been prepared on behalf of the APPG for Armenia to the UN security council and the Minsk Group co-chairs which will be sent this week.

The US Embassy in London invited ANC UK to discuss Armenia’s security issues and the importance of recognsing the Armenian Genocide by President Biden.

How you can help

1. Write to your MP using a personal message, with a compelling story of why the issues of Artsakh and the Armenian Genocide matter to you, asking them for a meeting. If you secure a meeting, ANC UK will be happy to brief you ahead of this and provide you with any necessary materials.

2. Get in touch with us by responding to this email if you are interested in becoming a rapid responder, giving you the opportunity to be more involved in our campaigning work and allowing us to use your name in contacting MPs quickly and directly.

3. Get in touch if you would like to engage with your MP on the issues of Artsakh and the Armenian Genocide and would like support in contacting them.

Want to support the work of ANC UK?

Donate now

Our mailing address is:
7 Bell Yard, London WC2A 2JR