ANC UK helps take down Azeri propaganda
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Dear Members of the Armenian community in the United Kingdom,
Thank you for your continued support of ANC UK in our efforts to influence and guide UK policy on the issue of Artsakh. Over the past few weeks, we have worked on a variety of issues from targetting Azeri propaganda in London, to lobbying the government alongside members of the APPG for Armenia, as well as continuing to raise the important issue of our POWs.
We will continue to represent the interests of the Armenian community in the UK political arena to ensure that the voice of Armenians in the UK remains strong. This newsletter provides a brief update on the actions we have taken over the past three weeks.
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Our campaign: Act to Help POWs
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Hundreds of prisoners of war continue to be held captive by the Azeris over two months after the war ended. Our campaign “Release all POW’s now and stop the inhumane treatment of those held captive by Azerbaijan and allow Artsakh and Armenia to collect their dead” continues to be of importance.
In addition to the letters that we have been encouraging you to write, we have taken the following actions:
While a lot of action has been taken, with some success including the release of Maral Najarian last week, there is more to do, as many more POWs remain in captivity. If you haven’t done so yet, we urge you to click on the link below and send a letter today – it won’t take more than a couple of minutes of your time. You can also edit the letter to add a personal message about why this issue is important to you.
In addition:
Condemn Azerbaijan for not releasing the hundreds of POWs and the inhumane treatment of those held captive by Azerbaijan by writing to your MP today.
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Taking Azeri Propaganda head on
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Azeri propaganda taken down thanks to ANC and the Armenian Community
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Our actions on your behalf
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Over the last few weeks, we have continued to raise our concerns with the government and raise awareness of the situation on the ground through media coverage and events. Here are the actions we have taken on your behalf:
1. Late last week ANC UK organised a community campaign against the Azeri digital poster propaganda displayed in 50 locations across the TfL network, by targeting TFL/ ASA/ Global. We took the following action and encouraged the community to do the same:
- Wrote an official complaint to the Advertising Standards Authority
- Wrote directly TfL and Global and provided a template letter for the Armenian community to use and send their own letters
- Raised the issue with the Mayor of London and through local Assembly members
The ANC UK also drafted a Press Release and came together with leading British-Armenian organisations to issue a joint statement condemning Azerbaijan’s blatant propaganda and lies being spread on the London Underground. This press release was sent to over 20 media outlets in the UK, and as a result, Global wrote to us informing us that they have decided to remove the posters.
We also received a letter from TfL informing us that they “have asked our media partners that any advertisement containing any reference to either Armenia or Azerbaijan, be referred to TfL.” which will then be reviewed against the TfL Advertising Policy.
2. We are undertaking preparations for the commemoration of the 106 anniversary of the Armenian Genocide and are planning interesting events that we will share with you in the next issue of this newsletter and through our social media accounts.
3. On the 8th of March ANC UK organised a meeting with the APPG for Armenia to provide further information on the current situation in Artsakh. John Gallagher, the incoming British Ambassador for Armenia also joined the meeting. The MPs and the Ambassador received a detailed report from ANC UK and heard from Arman Tatoyan, the current Human Rights Defender of Armenia, where he discussed the urgency of releasing Armenian POWs and #Azerbaijan‘s brutal human rights abuses since the end of the war. The story was covered by Yerkir.am and a number of other Armenian news outlets.
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Arman Tatoyan presenting to APPG for Armenia
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As part of our campaign for the recognition of the Armenian Genocide, this year we are planning a government engagement campaign, including high-level events, letters and providing information to help British politicians understand more about the issue. Get in touch if you would like to be involved.
We will also continue to provide direct support to Tim Loughton MP in the drafting and promotion of the private members’ bill on the Recognition of the Armenian Genocide, which he mentioned during our latest event.
We will continue to take action on your behalf to raise awareness, influence and guide UK policy and represent the collective British Armenian viewpoint on the issue of Artsakh. If you have any ideas or suggestions, please do not hesitate to get in touch.
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1. Participate in our campaign by writing to your MP to raise awareness about what is happening to POWs. ANC has templates on our website. It’s just a click of a button.
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2. Write to your MP using a personal message, with a compelling story about why the issue matters 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.
3. The committee has so far worked on volunteer capacity and we would like to raise funds to employ full-time staff in the near future and need our community to assist us in this. Please consider donating to ANC UK and help us continue our work. 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.
4. 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.
5. If you haven’t already filled out the Census, please do so ASAP, and ensure that you mention your Armenian identity.
6. Get in touch if you would like to engage with your MP on the issue of the Armenian Genocide and would like support in contacting them.
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Want to Support the work of ANC UK?
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