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HOUSE RESOLUTION REMEMBERING THE GENOCIDE

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AGAINST THE TUTSI IN RWANDA

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2020 GENERAL SESSION

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STATE OF UTAH

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Chief Sponsor: Angela Romero

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7     LONG TITLE
8     General Description:
9          This House resolution designates April 7 as the "Day of Remembrance for the Victims
10     of the Genocide Against the Tutsi in Rwanda."
11     Highlighted Provisions:
12          This resolution:
13          ▸     recognizes the hundreds of Tutsi refugees that fled from Rwanda to Utah as a result
14     of the 1994 genocide;
15          ▸     designates April 7 as the "Day of Remembrance for the Victims of the Genocide
16     Against the Tutsi in Rwanda";
17          ▸     highlights the Day of Remembrance as:
18               •     an opportunity to reflect on the moral responsibilities of individuals, societies,
19     and governments to respect all people regardless of their race, color, religion,
20     ethnicity, culture, or nationality;
21               •     a day to remember the nearly one million Tutsi and some Hutu who were
22     opposed to the Hutu-led government's genocidal plan that were murdered in
23     Rwanda; and
24               •     a day to help build bridges of understanding between different people and fortify
25     commitments to human rights, protection against persecution and violence,
26     individual liberty, and a free society for all people.
27     Special Clauses:

28          None
29     

30     Be it resolved by the House of Representatives of the state of Utah:
31          WHEREAS, the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda has been internationally
32     recognized as the massacre of nearly one million Tutsi within a four-month period by the
33     nation's Hutu-led government and Hutu neighbors as part of a systematic program of genocide;
34          WHEREAS, moderate Hutu who were opposed to the Hutu-led government's genocidal
35     plan were also murdered during this time;
36          WHEREAS, this atrocity constituted a grave violation of human rights and the rule of
37     law, causing untold pain and suffering;
38          WHEREAS, hundreds of Tutsi refugees, who have been granted asylum by the United
39     States, have relocated to the state of Utah and are rebuilding their lives and families in our
40     great state as a growing and integral part of the community;
41          WHEREAS, the genocide against the Tutsi has left a solemn reminder that the United
42     States and countries around the world must work together to protect the vulnerable, uphold
43     human rights, and prevent genocide;
44          WHEREAS, since 1994, on April 7 we commemorate the genocide against the Tutsi to
45     honor the memory of the men, women, and children who died and to express solidarity with the
46     survivors;
47          WHEREAS, observing the Day of Remembrance offers an opportunity to reflect on the
48     moral responsibilities of individuals, societies, and governments to respect all people
49     regardless of their race, color, religion, ethnicity, culture, or nationality;
50          WHEREAS, our remembrance of the genocide against the Tutsi will serve to honor the
51     dead and inspire the state of Utah to work towards a more tolerant and peaceful society; and
52          WHEREAS, we wish not only to remember the victims of the Tutsi genocide in
53     Rwanda, but also help build bridges of understanding between different people and fortify our
54     commitment to human rights, protection against persecution and violence, individual liberty,
55     and a free society for all people:
56          NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Representatives of the
57     state of Utah does hereby declare April 7 of each year as the "Day of Remembrance for the
58     Victims of the Genocide Against the Tutsi in Rwanda."

59          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be sent to the members of
60     the Utah congressional delegation.