TITLE: Honoring the Near East Foundation on the occasion of its centennial.

SUMMARY: Honoring the Near East Foundation on the occasion of its centennial.

FULL TEXT:
WHEREAS, The year 2015 marks the centennial of the Near East Foundation, established at the behest of President Woodrow Wilson to save the lives of Armenians under attack during the violent dissolution of the Ottoman Empire; and WHEREAS, In September 1915, the United States ambassador to Constantinople, Henry Morgenthau, sent a cablegram that alerted President Wilson to the plight of Armenians threatened with genocide in Turkey; a humanitarian committee was formed to aid Armenians, Assyrians, Greeks, and other minorities in grave danger, and after the group was incorporated by Congress, it became known as Near East Relief, or NER; and WHEREAS, The organization mobilized people across the country and around the world, and between 1915 and 1930, it saved the lives of more than 132,000 Armenian orphans and one million refugees; during this period, it built orphanages, food and clothing distribution centers, medical clinics, hospitals, and schools throughout the Near East to assist survivors; more than 1,000 American volunteers traveled abroad to assist in this vast undertaking, and many Texans were involved in related fund-raising, relief work, and public education programs; and WHEREAS, A humanitarian endeavor on an unprecedented scale, involving close coordination with foreign governments and local groups, the work of the NER served as a model for subsequent philanthropic initiatives and organizations, including the Peace Corps and USAID; the current name was adopted in 1930 to reflect a shift in focus from immediate relief to more sustained involvement in the development of the region, and today, the Near East Foundation conducts numerous programs to improve the well-being of people in the Middle East and Africa; and WHEREAS, During one of the darkest chapters of the 20th century, the Near East Foundation intervened to provide critical aid to a population in peril, and its accomplishments remain a source of instruction and inspiration alike; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas Legislature hereby honor the Near East Foundation on the occasion of its centennial and commend the organization for its extraordinary contributions in behalf of disadvantaged people in the countries it serves; and, be it further RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for the organization as an expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives. Harless Simmons Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 1541 was adopted by the House on April 16, 2015, by a non-record vote. Chief Clerk of the House