[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
.Thus the situation will probably fester under the currentcircumstances until there is a significant change in Cuban leadership.The Greek-American lobbyThe activism of the Greek-American community in the American political scene is a relatively recentphenomenon.It was not until the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974, that Greek-Americans began tomobilize on a national scale.The invasion spurred the various Greek lobbies to unite, at least for aperiod, and resulted in a lobbying campaign that led to a partial US arms embargo on Turkey.The totalGreek-American population is estimated at 1.2 to 1.5 million and is concentrated in several urbansettings, including New York, Massachusetts, Illinois, Florida, California and the Washington-Baltimorearea.In its present configuration, the Greek lobby consists of over a dozen organizations that reflectdifferent aims and agendas.The most influential, and the most moderate, is the American Helleniceducational progressive association (AHEPA).In 2001, AHEPA had about 25,000 members, with anadditional 20,000 belonging to its auxiliary organizations.AHEPA organizes an annual banquet forcongressmen and senators, while its members engage in fundraising activities for presidential candidatesand pro-Greek legislators.Its publications include a semi-annual magazine, The Ahepan, advocacyreports, and a regular congressional report card.It is also active organizing legislative conferences,presenting testimony before congressional committees, and sponsoring legislative resolutions.The most notable accomplishment of the Greek lobby was the 1975 partial arms ban on Turkey, alegislative victory that was due to the ability of several Greek-American congressional representatives toframe the ban as an issue of upholding the rule of law and human rights.But the victory was short-livedas the Turkish government began a counter campaign stressing the strategic importance of Turkey tothe US and NATO.During the Carter administration a formula was agreed setting proportions for USarms sales to both countries.In 1995, a coalition of human rights organizations and ethnic groupssucceeded in imposing a reduction in US aid to Turkey.Several Greek lobbies took the lead in forging analliance with Armenian and Kurdish organizations to sponsor this legislation, mobilizing grassrootssupport, and presenting congressional testimony.Finally, a strong lobbying campaign in 1998 held upthe transfer to Turkey of three US naval frigates for several months with the Greeks arguing that Turkeywould use arms of this kind against civilians in the Kurdistan war or against the Greeks themselves.A second policy initiative pursued by the Greek lobby came with the break-up of Yugoslavia in 1992, andthe declaration of independence as the Republic of Macedonia by the Former Yugoslav Republic ofMacedonia (FYROM).This triggered a wave of lobbying and demonstrations, which resulted only in atemporaryfile:///C|/Users/nickel/Desktop/_93118__9780203356265__9780203303450__/files/page_90.html[01.11.2009 19:02:44] page_91Page 91delay in US recognition of the new state.As these examples show, efforts of the Greek lobbies over thepast two decades have had a mixed record of success.One reason for this mixed record is themultiplicity of small Greek-American organizations with competing agendas.Another is the powerfullobbying effort mounted by the Turkish government after the initial Greek success in imposing the 1975arms embargo.The failure to present persuasively the Greek agenda within the larger framework ofAmerican strategic interests has diminished the significance of the Greek lobby s goals in the perceptionof US decision makers.The Armenian-American lobbyThe Armenian-American community, estimated at just under one million, mainly lives in California andthe large urban centers of the north-east and the mid-west.The umbrella Armenian Assembly ofAmerica (AAA) was established following widespread demonstrations and other actions marking thefiftieth anniversary of the alleged genocide by Ottoman Turkey in 1915.The largest single organizationwithin the AAA is the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).The Assembly s lobbying agendais focused on supporting the humanitarian aid corridor act (the act bans US assistance to any country mainly aimed at Turkey that refuses to allow aid to pass through its territory to reach Armenia),providing economic assistance to Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh, increasing US aid to Armenia(already the second highest per capita in the world, after Israel), reducing US economic and military aidto Turkey, pressing for a resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and seeking a reaffirmation of theArmenian genocide by the President and Congress.The ANCA regularly endorses or opposes candidates for public office through an elaborate process whichincludes distributing questionnaires to all candidates seeking their party s nomination in order todetermine each candidate s position on Armenian issues; writing letters to the President, the Secretaryof State, and other executive branch officials; keeping congressional report cards, the results of whichare summarized and distributed to Armenian constituents before each electoral cycle.ANCA hasdeveloped close lobbying coalitions with other ethnic lobbies and interest groups, particularly with theAmerican Hellenic Institute, Kurdish American organizations, as well as human rights and religiousgroups.Along with the Armenian Assembly, ANCA has supported the formation of the congressionalcaucus on Armenian issues [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl milosnikstop.keep.pl
.Thus the situation will probably fester under the currentcircumstances until there is a significant change in Cuban leadership.The Greek-American lobbyThe activism of the Greek-American community in the American political scene is a relatively recentphenomenon.It was not until the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974, that Greek-Americans began tomobilize on a national scale.The invasion spurred the various Greek lobbies to unite, at least for aperiod, and resulted in a lobbying campaign that led to a partial US arms embargo on Turkey.The totalGreek-American population is estimated at 1.2 to 1.5 million and is concentrated in several urbansettings, including New York, Massachusetts, Illinois, Florida, California and the Washington-Baltimorearea.In its present configuration, the Greek lobby consists of over a dozen organizations that reflectdifferent aims and agendas.The most influential, and the most moderate, is the American Helleniceducational progressive association (AHEPA).In 2001, AHEPA had about 25,000 members, with anadditional 20,000 belonging to its auxiliary organizations.AHEPA organizes an annual banquet forcongressmen and senators, while its members engage in fundraising activities for presidential candidatesand pro-Greek legislators.Its publications include a semi-annual magazine, The Ahepan, advocacyreports, and a regular congressional report card.It is also active organizing legislative conferences,presenting testimony before congressional committees, and sponsoring legislative resolutions.The most notable accomplishment of the Greek lobby was the 1975 partial arms ban on Turkey, alegislative victory that was due to the ability of several Greek-American congressional representatives toframe the ban as an issue of upholding the rule of law and human rights.But the victory was short-livedas the Turkish government began a counter campaign stressing the strategic importance of Turkey tothe US and NATO.During the Carter administration a formula was agreed setting proportions for USarms sales to both countries.In 1995, a coalition of human rights organizations and ethnic groupssucceeded in imposing a reduction in US aid to Turkey.Several Greek lobbies took the lead in forging analliance with Armenian and Kurdish organizations to sponsor this legislation, mobilizing grassrootssupport, and presenting congressional testimony.Finally, a strong lobbying campaign in 1998 held upthe transfer to Turkey of three US naval frigates for several months with the Greeks arguing that Turkeywould use arms of this kind against civilians in the Kurdistan war or against the Greeks themselves.A second policy initiative pursued by the Greek lobby came with the break-up of Yugoslavia in 1992, andthe declaration of independence as the Republic of Macedonia by the Former Yugoslav Republic ofMacedonia (FYROM).This triggered a wave of lobbying and demonstrations, which resulted only in atemporaryfile:///C|/Users/nickel/Desktop/_93118__9780203356265__9780203303450__/files/page_90.html[01.11.2009 19:02:44] page_91Page 91delay in US recognition of the new state.As these examples show, efforts of the Greek lobbies over thepast two decades have had a mixed record of success.One reason for this mixed record is themultiplicity of small Greek-American organizations with competing agendas.Another is the powerfullobbying effort mounted by the Turkish government after the initial Greek success in imposing the 1975arms embargo.The failure to present persuasively the Greek agenda within the larger framework ofAmerican strategic interests has diminished the significance of the Greek lobby s goals in the perceptionof US decision makers.The Armenian-American lobbyThe Armenian-American community, estimated at just under one million, mainly lives in California andthe large urban centers of the north-east and the mid-west.The umbrella Armenian Assembly ofAmerica (AAA) was established following widespread demonstrations and other actions marking thefiftieth anniversary of the alleged genocide by Ottoman Turkey in 1915.The largest single organizationwithin the AAA is the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).The Assembly s lobbying agendais focused on supporting the humanitarian aid corridor act (the act bans US assistance to any country mainly aimed at Turkey that refuses to allow aid to pass through its territory to reach Armenia),providing economic assistance to Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh, increasing US aid to Armenia(already the second highest per capita in the world, after Israel), reducing US economic and military aidto Turkey, pressing for a resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and seeking a reaffirmation of theArmenian genocide by the President and Congress.The ANCA regularly endorses or opposes candidates for public office through an elaborate process whichincludes distributing questionnaires to all candidates seeking their party s nomination in order todetermine each candidate s position on Armenian issues; writing letters to the President, the Secretaryof State, and other executive branch officials; keeping congressional report cards, the results of whichare summarized and distributed to Armenian constituents before each electoral cycle.ANCA hasdeveloped close lobbying coalitions with other ethnic lobbies and interest groups, particularly with theAmerican Hellenic Institute, Kurdish American organizations, as well as human rights and religiousgroups.Along with the Armenian Assembly, ANCA has supported the formation of the congressionalcaucus on Armenian issues [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]