Victims of Communism Memorial reminds world of 100 million murdered by totalitarian governments in 20th century WASHINGTON, DC—The Victims of Communism Memorial will be dedicated in Washington, DC on Tuesday, June 12th at 10:00 a.m. to honor the more than 100 million people who have been killed worldwide by communist totalitarian regimes in such countries as the Soviet Union, Ukraine, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Romania, China, Yugoslavia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Cuba, and North Korea. The “Day of Dedication” program includes four events: 1) Memorial Dedication; 2) Reception; 3) Roundtable Discussion; 4) Gala Awards Dinner.
The Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation’s (VOCMF) Chairman Lee Edwards has worked since 1993 to garner bipartisan Congressional support, land rights, and nearly $1 million in private funding to build the memorial. “We have tried to focus a public spotlight on the crimes and victims of communism so that the world will never forget and never again allow so evil a tyranny to terrorize the world,” said Edwards.
VOCMF Honorary Chairman, President George W. Bush, has been invited to attend the official dedication ceremony and unveiling of the “Goddess of Democracy,” a bronze statue replica of the one erected by Chinese students in 1989 and destroyed by Chinese tanks in Tiananmen Square. The statue is based on America’s Statue of Liberty. Its front pedestal will read, “To the more than one hundred million victims of communism and to those who love liberty.” The back pedestal will read, “To the freedom and independence of all captive nations and peoples.”
The day of dedication, June 12, 2007, will mark the 20th anniversary of President Ronald Reagan’s famous Brandenburg Gate speech at which he said, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.” House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman, Tom Lantos (D-Calif) will present the keynote address at the dedication ceremony, and Congressman Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif) will also speak. The memorial is located at the intersection of Massachusetts Ave., N.W., New Jersey Ave., N.W., and G St., N.W., two blocks from Union Station and within view of the U.S. Capitol.
Immediately after the 10 a.m. dedication ceremony, VOCMF will host a reception at the nearby National Guard Association Hall of States at One Massachusetts Ave., N.W. A roundtable discussion titled, “The Victims and Crimes of Communism” will then be held at 2:00 p.m. at the Heritage Foundation at 214 Massachusetts Ave., N.E., featuring prominent panelists such as Dr. Richard Pipes, Dr. Paul Hollander, Dr. Alan Kors, Paul Goble, and Harry Wu, among others.
The day of dedication will conclude with a Gala Awards Dinner at the J.W. Marriott Hotel, 1331 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., with a 6:00 p.m. reception and 7:00 p.m. dinner. The keynote speaker will be Elena Bonner, widow of famous Soviet dissident and Nobel Laureate Andrei Sakharov. The Truman-Reagan Medal of Freedom will be presented to William F. Buckley Jr. and Senator Henry M. (Scoop) Jackson (posthumously). Senator Jackson’s medal will be accepted by his daughter Anna Marie Laurence and presented by Senator Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn).
To make reservations for the day's events and for further information, register online:
http://www.victimsofcommunism.... Contact Anne Meesman at 703-525-4445 or
(The Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation is a Washington, DC-based non-profit, educational organization authorized by Public Law 103-1999 to design, build, and maintain an international memorial in Washington, D.C., to the more than one hundred million victims of communism. The Foundation is creating a Global Virtual Museum on the Internet and plans to build a brick and mortar museum to educate the world about the victims and crimes of communism. Visit www.VictimsOfCommunism.org to learn more) 