The National Institute Against Discrimination, Xenophobia and Racism (INADI) of Argentina celebrated its 20th anniversary on Tuesday September 29.
The anti-discrimination institute is lead by Pedro Mouratian, an important leader of the Argentine-Armenian community, and the event was attended by a large number of national officials.
"The fight against discrimination was not only the flag that carried out the INADI as the leading institution in the field. It was the challenge of a political project that understood that the fight against discrimination was only possible with inclusion, equalization, recognition of the rights and, most importantly, with equal opportunities for all," stated Mouratian in his speech.
"The reality of what has been INADI is on the street. It's in every one of the people who have found a response from many of its policies."
Pedro Mouratian played a major role in the approval of the Armenian Genocide recognition law (Law 26,199) that declared every April 24 as "Day of Action for tolerance and respect between peoples."
"We need to end a story that is following us and has not closed the wounds. We need to bury our dead. We need the world to recognize what we have suffered," he said in a speech at the Argentine Congress on April 25, 2006, in which he urged politicians to adopt a law on Armenian Genocide recognition. "There is no way want to change history. The events took place and those who committed these aberrations must take responsibility."
After that speech and the public commitment made by legislators at that time, the law was passed in 2006 and enacted in 2007.