A Welcome Discussion of Hate Crimes : Glendale’s leadership has too long ignored bigotry toward Armenians, African Americans and Jews. With open dialogue, new task force can develop solutions.

If anything positive can be said about the recent acts of hatred against the Armenians and Jewish communities in Glendale, it is that for the first time there is open and public discussion of racism.

For years, Glendale’s leadership ignored the many signals about the extent of the hatred toward Armenians and African Americans.

Two years ago the city had the opportunity to take the initiative against hate crimes. But city officials had other things in mind and did not support the Glendale Community Council. City Council members and others in the city had a tough time accepting the words human relations and did not seize the opportunity. Instead they concentrated on pigeons, the Alex and the downtown strategic plan.

Then, in the aftermath of the spray-painting of anti-Armenian slogans on the headquarters of an Armenian scout organization earlier this year, Mayor Eileen Givens created a Task Force on Community Relations to examine the issue. This represents a sharp--and welcome--change in direction for the city.

Individuals must not be intimidated into silence about racism and bigotry. Open dialogue is needed to develop solutions.

I should like to offer some suggestions to the new task force:

* Make this more than a press relations opportunity for elected officials.

* Establish effective and direct communication links with Armenians and others in language and media that reach them directly.

* Look outside the city for ideas. The Anti-Defamation League has developed a program called A World of Difference to confront and overcome the tensions associated with an increasingly diverse community and nation. It can be an effective means of providing strategies to those who work with young people to confront their biases, challenge prejudicial behavior and communicate the value of diversity. The Youth Service/Family Component, unique to the California region, was generously underwritten by the James Irvine Foundation.

* Review Pasadena’s Creating a Non-Violent Community program as a model for supplementing or replacing Glendale’s weekly city-sponsored forums on issues. Pasadena’s program includes a process for devising solutions to problems as well as discussing them. Discuss this with such organizations as the Pasadena-Foothill branch of the Los Angeles Urban League, which was instrumental in devising its program.

* Bring Glendale’s school district into the process. “The youth of our country represent the best hope for the future in reducing bias. . . . We (must) get to young people as early as possible,” said Sanford Cloud, National Conference leader. The National Conference is a religious organization whose main mission is to fight bigotry and intolerance through education and communication. It was founded as the National Conference of Christians and Jews. Its program, Straight From Kindergarten Through 12th Grade, could be the answer for Glendale. Take a look at the American Rights Foundation program, which teaches citizenship to our youth. The Times Mirror corporation is one of many co-sponsors of this program.

* Glendale’s religious leaders have to assume a greater responsibility and take the initiative in the education and solution process in building brotherly love.

* Understand and help to recognize the many important minority/ethnic holidays that are observed in our cities, such as Armenian Genocide Day (April 24, 1995, will be the 80th anniversary of this tragic event), Martin Luther King Day and Cinco de Mayo, to mention a few.

* Expand the Sister City program to establish a partnership with a city in Armenia (or Nagorno-Karabakh) and a possible Philippine connection.

* Implement a formal plan to increase citizenship and voter registration in the city. Glendale is far behind Pasadena and Burbank in the percentage of voters among the total population.