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WHEREAS, the NewMarket Film "God Grew Tired of Us" opened in Pittsburgh on February 9th, 2007, at the Regent Square Theater; and
WHEREAS, this film follows the journey of three young Sudanese men, namely John Bul Dau, Panther Bior and Daniel Abol Pach, from a refugee camp in Kakuma, Kenya, to the United States; and
WHEREAS, these three men were among thousands of young boys who fled from their villages in Sudan in the early 1980's, and then traveled on foot across the sub-Saharan desert for five years before reaching the refugee camp in Kenya; and
WHEREAS, Daniel Abol Pach and Panther Bior resettled in the Pittsburgh area with the help of Catholic Charities and Jewish Family and Children's Services; and
WHEREAS, Catholic Charities assisted with the resettlement by procuring housing and jobs, and by arranging for life skills training; and
WHEREAS, "God Grew Tired of Us" highlights the leadership role that the three men played while in Africa, and illustrates the challenges they faced upon arriving in the United States; and
WHEREAS, the film won both the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival; and
WHEREAS, John Bul Dau, Panther Bior and Daniel Abol Pach remain committed to improving the quality of life in their native country and routinely send remittances.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh recognizes the courage of John Bul Dau, Panther Bior and Daniel Abol Pach and thanks NewMarket Films for documenting their story.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh hereby declares February 13, 2007, "God Grew Tired of Us Day" in the City of Pittsburgh.