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WHEREAS, there continues to be a humanitarian crisis in the Darfur region of Sudan, wherein ethnic and regional discrimination incites killing, rape, destruction of entire villages, displacement of many millions of individuals, and many other atrocities; and
WHEREAS, the Pittsburgh Darfur Emergency Coalition has for years been raising awareness, activism and funds to help bring an end to these horrors; and
WHEREAS, eight refugees from the Darfur region, one spouse from Eritrea, and one additional refugee from South Sudan have recently been resettled in Pittsburgh through the auspices of Catholic Charities, and they are:
Ismail Omar Ismail,
Mohammed Ismail,
Mohammed Mohammed Yahya,
Abdallah Suleiman,
Tayb Hamdan,
Siddig Nour Ahmed,
Ali Abbo,
Abdul Mohammed,
Mesetwet Gebra Gzabhar,
James Lomilo; and
WHEREAS, the Pittsburgh Darfur Emergency Coalition, along with the Sudanese Community in Pittsburgh, the National Save Darfur Coalition, and the Darfur Alert Coalition of Philadelphia, will hold a rally and march on the front steps of the City-County Building on September 14, 2009, at noon, welcoming these refugees and handing over to members of the U.S. Congressional staff more than 15,000 postcards of support addressed to President Barack Obama, collected by local activists;
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NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh, does hereby commend the Pittsburgh Darfur Emergency Coalition, the Sudanese Community in Pittsburgh, and Catholic Charities, and the refugees whom we are glad to have here in Pittsburgh, and does declare September 14, 2009, to be "Ismail Omar Ismail, Mohammed Ismail, Mohammed Mohammed Yahya, Abdallah Suleiman, Tayb Hamdan, Siddig Nour Ahmed, Ali Abbo, Abdul Mohammed, Mesetwet Gebra Gzabhar, James Lomilo Day" in the City of Pittsburgh.