[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 349 Introduced in House (IH)]






109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 349

  Recognizing the importance of addressing extreme poverty in Africa, 
recognizing the devastating impact that HIV/AIDS has had on the African 
   economy, recognizing the need for the development of a safe blood 
    supply in Africa, and congratulating the city of Philadelphia, 
         Pennsylvania for hosting the ``Live 8 2005'' concert.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 30, 2005

 Mr. Fattah submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
                the Committee on International Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  Recognizing the importance of addressing extreme poverty in Africa, 
recognizing the devastating impact that HIV/AIDS has had on the African 
   economy, recognizing the need for the development of a safe blood 
    supply in Africa, and congratulating the city of Philadelphia, 
         Pennsylvania for hosting the ``Live 8 2005'' concert.

Whereas extreme poverty has reached epic proportions with 1,000,000,000 people 
        throughout the world now living on less than one United States dollar a 
        day;
Whereas extreme poverty is especially acute in Africa, where 72 percent (upwards 
        of 80 percent in Chad and Ethiopia) of the African urban population 
        reside in slums (defined as households that lack access to improved 
        water or sanitation, security of tenure, durability of housing, or 
        sufficient living space);
Whereas Africa is the poorest region in the world, experiencing virtually no 
        growth in individual incomes for the past 30 years;
Whereas Africa is the largest region in the world with an average economic 
        growth rate of less than four percent, while five percent growth is 
        required just to prevent the number of poor people from increasing;
Whereas the poverty of Africa extends beyond a lack of material resources and is 
        also characterized by exclusion of many people from decision-making and 
        basic social services;
Whereas Africa's economy will not grow as a result of the following two trade 
        dynamics:

    (1) Africa does not produce enough goods of the right quality or price 
to enable access to world markets.

    (2) Africa faces indefensible trade barriers which, directly or 
indirectly, tax its goods as they enter the markets of developed countries.

Whereas the resolution of such economic and social poverty for an entire 
        continent can only be approached from a global perspective that takes 
        account of how the global community interacts with and provides aid to 
        Africa;
Whereas Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, has been tightly linked to addressing the 
        plight of Africa through the efforts of the late Reverend Dr. Leon 
        Sullivan, founder of the Opportunities Industrialization Centers (OIC);
Whereas Dr. Sullivan's efforts expanded internationally, including Africa, 
        through the development of OIC International, the International 
        Foundation for Education and Self Help, the Global Sullivan Principles, 
        the Leon H. Sullivan Summit and the Leon H. Sullivan Foundation;
Whereas these organizations and the principles they embody recognize that the 
        preservation and development of Africa requires education, business 
        development, investment, and technical assistance from Africans, 
        Americans, and the rest of the developed world;
Whereas in support of such a global approach, many international aid 
        organizations have focused attention on the need to address extreme 
        poverty in Africa, such as by organizing Live Aid 1985, a concert which 
        helped raise awareness of Africa's terrible economic and social 
        conditions and helped raise investment to counter such conditions;
Whereas a Live Aid event has been organized again for 2005, and is scheduled to 
        take place on the eve of the G-8 Summit in Scotland on July 6-8, 2005;
Whereas Live Aid 2005, termed ``Live 8 2005'' due to the ensuing G-8 Summit, is 
        comprised of five public concerts in five G-8 member countries;
Whereas the Live 8 2005 event host for the United States is Philadelphia, which 
        will host a massive outdoor concert on July 2, 2005; and
Whereas a similar resolution has been introduced by the Mayor of Philadelphia 
        and has been adopted by the members of the United States Conference of 
        Mayors: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved,  That the House of Representatives--
            (1) recognizes the importance of working to eliminate 
        extreme poverty in Africa;
            (2) recognizes the devastating impact that HIV/AIDS has had 
        on the African economy by undermining Africa's ability to 
        effectively compete in the international marketplace
            (3) recognizes the need for the development of a safe blood 
        supply in Africa and the creation of an African Institute of 
        Health modeled after the Centers for Disease Control and 
        Prevention; and
            (4) congratulating the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 
        for hosting the ``Live 8 2005'' concert.
                                 <all>