[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 15]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 21641-21642]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 REFLECTING ON THE NEED FOR THE WORLD'S RECOMMITMENT TO RECOVERING THE 
                              CHIBOK GIRLS

                                  _____
                                 

                        HON. SHEILA JACKSON LEE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, December 18, 2015

  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to address the 
House for one minute and to revise and extend my remarks.
  Today is the last day that the House will be in session this year and 
it is imperative that we pause for a moment before we depart to our 
various homes to reflect on the fact that 612 days have passed since 
the Chibok girls were kidnapped from their dormitories in the middle of 
night.
  To keep these girls on our minds, all of us here in Congress have 
worn red every Wednesday to signal the urgency of rescuing, recovering 
and reintegrating these young women back into the arms of their 
parents.
  I have met with the Nigerian President and was part of a delegation 
to Nigeria to engage local leaders, activists, businesses and families 
of the kidnapped girls on strategies for recovering and reintegrating 
the Chibok girls and many others who have been kidnapped.
  These girls are not throwaways and the world cannot and should not 
forget them.
  We must continue to press on in our concerted efforts to assure these 
daughters of the world that we still care, that we are committed to 
bringing them back home and will work to reintegrate them back into our 
community with open arms.

[[Page 21642]]

  As founder and Co-Chair of the Caucus on Nigeria and Co-Chair of the 
Congressional Children's Caucus, the rescue, return and reintegration 
of the kidnapped Chibok girls continue to be my top priority.
  I believe that with our commitment, just as the Aboke girls were 
recovered after being kidnapped in Northern Uganda by the Lord's 
Resistance Army, the Chibok girls will be rescued, returned home and 
reintegrated back into the human family.
  This is why I have introduced H. Res. 528, legislation that enjoyed 
bipartisan support of my colleagues including Representatives Chu of 
California, Lee of California, Dold of Illinois, Hahn of California, 
Kelly of Illinois, Fudge of Ohio, Watson-Coleman of New Jersey, Sewell 
of Alabama, Brown of Florida, Thompson of Mississippi and my good 
friend Ms. Wilson of Florida.
  My resolution seeks to create a Victims of Terror Protection Fund for 
the protection of the Chibok girls when they return home as well as 
provision of much needed support for them and other displaced refugees, 
migrants and victims of Boko Haram's terror in the region.
  The Chibok girls have the fundamental human right to freedom of 
movement, to education and to the full realization of their human 
potential.
  Last week, in our celebrations of the United Nations Human Rights 
Day, the global community rededicated itself to the key International 
Covenants on Human Rights: the International Covenant on Economic, 
Social and Cultural Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and 
Political Rights, Covenants that serve as the bedrock of the 
International Bill of Rights: protecting the rights of all human 
beings.
  Indeed, we must continue to always fight for the freedoms of the 
least among us whether those for whom we fight are out of sight such as 
the kidnapped teenage girls from a boarding school in Chibok or 
educated medical doctors fleeing violent extremism in Syria.
  The bottom line is that our obligations in the human family must 
revolve around and be grounded in our conviction and commitment to the 
rights to freedom of movement, freedom of speech, freedom of worship, 
freedom from want, and the freedom from fear or terrorism, among 
others.
  We must remain steadfast in guaranteeing these fundamental freedoms 
and protect the human rights of all to achieve peace and prosperity in 
our world.
  When they were kidnapped, the Chibok girls were 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 
16 and 17 year olds who are now turning 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18--
living out the formative years of their lives in captivity in the claws 
of thugs.
  Our silence is a waste of time and this is why we must keep speaking, 
keep tweeting, keep seeking to recover our daughters.
  This cannot be the fate or the end of the story of their lives.
  We must not and cannot forget Blessing Abana, Deborah Abari, Rebecca 
Mallum, Naomi Luka, Esther Markus, Zara Ishaku, Ruth Joshua, Grace 
Paul, Rebecca Luka and the others.
  Chibok girls, daughters of the world, this holiday season, you remain 
in our thoughts and prayers.
  Notwithstanding your captivity, let me assure you that your spirits, 
souls and bodies are sacred to us, no matter what attacks the enemies 
of peace may have perpetrated upon you.
  Like your sister from Pakistan, Malala, who was shot in the head for 
seeking her education and who continues to fight for your recovery, 
your best days are ahead because we know that when you girls thrive our 
world thrives.
  This is why we are counting on you to keep holding on and be assured 
that help is on the way.

                          ____________________