IV 

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 sani-
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tation, 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 
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•HRES 349 IH 

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

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives—

2 (1) recognizes the importance of working to 

3 eliminate extreme poverty in Africa; 
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•HRES 349 IH 

1 (2) recognizes the devastating impact that HIV/

2 AIDS has had on the African economy by under3 mining Africa’s ability to effectively compete in the 

4 international marketplace 

5 (3) recognizes the need for the development of 

6 a safe blood supply in Africa and the creation of an 

7 African Institute of Health modeled after the Cen8 ters for Disease Control and Prevention; and 

9 (4) congratulating the city of Philadelphia, 

10 Pennsylvania for hosting the ‘‘Live 8 2005’’ concert.

Æ