Resolution 100085

..Title Calling on the Nations of Africa to Provide Free Public Education Free Daily Feeding Programs Immunization and Health Facilities in all Public Schools. ..Body WHEREAS, Societies throughout the world struggle to recover from the global economic downturn, we are alarmed at the increasing vulnerability of children suffering from hunger, malnutrition, preventable child-hood diseases, infections and the scourge of HIV/AIDS, all attributed to poor living conditions and widespread poverty; and WHEREAS, Our attention is directed towards the continent of Africa, which has been disproportionately affected by these phenomena; and WHEREAS, The children and youth of Africa, in an attempt to escape these limitations, may become economic immigrants, risking their lives to cross deserts and oceans to reach other areas of the world in search of job opportunities; and WHEREAS, They may also drift into illegal activities in order to get everyday necessities; and WHEREAS, Africa and Haiti are experiencing the effects of climate change and bouts of extreme weather, namely drought, flooding and erosion which degrade arable land used for mechanized and subsistence farming; and WHEREAS, The number of refugees and internally displaced persons ever increases as a result of wars, insurgencies and piracy in unstable areas of the Africa, while endemic proverty, gang-related violence, criminality, and high unemployment are ever present in Haiti; and WHEREAS, Out of concern for the survival of families and children, we call upon the governments of Africa and Haiti to provide free public education with daily feeding programs, immunization and health facilities up to the end of secondary school for its children and youth including those in families, orphanages, hospitals and clinics, refugee and transit camps and those living precariously on the streets; and WHEREAS, These policies will spread a safety net for the children, provide employment for many citizens and reduce government dependence on single cash crops, petroleum and other mineral resources for revenue while revalidating the development of agriculture, mixed farming, small and medium scale business and industries and human resources; and WHEREAS, The nations of Africa and Haiti are urged to utilize their resources for the welfare of their citizens in the interest of social stability and social justice while prioritizing a sustained support for education, healthcare and eventual employment for their youth who hold the key to the future; now therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the Philadelphia City Council Calls upon the Nations of Africa and Haiti to Provide Free Public Education Free Daily Feeding Programs Immunization and Health Facilities in all Public Schools. ..End