Day of Action for Darfur, Sudan

Sept. 21, 2005

Proclamation
WHEREAS, since 2003, over 400,000 people in Darfur, Sudan have died; tens of thousands of women and girls have been victimized; more than 600 villages burned or destroyed; and more than 2.5 million Darfurians, mainly women and children, have been displaced; and

WHEREAS, fearing for their lives, the millions of displaced persons have been forced to flee from their destroyed villages to refugee camps where they face, without sufficient humanitarian aid, an ongoing crisis leading to disease and starvation; and

WHEREAS, the United States Congress has termed the humanitarian crisis in Darfur, Sudan as genocide and while there has been some indication of bipartisan concern for the people of Darfur, to date little action has been taken to effectively address this important issue; and

WHEREAS, the people of Martin Luther King, Jr. County make up a diverse local community and represent groups who have experienced inhumane treatment, and on many occasions have expressed their commitment to fair treatment for all people; and

WHEREAS, with overwhelming evidence that the atrocities occurring in Darfur, Sudan have been government sponsored and aimed at a specific group, we must all educate ourselves about the current situation and answer the call to action;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Ron Sims, Executive of Martin Luther King, Jr. County, do hereby proclaim Wednesday, September 21, 2005 to be

Day of Action for Darfur , Sudan

in King County . I encourage all residents to take time during this day to raise the community's awareness about Darfur, Sudan; to take time to reflect about this crisis, its causes and the commitment to end genocide; to take time to let elected officials at all levels of government know that now is the time for leadership to give meaning to the phrase "never again."

Ron Sims
King County Executive