[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1088 Engrossed in House (EH)]

H. Res. 1088

                In the House of Representatives, U. S.,

                                                        March 10, 2010.
Whereas, in parts of East Africa, most notably Tanzania, shamans promote the 
        reprehensible belief that people with albinism are less than human, and 
        that their body parts can be made into potions to bring wealth or luck;
Whereas over the last 2 years, more than 50 adults and children with albinism 
        have been murdered in East Africa by mercenaries who sell their body 
        parts to shamans;
Whereas countless other people with albinism have survived these attacks, but 
        have been permanently mutilated in the name of profit;
Whereas two mothers of children with albinism were attacked by gangs who were 
        searching for the children in Eastern Tanzania in November 2008;
Whereas a 10-year-old boy with albinism, Gasper Elikana, was beheaded by men who 
        fled with his leg in October 2008;
Whereas a 28-year-old woman with albinism, Mariamu Stanford, was attacked while 
        she slept, losing both of her arms and her unborn child in October 2008;
Whereas a 17-year-old woman with albinism from Kenya, Vumilia Makoye, was killed 
        by 2 men in her home who sawed off her legs in May 2008;
Whereas hundreds of children with albinism are living in fear for their lives in 
        rural areas;
Whereas people with albinism are routinely shunned by their communities and 
        often excluded from East African society;
Whereas a number of government officials in rural areas of East Africa have 
        ignored or even colluded with local shamans in these degradations;
Whereas people with albinism in East Africa generally are not provided with 
        life-saving information about preventing skin cancer, and have no means 
        of protecting themselves from excess sunlight; and
Whereas people with albinism lack access to medical treatment for skin cancer, 
        and the average person in East Africa with albinism dies by age 30 from 
        skin cancer, and only 2 percent of people with albinism in that region 
        live to age 40: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) condemns the murder and mutilation of adults and children with 
        albinism for their body parts;
            (2) expresses support for people with albinism in East Africa who 
        have been the victims of such attacks;
            (3) recognizes that the murder and mutilation of people with 
        albinism in East Africa is a gross violation of human rights;
            (4) urges governments in East Africa, particularly the Governments 
        of Tanzania and Burundi, to take immediate action to prevent further 
        violence against persons with albinism and to bring to swift justice 
        those who have engaged in such reprehensible practices;
            (5) calls upon governments in East Africa, along with international 
        organizations and other donors, including the United States, to actively 
        support the education of people with albinism about the prevention of 
        skin cancer and provide appropriate levels of assistance toward that 
        end;
            (6) calls upon governments in East Africa, along with international 
        organizations, to educate populations in East Africa about the realities 
        of albinism, with the purpose of eliminating discrimination and abuses 
        against people with albinism; and
            (7) calls upon the United States to work with the governments of 
        East Africa, and international organizations and other donors, to 
        eliminate violence against people with albinism.
            Attest:

                                                                          Clerk.