Title
Dept/ Agency: Offices of Municipal Council/City Clerk
Action: ( ) Ratifying (X) Authorizing ( ) Amending
Type of Service: Establishing Sister Cities Relationship
Purpose: Benefit from cultural and economic exchanges
City/State/Country: Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Africa
Sponsor(s): Council Member, Luis A. Quintana
Additional Information:
body
WHEREAS, the City of Newark recognizes the significance and necessity for global interaction; and
WHEREAS, the City of Newark acknowledges the great benefits to all residents from cultural and economic exchanges with other municipalities and towns from around the world; and
WHEREAS, the City of Newark has established a Sister Cities Program to facilitate such cultural and economic exchanges; and
WHEREAS, the City of Newark has a culturally diverse population, which includes a growing number of immigrants from sub-Sahara Africa, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Africa, colloquially known as Zaire and area-wise Africa’s second-largest country and the eleventh-largest in the world; and
WHEREAS, Kinshasa the capital and largest city is the third largest African metropolitan area surpassed only by Lagos, Nigeria, Cairo, and Egypt; and
WHEREAS, a significant number of Congolese residents from Kinshasa currently reside in the New York-New Jersey metropolitan area and desire to work with the City of Newark to develop and enhance a link with their homeland; and
WHEREAS, the City of Newark feels that it is befitting to establish a meaningful relationship with African countries and their cities because of the large influx of natives, which have moved into the Newark Metropolitan Region bringing with them an extremely rich cultural heritage and economic resources.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MUNICIPAL COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, THAT:
1. The Municipal Council on behalf of the people of the City of Newark does hereby extend an invitation to the government and the people of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Africa, to participate with Newark as its Sister City for the purpose of creating greater mutual understanding between the peoples of our two (2) communities.
2. Copies of this Resolution are to be sent to the Governing Body of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Africa, and the Honorable Governor Gentiny Ngobila Mbaka.
STATEMENT
This Resolution invites the citizens of the City of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Africa to join the City of Newark’s Sister Cities Program.