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Mr. Speaker, yesterday, on the 1-year anniversary of the kidnapping of the girls of Nigeria, there were solemn acts of remembrance in Nigeria's capital.
In the Republic of the Congo, they tied red and purple ribbons around the capital. There was a solidarity protest near the Eiffel Tower in Paris and a gathering in London to call for the girls to be returned.
In my home city of New York, as the sun was setting, the Empire State Building was lit up brightly in purple and red, purple for violence against women and red for the girls of Chibok.
It seems like the very act that ripped them from the arms of their parents has somehow tied the rest of the world together, united us in our outrage, and armed us with hope.
Feelings are not enough. It is time for action. It is time for the governments of Africa to unite and to act. Already, the Governments of Chad, Nigeria, Niger, and Cameroon are holding Boko Haram accountable.
It is time for Western countries to unite because we will never, ever forget our girls. We could not forgive our failure to act.
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