For the past 37 years the House of UMOJA has been a sanctuary for adolescent boys who lacked a proper family structure and living environment internationally acclaimed and publicly acknowledged with hundreds of awards for work with at—risk youth, the House of Umoja has been a beacon of hope for disadvantaged urban male youth and their families for nearly four decades.
                                                          
Stepping forward again in a time of need, the house of Umoja is helping to subdue the violence in our neighborhoods through the “Faith of Our Fathers Peace Campaign.” This yearlong, comprehensive neighborhood school effort is intended to help persuade today’s students to make a commitment to non-violence. This urgent need for intervention has resulted in a series of specific initiatives including the “IMANI Anti-violence Youth Conference” held in January 2006. This conference brought together concerned parents, law enforcement officials, legislators, and educators to .address the critical issue of escalating violence in our City. Further steps include the “Call for Artists” project, to encourage children in our schools to express their views of non-violence through art, and the signing of the IMANI Pledge. The IMANI Pledge provides children throughout the City of Philadelphia the opportunity to commit to nonviolence by signing the Pledge anti returning it to the House of Umoja.

These initiatives are helping to stem the spread of violence in our city and among our youths.

THEREFORE....

I, John F. Street, Mayor of the City of Philadelphia, do hereby proclaim the week of May 15-20, 2006 as
FAITH OF OUR FATHERS WEEK
In Philadelphia, ‘and urge all citizens to support the work of the House of Umoja’s plan of action to stop the violence in Philadelphia.“
                                                            JOHN F. STREET

MAYOR