Pictures of the Year 2006

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A daring journey continues | July 3
On the Fourth of July, a journey of half-a-world that began in the Sudan ended at the Seattle Center, where William Deng became a naturalized citizen of the United States. He joined more than 500 people from 70 countries for the 22nd Annual Naturalization Ceremony. Deng was one of close to 20,000 boys who fled civil war in the Sudan in 1987, undertaking a treacherous journey across miles of desert on foot in search of freedom. In 2001, the United Nations tried to help the boys, and several dozen of them eventually resettled to the Seattle area. Deng, who's 29 now, works for a window company and attends Bellevue Community College. His goal is to become a minister. He sees his citizenship as another step in his journey. "Because I never had paperwork in the Sudan, I have never had citizenship anywhere," he says, a small smile emerging. "Now I will be a citizen of the United States, and I will help and bring change to Sudan."