The Katrina Disaster: Relief, Rebuilding, and Resistance in New Orleans
oso, 11.02.2006 23:15
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15 AT 7:00 PM
CHURCHILL HALL MULKEY AUDITORIUM
SOUTHERN OREGON UNIVERSITY
with Malik Rahim, founder of Common Ground Relief in New Orleans, Kerul Dyer, organizer with Common Ground Relief in New Orleans, and Oxygen Collective & Southern Oregon Gulf Coast Relief Network presenting slides and stories from the December, '05 trip to New Orleans.
Join us for a very special evening as we welcome Malik Rahim, long-time Black Panther and Green Party community activist in New Orleans, and founder of Common Ground Relief. Common Ground formed in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, to provide immediate aid and long-term solidarity along the Gulf Coast. An inspiring speaker, Malik will address the power and relevance of grassroots mutual aid and constructive direct action to meet community needs in the face of local, state, and federal government failure, obstruction, racism, and neglect.
Kerul Dyer is a long-time community organizer from Oregon who relocated to New Orleans soon after Hurricane Katrina. Now a dedicated organizer with Common Ground, Kerul will update us about the current state of affairs in New Orleans and offer opportunities to work in solidarity with returning residents and evacuees.
Members of the Oxygen Collective and Southern Oregon Gulf Coast Relief Network will open the evening with slides and stories from their recent trip to New Orleans. In December 2005, over 30 local residents traveled to the Gulf Coast to do relief work with Common Ground in the devastated 9th Ward neighborhood. They will be sharing images, stories, and lessons learned from their experience in New Orleans.
Common Ground is a community-initiated organization offering mutual aid and support to Gulf Coast communities that have been historically neglected and underserved. Common Ground's teams of volunteers include: medical and health providers, aid workers, community organizers, legal representatives, independent journalists, builders and people from all over with broad skills from all walks of life.
For more information, contact 
oso@o2collective.org or call 541-951-5105.
http://www.o2collective.org
http://www.commongroundrelief.org
e-mail:: oso@o2collective.org
Homepage:: http://www.o2collective.org
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Common Ground 16.02.2006 - 11:53 Dear Editor: I went to meeting on Katrina relief for New Orleans here at Southern Oregon University. I could not believe. FEMA is kicking people out of hotels and motels because FEMA could not afford to pay people any more to stay at these places and yet FEMA is paying $25,000 a month for keeping trailer homes in a parking lot in Arkansas, instead of giving these people the trailers. It seems the government is helping people who are white and the wealthy instead of the poor and the minority groups especially the black neighborhoods. People who had not had a lot of damage to their homes can not get permits to fix their homes because they are black or poor. Imminent domain is taking large chunks of neighborhoods and it look like the government is building golf course or very expensive condos. Common Ground is working with the poor and the minorities. They have three free medical clinics, and free law office. Common Ground needs your support. They are trying to stop these injustices. They are feeding and trying get housing for the poor and minorities in New Orleans. They need volunteers who are engineers, electricians, doctors, nurses and people who want to help out. Donations would be very appreciated if you can not help out. To reach Common Ground http://www.commongroundrelief.org/
Sincerely Lauren Diane Spector Lauren Diane Spector> e-mail:: spectorl@students.sou.edu
Keep New Orleans in the News 16.02.2006 - 18:29 Common Ground suggested this last night: the least we can do is keep New Orleans in the news! Still hardly any electricity or plumbing or public schools for the poor of the 9th ward where the Common Ground is working so hard. Evictions to make way for Mardi Gras celebrants! Believe it or not---info is at new orleans indymedia site. Go to rogueindy homepage and see list on left of imc sites where new orleans is listed alphabetically in u.s. list. mardi gras coming believe it or not> |