Today is International Human Rights day. Here in America, we had a natural and unavoiadable atrocity named Hurricane Katrina. The aftermath of that devastation was compounded shamefully by the American governments failure to aid those in poorer, inordinately racial minority, communities. Today, this continuation of human rights violations continues. Driven mainly by greed and economic bigotry, many people remain homeless under bridges and in streets while livable affordable housing projects remain boarded up with the intention of being torn down. The intended replacement buildings are not the same brick buildings that stand today. Instead of being the buildings that withstood the hurricanes they intend to replace them with the type that were destroyed irreparably.
Watch this video, it shows the struggle then read below the Call to Action press release on how to get involved.
CALLTOACTION: Pledge of resistance in defense of the right to housing in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast
December 10th is Human Rights Day. Come to New Orleans December 10th and join the Stop the Demolition Coalition as we mount a campaign to stop the demolition of public housing.
The demolition of all four major public housing developments has been set for mid-December. We are calling on our national allies to join with the residents of New Orleans and all those who believe in the human right to housing to resist demolition.
I Pledge:
“I believe in the fundamental human right to housing, and I will not be a witness to the denial of this right to the peoples of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. I therefore pledge myself to resist the denial of this right by all civil and humanitarian means available, including civil disobedience. I pledge to stand ready to take action against this imminent threat and to put myself on the line, either directly in New Orleans or in strategic locales throughout the US, in support of the demands and leadership of the peoples of New Orleans and their organizations in the struggle for housing and human rights.”
We ask that all those interested in coming to New Orleans to contact us before making the journey. We need to ensure that everyone coming is registered, properly orientated and trained in order to partake in this act of resistance in the manner determined by the local leaders and residents. If you are already in New Orleans, please sign the pledge so we know how to contact you, to let you know about local updates and meetings.
Please contact us via email at action@peopleshurricane.org with the word “registration” in the subject line. Please include the following information:
Name: Affinity Group/Organization (if applicable): Phone: Email: Have you ever received any training in civil disobedience? What skills/resources are you able to bring to New Orleans?
Remember - the primary role of people coming to New Orleans to join in this fight is to be ALLIES, and not to be part of major decision making.
All making this pledge must be advised of the following:
Given the limited timeframe and resources of the various organizations spearheading this fight - *Legal counsel and aid. All effort is and will be made to provide adequate legal support, but the reality is that it is limited at present. *Lodging and food. Again, given the uncertain timeline and limited resources, housing venues are presently limited, but all effort will be made to support all those making this bold pledge. Housing is almost entirely limited to tenting space, so please bring all appropriate camping gear for tenting in cold weather. Please make as many of your own arrangements and bring as many of your own supplies as possible.
If you are coming to New Orleans: Please think about forming an affinity group before you get here. Different roles in an affinity group can be:
* point person to coordinate with local leadership * legal support person/people for members of your group * medics * photo/videographer (for documentation of events and indymedia coverage in your own area) *police liasion *arrestees etc, etc.
if your group has some of its own logistical needs taken care of, this will help local organizers coordinate on a broader level. For example, if each affinity group has a legal support person, they can coordinate with the local legal team to make sure everyone’s legal needs are taken care of.
We really need as many people here as possible, but if you are unable to join us in New Orleans, here are some ways you can help:
*organize a solidarity demonstration at your local HUD (Housing and Urban Development) office for the week of December 10.
This will be an ongoing campaign. If you are not able to come for the week of the 10th but would like to receive updates on the campaign, send back the pledge and let us know your availability.
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