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Algiers Residents ORGANIZE!
by Debbie Russell
Wednesday, Sep. 14, 2005 at 10:48 AM
debmocracy@yahoo.com
A low-income area that didn't flood in New Orleans organizes itself despite lack of government assistance.
NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 14, 2005
Contact:
Scott Crow 512-297-1049
Malik Rahim 504-368-6897
ALGIERS RESIDENTS ABANDONED BY FEMA
100's From Around Nation Respond to the Call for Relief from a New Orleans Neighborhood
Austin, TX - After the +/-5,000 residents of the Algiers neighborhood in New Orleans, Louisiana, were neglected by FEMA, the state and local governments, and not provided with any post-hurricane assistance, its empowered residents sent out a country-wide alert for assistance in sustaining their neighborhood.
Hearing the call in communities as far away as Washington state, people have converged to participate in COMMON GROUND, a project to provide relief to the residents of this area that did not flood in the hurricane aftermath.
Says local resident and community leader Malik Rahim, "This disaster would not have happened if this community had not been historically neglected by the government. Now, the people of this community have taken responsibility to make Algiers better than it was."
Motivated by a desire to support those willing to take responsibility for themselves, volunteers from cities across the nation have gathered donations for this abandoned part of New Orleans under the community’s direction. Starting late last week, dozens of volunteers began pouring into Algiers with the donations and immediately began working for the residents to rebuild their infrastructure.
Volunteers set up a community garbage pick-up program; mobile kitchens to provide free hot meals to anyone in the area; a first aid clinic in a local mosque and a mobile first aid station - both of which are staffed by doctors, nurses and emergency medical technicians; and brought in bicycles for volunteers and residents to transport aid around the area, as gasoline is scarce. Others are busy setting up classes for the children at one of the local elementary schools.
Diverse groups who are participating in the COMMON GROUND project there including local groups along with the Mayday Medical Collective, Veterans for Peace and Pastors for Peace; the latter two having committed to purchase 20 computers and medical supplies and future funding to sustain the project.
Though Algiers was not flooded, most of its residents were evacuated before Hurricane Katrina came ashore; however, many residents have not yet been allowed to return to their homes.
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Images of COMMON GROUND organizing/residents/visitors (famous and not so famous): http://santacruz.indymedia.org/newswire/display/18554/index.php
http://santacruz.indymedia.org/newswire/display/18558/index.php
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