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8/26/10
The Fifth Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina marks a day of hope, commemoration, and resilience. The Equity and Inclusion Campaign honors the lives of those we lost, as well as the families and communities across the Gulf Coast that have demonstrated so much strength in the face of adversity.
We continue together as a coalition and community, to amplify our voices and the needs for change, as well as to celebrate the tremendous milestones and victories we have together met. We remain committed to the collective effort of undoing the poverty that the hurricane revealed, while recognizing that together we are stronger, and that our commitment, labor and even love must be sustained over time.
As we continue to grow, to advance, to increase the number of people advocating on their own behalf and with ever expanding skill, we commit ourselves to upholding the dignity, the resilience and the human rights of individuals, to together build a better Gulf Coast.
Please take a moment right now to tell President Obama's Administration to align national disaster recovery plans with international human rights standards to provide equitable outcomes for people impacted by disaster throughout the U.S.
8/18/10
As
the 5th Anniversary of Katrina nears, the Equity and Inclusion Campaign
is excited to be participating in several important events in the
region. We encourage you to participate in these events.
Katrina @ 5, New Orleans in Exile: A Renaissance Village Family
Reunion...They came as devastated Strangers and left as family: August 28, 2010; 4-6pm. Katrina Rebirth is putting together an event reuniting residents of the
Renaissance Village FEMA Trailer Park. The event will include a casual
dinner, door prizes, memory wall, and speakers reflecting on the past
five years. It will be held at Miracle Place Church in Baker, LA. The
Equity and Inclusion Campaign is a co-sponsor.
LANO 2010 Annual Conference: August 25-27, 2010. The
Louisiana Association of Nonprofits Organizations (LANO) is holding
the event as Louisiana commemorates the 5th anniversary of hurricanes
Katrina and Rita, and faces an unprecendented environmental challenge in
the Gulf oil spill. This will be an opportunity to celebrate the
nonprofit sector's state-wide response and rebuilding efforts; evaluate
lessons learned and chart a course toward our most prosperous
future. The Equity and Inclusion Campaign provided scholarships to this
conference to members and active participants. More information may be
found at www.lano.org/conference
Phenomenal People Celebration of Healing: August 21-29, 2010. The Hope Community Development Agency (Hope CDA) has been
instrumental
in uniting community leaders, businesses and individuals from across the
Gulf Coast in planning the Phenomenal People Celebration of
Healing. With the 5th Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina quickly
approaching, a
week of events is being held during the last week of August across the
Coast. This will not only be a time of memorializing and remembering
those we lost but a celebration of our many accomplishments. The Equity
and Inclusion Campaign is a bronze sponsor. More information may be
found at http://www.phenomenalpeople.org/.
We are eager to send out your Katrina Anniversary Events. Please send information to matthew@equityandinclusion.org.
8/10/10
For all of you tireless advocates
who have been our champions, we wanted to again thank you for your hard
work. Thanks to your emails and telephone calls to Members of Congress
and their staff, the Supplemental Spending Bill signed into law by
President Obama on July 29th did NOT include rescission of our housing
disaster money, including $112 million for Gustav/Ike recovery and $400
million from the Louisiana Road Home program. Thank you for all of your
efforts: we won.
For those of you who joined us in
Washington, DC last week, your voices were also heard: in many meetings
officials heard your challenges, chief among them the lack of capacity
and funding for assisting our communities in this process. Yesterday the
EPA responded by announcing grants for local non-profit and faith-based
organizations. To read more about this opportunity, please visit:
http://epa.gov/environmentaljustice/grants/bp-spill-grants.html.
To
all of our Campaign participants and incredible advocates, huge
congratulations and thanks are in order. From independent
administration of the claims process, issuance of six month claim
checks, and the many ways that this disaster has been re-shaped due to
your advocacy, you are our heroes.
We know the work is not yet
over and steep challenges remain ahead, but the E&I team wanted to
take a moment and acknowledge your hard work: you've won some stuff.
8/9/10
We
want to invite you to a briefing on the Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA)
process. As many of you know, the NRDA
will be a driver of how the Gulf Coast is compensated for damages and how it is
restored from the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster.
What:
NOAA Briefing on the NRDA
This is a Webinar Meeting
When:
Wednesday, August 11, 2010 11:30-12:30
Agenda:
15 minute overview and background of the NRDA process; 45 minutes of
discussion, question and answer with NOAA to uplift local concerns, priorities
and questions.
Please RSVP to monika@equityandinclusion.org
by
Tuesday, August 10th to attend.*
Because
this meeting requires reliable internet access, many of our incredible partners
have offered their offices for computer access. If you'd like to attend but don't have regular internet access, please
feel free to attend the webinar at
Bayou Grace Community Services: 5228 B Highway 56, Chauvin, LA
Bay Area Women Coalition: 1700 Jesse Street, Trinity Gardens,
Mobile, AL
Steps Coalition: Church of the Redeemer, 610 Water Street,
Biloxi, MS
Why
we are asking you to RSVP:
we need to get an estimate on phone lines to ensure we have technical capacity. For folks attending at offices listed above,
we want to ensure there are enough spaces and computers.
More
about the NRDA:
Data
collected in the Gulf and across the five states will help determine what
natural resources have been injured and what human uses have been lost. Once
the injuries and losses are known, trustees will work with the public to
identify and select restoration projects to compensate the public by restoring,
rehabilitating, replacing, or acquiring the equivalent of the natural resources
lost or injured by the oil spill.
http://www.epa.gov/superfund/programs/nrd/nrda2.htm
http://www.darrp.noaa.gov/about/nrda.html
8/3/10
Please
join the Equity and Inclusion Campaign for an important regional
convening on Monday, August 30, 2010. The Board of Directors will
reflect on their recent Board Retreat and discuss the future of the
Campaign.
This convening will serve as a defining moment in our collective work!
August 30, 2010
9:00am-4:00pm
Biloxi, MS
Please RSVP to matthew@equityandinclusion.org by
August 20, 2010.
Hotel rooms (double occupancy) will be provided for August 29, 2010.
8/2/10
As you may know, Secretary of
the Navy Ray Mabus has been charged with mapping a Gulf Restoration
plan. The Secretary will be in the Gulf Coast this week holding a
series of town hall meetings, which are open to the public and media,
and will provide residents an opportunity to discuss long-term economic
and environmental restoration ideas with the Secretary. We hope you are
able to attend one of the town halls. Please feel free to pass this
along to anyone you think may be interested in attending.
Monday, 2 AUG, Alabama
Secretary Mabus will hold two town hall meetings in Alabama:
* At 12:00 (noon local), there will be a meeting in Theodore at the Nan Gray Davis Elementary
School, 6900 Nan Gray Davis Rd, Theodore, AL 36582.
* Following the meeting, at approximately 1:30 pm, Secretary Mabus will be
available to speak with interested media.
* At 6:00 pm
(local), there will be a meeting in Robertsdale at the Robertsdale
Elementary School, 19150 Wilters St Robertsdale, AL 36567.
* Following the meeting, at approximately 7:30 pm, Secretary Mabus will be available to speak with interested media.
Tuesday, 3 AUG, Florida
Secretary Mabus will hold town hall meetings in Florida:
*
At 12:00 (noon local) in Panama City at the Amelia Center Theatre,
Amelia G. Tapper Center for the Arts, Gulf Coast Community College, 5230
West U.S. Hwy. 98, Panama City, FL 32401
* Following the meeting, at approximately 1:30 pm, Secretary Mabus will be available to speak with interested media.
*
At 6:00 pm (local) in St. Petersburg at the Karen Steininger Auditorium
at the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, University of South
Florida, 100 Eighth Ave S., St. Petersburg, FL 33701
* Following the meeting, at approximately 7:30 pm, Secretary Mabus will be available to speak with interested media.
Thursday, 5 AUG, Louisiana
Secretary Mabus will hold town hall meetings in Louisiana:
* At 12:00 (noon local) in Terrebonne Parish at the Houma-Terrebonne Civic Center
346 Civic Center Blvd, Houma, LA 70360
* Following the meeting, at approximately 1:30 pm, Secretary Mabus will be available to speak with interested media.
* At 6:00 pm (local) in Plaquemines Parish at the Buras Auditorium, 35619 Highway 11, Buras, LA, 70041
* Following the meeting, at approximately 7:30 pm, Secretary Mabus will be available to speak with interested
media.
Friday, 6 AUG, Texas
Secretary Mabus will hold town hall meetings in Texas:
* At 1200 (noon local) in Galveston. Location details to be provided in coming days.
* Following the meeting, at approximately 1:30 pm, Secretary Mabus will be available to speak with interested media.
Saturday, 7 AUG, Mississippi
Secretary Mabus will hold town hall meetings in Mississippi:
* At 10:00 am (local) in Bay St. Louis. Location details to be provided in coming days.
* Following the meeting, at approximately 11:30 am, Secretary Mabus will be available to speak with interested media.
* At 2:00 pm (local) in Ocean Springs. Location details to be provided in coming days.
* Following the meeting, at approximately 3:30 pm, Secretary Mabus will be available to speak with interested media.
7/29/10
As you know, this week marks the
100th day of the BP Deepwater Horizon Disaster, and as the Equity and
Inclusion Campaign once again brings its message of resilience and
recovery to Washington, DC, we are asking you to take a moment right now
to Support Our Leaders by sending a message
to Washington with them.
Tomorrow the Senate will take up spill
related legislation, and it is essential that provisions important to
the Gulf Coast are included. Tell your Senators
to increase transparency, oversight and participation through the Gulf
of Mexico Regional Citizens Advisory Council; ensure that any long term
Restoration Plan includes permanent funding streams for restoration
projects; and that any Clean Energy legislation explicitly provides
clean energy technology and workforce development investment in oil and
gas production economies.
We have a long road ahead of us, and we
know that our beaches, wetlands and communities won't be made instantly
whole, but the Senate should do its part to include the voices of those
most impacted by the recent crisis through a Gulf of Mexico Regional
Citizens Advisory Council (GOMRAC), and ensure that any restoration
plans are fully funded to adequately address a region that was already
in crisis.
Stand with community leaders as they travel to
Washington, DC this week and let's work together to make the Gulf Coast
whole.
7/28/10
See below for a timely community announcement.
BISCO announces its Gulf Coast Interfaith Prayer Service to be held on Friday
night, July 30, 2010 at 7 PM. The service will be held at the Terrebonne Civic
Center in Houma, LA and is free and open to the public. Rev. Blair Mitchell and
Rev. Curtiss Eden will co- chair this event. Please join us as we pray for
Divine Intervention in this Gulf Coast Oil Disaster and for Protection during
this Hurricane Season.
A GULF COAST
INTERFAITH
PRAYER SERVICE
Hosted By BISCO
Friday, July 30,
2010
7:00 p.m.
Houma/Terrebonne
Civic Center
Corner of Barrow Street and
Highway 311
Houma, Louisiana
PLEASE JOIN US IN
A TIME OF PRAYER AND REFLECTION
FOR DIVINE
INTERVENTION IN THE OIL DISASTER
"So we rebuilt
the wall until all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with
all their heart." Nehemiah 4:6
7/20/10
We wanted to let you know about two current funding opportunities.
The Gulf Coast Fund for Community Renewal and Ecological health has
announced two grant application deadlines in August. Full details are below.
*Summer Grant Cycle Applications Due August 16th, 2010*
The Gulf Coast Fund will be conducting our Summer Grant Cycle with a *deadline
of Monday August 16th*. The Request for Proposal and application materials
are attached and can be found on our website www.gulfcoastfund.org. Grant
decisions will be announced in October 2010. Applicants can apply for up to
$40,000 but grant awards are expected to be in the $5,000 to $20,000 range.
Full information can be found in the attached RFP and at:
http://gulfcoastfund.org/apply-for-a-grant/rfp-a-guidelines.html
*Next Round of BP Emergency Grant Applications Due August 2nd, 2010*
The Gulf Coast Fund continues to offer ongoing Emergency Grants in response
to the BP Oil Drilling Disaster. *The next deadline for Emergency Grant
applications is Monday August 2nd. *Emergency grants are intended for
community-led projects with immediate and short-term timelines. Decisions
will be announced by August 10th. Applicants can apply for up to
$7000. Details can be found in the attached Emergency Grant Application or
on our website:
http://gulfcoastfund.org/apply-for-a-grant/emergency-grants.html
*IMPORTANT, PLEASE NOTE:*
**Organizations who have previously received a BP Disaster Emergency Grant
from the Gulf Coast Fund are now eligible to reapply for emergency funds*.
Please submit a new application, including a brief report on what your
organization has accomplished with emergency funds received to date. (Full
details are included in the updated Emergency Grant application.)
*All past grantee organizations (emergency and regular grant cycles) are
eligible to apply for the Summer Grant Cycle, with the exception of
organizations who received a grant in our Winter 2010 Grant Cycle (list can
be found at www.gulfcoastfund.org)
*Organizations may submit applications for both the Emergency Grant and the
Summer Grant Cycle, as long as each application is focused on a different
project, and each project fits the criteria for the type of grant being
requested.
**Announcing The Pam Dashiell Fund: Healthy and Sustainable Communities for
All*
In December 2009 the Gulf Coast Fund created the Pam Dashiell Fund with an
initial $50,000 contribution in honor of founding Advisory Group member and
tireless community leader Pam Dashiell. A long-time resident of New Orleans'
Lower 9th Ward, Pam founded the Center for Sustained Engagement and
Development and participated in countless initiatives and coalitions to
support justice and sustainability. Pam was an unparalleled bridge-builder
linking communities and issues, and this Fund will be used to administer
special awards to applications that best embody the principles to which Pam
dedicated her life's work. *In the upcoming Summer Grant Cycle, applications
that best demonstrate the convergence of justice, sustainability,
environmental health and wellness for all will be selected to receive
Special Awards from the Pam Dashiell Fund.* Awards will be announced in
October 2010. No special application materials are required--award
recipients will be selected from applications received.
*****
Not sure which type of grant to apply for? Please see the information
attached and available at www.gulfcoastfund.org. If you are still unsure or
have questions, please contact Annie at annie@gulfcoastfund.org or
203-287-1948.
7/16/10
We wanted to let you know about a current funding opportunity.
Pepsi is providing $1.3 million dollars in grants each month to grassroots ideas big and small that are making real change in the lives of everyday Americans. Earlier this month, Pepsi's committed an additional $1.3 million for the month of August - doubling the monthly total grants to $2.6 million - for projects that will benefit communities in the Gulf States affected by the oil spill in an initiative called Do Good For The Gulf.
7/10/10
The U.S. House of Representatives passed a 2010 Supplemental bill that takes back badly needed hurricane recovery dollars. As the bill moves to the Senate,
tell your U.S. Senator that any Supplemental spending legislation should ensure the Gulf Coast does not lose critical funding. The current bill includes rescission of:
Take Action Right Now to let your Senators know that rescinding these hurricane recovery dollars will significantly impede our rebuilding capabilities and progress moving forward. You can make your voice heard by:
- 1) Call the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, and tell them that any bill passed by the Senate should preserve money appropriated for the Gulf Coast. They can be reached at (202) 224-7363.
After you've called in, please take a moment to reply back to this email and report your call. We will follow up with Committee staff and mention your call.
- 2) Tell your Senators to fight on our behalf!
Click here to email a letter directly to them.
7/7/10
CONTACT:
Roberta Avila Kaitlin Truong, Pharm.D.
Executive Director, Steps Coalition Chair, Asian Americans for Change
228-229-8552 228-806-1384
228-435-3113 kaitlin.truong@aachange.org
ravila@cableone.net
What: Oil Spill Resources and Claims Fair
When: Thursday, July 8, 2010
12:00 Noon - 8:00 p.m.
Where: Mississippi Coast Coliseum
Conference Hall "D"
2350 Beach Boulevard
Biloxi, MS 39531
Why:To provide a 1-stop shop where community members and businesses affected by the Deepwater Horizon Incident Oil Spill Disaster can get assistance with existing claims, file an initial claim online or calling toll-free, and get support and information from local resources.
Interpreters will be available and information materials will be made available in Vietnamese and Spanish.
The Oil Spill Resources and Claims Fair features include the following:
Unified Command:
Unified Command open house regarding the Deepwater Horizon Incident, the impact of the oil spill and clean up efforts underway.
Access to Local Community Resources:
Information on how to apply for food stamps, and access to health services, Health screenings, Mental Wellness, WIN Job Center, Small Business Administration (SBA) loan programs, social services, and much more.
Online & Toll-Free Claim Filing:
For people and businesses affected by the oil spill, BP Claims Officers will be on hand. People can get assistance with existing claims and have the ability to file new claims online or calling toll-free.
Children's Activities & Area:
Crafts and entertainment for children while adults focus on claims and access to community resources.
Entertainment:
VHN-TV show host and singers: Do Thanh and Diep Thanh Thanh
The Sao Dem Band
This fair is being made possible in part by a grant from BP and by the generosity of non-profits and businesses working together for the good of the community.
*****
White House Gulf Coast Update Conference Call
CALL NAME: Gulf Outreach Call
CALL-IN NUMBER: (800) 230-1092
Friday, July 9, 2010
2:00PM EST
*****
OPEN HOUSE IN LAFOURCHE PARISH
July 8 (TOMORROW)
The Moses Community Center
6:00 - 8:00pm CDT
1310 Cardinal Drive
Thibodaux, LA 70301
Representatives from the U.S. Coast Guard, BP, the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Environmental Protection Agency and other state and partner agencies responding to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill will be at this open house. This dialogue will give residents the opportunity to engage one-on-one with experts about the techniques, strategies and materials being used in the spill response. "We want to keep the local communities informed with the most accurate and timely information we have," said Coast Guard Capt. Roger Laferriere, Coast Guard Incident Commander in Houma, La. "We want to communicate with the public and provide them with first-hand information on the topics that concern them most."
The open house will feature experts and representatives from responding agencies who will answer questions and provide visual information on the various tools and testing, equipment and tactics that are being used in the response, including waste remediation, boom, burns, sand berms, skimming and dispersants. Agencies representatives will be available to address concerns about environmental quality, wildlife, safety and resources available to residents. Information will also be available on the Vessels of Opportunity Program, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and volunteer and employment efforts.
Claims representatives will be available for questions or concerns residents might have on the claims process.
*****
ADMINISTRATION LAUNCHES STREAMLINED OIL SPILL RESPONSE WEBSITE
Visit the new site: RestoreTheGulf.gov <http://www.restorethegulf.gov/>
7/6/10
As the 5th Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina nears, the Equity and Inclusion Campaign is seeking opportunities to ensure our voices are heard in many different arenas. See below for two exciting opportunities to lift our voices!
First, the Equity and Inclusion Campaign will be sending a small delegation to participate in the Mississippi Policy Conference presented by the Congressional Black Caucus, Political Education and Leadership Institute. The conference will be held on August 12-14, 2010 in Tunica, MS.
The Conference includes strategically designed Policy Sessions to bring clarity and elicit diverse thoughts on issues which impact and affect the quality of life in minority communities specifically, and all Americans in general. For more information, visit cbctunica.com
Second, the Equity and Inclusion Campaign is partnering with the Louisiana Association of Nonprofit Organizations (LANO) for their Annual Conference in New Orleans, LA on August 25-27, 2010.
The conference includes dozens of informative breakout sessions, will feature over 55 noted sector and civic leaders, top scholars and industry experts delivering the essentials of nonprofit excellence to you. Topics will include Fund Development, Trends and Innovations, Public Policy, Communications, Leadership, Accountability, Organizational Development and Human Capital. For more information, visit lano.org
MS Policy Conference
August 12-14, 2010
Tunica, MS
LANO Conference
August 25-27, 2010
New Orleans, LA
We have limited available spaces for both conferences.
If you would like to participate in one of these conferences,
please email matthew@equityandinclusion.org
before
noon on July 6, 2010
Priority will be given to Equity and Inclusion Campaign members.
6/30/10
BISCO announces a community educational forum to be held on Wednesday June 30th with Dr. Riki Ott, Exxon Survivor, community activist, a former Alaskan commercial salmon "fisherma'am" and a marine toxicologist with a specialty in oil pollution. Also presenting will be a group of indigenous leaders from British Columbia and indigenous leaders from Ecuador. These international guests are anxious to share with us their experiences in other oil disasters.
Community Educational Forum
June 30 (Today) 6:30pm
St. Elois KC Home
1331 Dr. Beatrous Rd. Theriot, LA.
Admission is free, and the presentation is open to the public.
6/29/10
We wanted to share a list of local events coordinated by BP and the Obama Administration. The Unified Area Command set up a series of open house events for citizens to learn more about the response to the Gulf oil spill. Booths will be arranged in each venue so that people can walk around and ask questions of each government/agency representative. Please see below for a full list of events happening this week.
June 29 (TODAY)
New Iberia, 6:00-8:00 pm
Caneview Elementary School
4110 Loreauville Road
New Iberia, LA 70563
July 1 (Thursday)
Houma Civic Center, 6:00-8:00 pm
Houma Terrebonne Civic Center
346 Civic Center Boulevard
Houma, Louisiana 70360
July 1 (Thursday)
6:00-8:00 pm
Biloxi Community Center
591 Howard Ave
Biloxi, MS 39530
July 2 (Friday)
A discussion between Administrator Lisa P. Jackson and the
Editor in Chief of Essence Magazine, Angela Burt Murray about the 5th Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and the impact of the Oil Spill
Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, 1:00-1:45pm
900 Convention Center Blvd
New Orleans, LA 70130-1799
6/28/10
Talking Social Justice Issues in Uncertain Times
July 27, 2010
9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
DeMiller Hall
610 Water St., Biloxi, MS
To reserve your space, please RSVP to Penny Burbank
by Friday, July 16
phone: 228-435-3113
fax: 228-432-9312
email: stepscoalition@gmail.com
Communications Workshop with the Steps Coalition, Equity and Inclusion Campaign and The Opportunity Agenda
Framing and Messaging Social Justice Issues
Telling values-based stories
Themes for guiding message development
Issue Examples
Talking about race in the age of Obama
Campaign for Community Values - a cross issue communications campaign
The Opportunity Agenda work on the 1st anniversary of Katrina
Interactive Exercise: Building a values-based message
Communications and Media Strategy
Identifying goals and audience
Media tactics and tips
Working with available resources
Interactive Exercise: Letter to the Editor
About The Opportunity Agenda
The Opportunity Agenda is a communications, research, and advocacy organization with the hopeful mission of building the national will to expand opportunity in America. Founded in 2004 as a project of Tides Center, we translate data, legal analysis, and practical experience into effective policies and practices.
6/24/10
Public Meeting on Independent Claims Process
Tomorrow: Friday, June 25, 2010,
12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. CDT
Larose Civic Center
307 E. 5th Street, Larose, La. 70373
WASHINGTON - United States Senator Mary L. Landrieu, D-La., and Ken Feinberg, Administrator of the Independent Claims Facility for BP's $20 billion escrow fund, will host public meetings in Larose and Violet, Louisiana, on Friday, to get input from individuals and businesses affected by the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
Last week, President Obama announced that Mr. Feinberg would manage the $20 billion escrow account established by BP to pay claims to Gulf Coast residents and communities who have suffered economic damages and losses as a result of the BP oil disaster. Local feedback provided from Friday's meetings -- from groups such as fishermen, charter boat captains, restaurant owners, oil rig workers, oil service companies, community leaders, and the interested public -- will help inform Mr. Feinberg's decisions on how to administer funds quickly and fairly in the short-term and how to best compensate families and businesses that will be negatively impacted in the long-term. The Claims Facility can be reached at 800-440-0858.
Media availabilities with Sen. Landrieu and Mr. Feinberg will occur immediately following each public meeting.
LANO Deepwater Horizon Assessment
In order to best equip the nonprofit sector with necessary resources relative to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, please complete this brief survey documenting your current needs and forward to any nonprofits you believe may be impacted by the crisis. The survey should take less than 10 minutes to complete.
These survey questions replicate those recently released by the Mississippi Center for Nonprofits and the Alabama Association of Nonprofits, and will help create a representative view of the needs of nonprofits across the affected region.
Your answers will allow timely understanding of our nonprofits' responsiveness, ability, resources and demands as they develop. Results will be shared in aggregate and published on the LANO website and elsewhere.
Louisiana's nonprofit sector is active in serving the needs of our citizens, communities, economy and environment. As the current crisis puts additional strain on nonprofits across our state and our region, please assist in this effort to understand and anticipate our sector's pressing needs.
Thank you!
****
AmericanSpeaks: Our Budget, Our Economy
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Roberts Wathall Hotel
225 East Capital Street (downtown Jackson, MS)
10:30am to 5pm, with check-in beginning at 9:45am
Why you should attend AmericaSpeaks: Our Budget, Our Economy discussion this Saturday:
Shape Our Financial Future: AmericaSpeaks presents a rare opportunity for you to have a direct hand in shaping fiscal policy for our nation for the long term.
Hear and Be Heard: You will share your insight and perspective as well as hear real-time responses from others across the nation and share with policy makers recommendations for putting our federal budget on a sustainable path. Recommendations from the session will be presented to Congress, President Obama, the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, and the Bi-Partisan Policy Center's Debt Reduction Task Force.
It is important that voices in our region are heard, as Jackson is the only Deep South location in this non-partisan 20-city National Town Hall meeting.
Please visit www.USABudgetDiscussion.org to register at no cost.
A few words from an event sponsor, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
AmericaSpeaks is a powerful forum in which to raise one's voice, so we want to ensure we draw on the strengths of those who are typically not at the heart of decision making. It's important to hear from local voices so participants include people of all races and color, a wide range of ages including our youth, and those in lower socioeconomic classes. Civic engagement is central to our work at the Foundation, and we hope the people of Jackson will feel empowered to speak up and step up to improve their community.
6/15/10
This year marks the 5th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and the Gulf Coast continues to feel the effects of the storm while facing new a crisis from the BP Horizon Disaster.
Five years after Hurricane Katrina, we must remember and document our journey-our narratives, our stories. Our narratives from the Gulf Coast help the entire nation understand this ongoing disaster and the years of hard work that must continue. Your narratives construct meaning for yourselves, your community, your state, and your country.
With this, the Equity and Inclusion Campaign is announcing the Hurricane Katrina 5th Anniversary: Narratives of Hope and Struggle Series. We begin with narratives of those throughout the Gulf Coast who remain homeless due to the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina. You may watch the narratives by clicking HERE.
We invite you to upload your stories and share them with the greater community. While we may not yet see a satisfactory end to our collective narrative, we are not invisible!
6/11/10
The Equity and Inclusion Campaign's Board of Directors recently announced the appointment of a special membership committee.
This committee will make a recommendation to the Board regarding membership benefits, fees, process, etc. The committee has five members (one person representing each state, one staff member, and one board member).
The committee members are:
o Lydia Ball- Arthur - Louisiana Representative
o Eugene Bryant - Board Representative
o Zack Carter - Alabama Representative
o James Crowell - Mississippi Representative
o Adren Wilson - E & I Staff Representative
o James Crowell will chair the committee
In order for the committee to accurately represent your viewpoints,
we invite all participants to send the committee suggestions.
6/3/10
As you've probably heard, last week we went to Washington, DC to ensure that communities impacted by the BP Horizon disaster are included in the search for solutions.
Ten of us from communities across the Gulf Coast held House and Senate briefings for legislative staff, met with Obama Administration officials, as well as those of our Congressional delegation and relevant committees.
The days were hectic ones, but essential in our ability to share a narrative from our homes that are once again in such grave danger. We heard messages of openness and receptiveness to the full range of issues facing our communities; we also heard difficult messages and know that this will once again be a heavy lift to ensure our lives are protected.
Together we have developed a platform that outlines the full scope of economic, social, cultural and ecological impacts this disaster has on our communities, along with proposed solutions. We collectively wrote this platform from a wide range of input in a series of community meetings and forums....and now we must make this message heard.
To read the full statement, please click
HERE
.
To add your organization's name as a supporter of this effort,
We will send this platform to every Member of Congress, officials from the Obama Administration, and submit it to the Congressional record of relevant hearings, in the first of many steps to advance regional and equitable solutions to the crisis in the Gulf.
6/1/2010
GULF COAST PEOPLE'S MOVEMENT ASSEMBLY presents
IMPACTING CLIMATE CHANGE II:
Wetland Restoration asCommunity Protection and Disaster Mitigation
FRIDAY, MAY 28th, 2010
10am - 4PM
Quality Inn
2414 Beach Blvd.
Biloxi, MS
Please RSVP your attendance via e-mail to:
info@movingforwardgc.org
Directions: I-10 to Gulfport MS. Exit #38 (Lorraine/Hwy 605) headed South toward the beach. Turn Left at Beach Blvd. U-turn to Quality Inn.
Gulf Coast residents share information and solutions for community and disaster protection through restoring our coastal wetlands and rebuilding the region with equity.
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U.S. SOCIAL FORUM
ANOTHER WORLD IS POSSIBLE; ANOTHER WORLD IS NECESSARY
JUNE 22-26, 2010
Detroit, Michigan
The US Social Forum (USSF) is not a conference, but a movement building process to bring people together to come up with solutions to the economic and ecological crises facing our country and the world. The USSF in Detroit is the second forum that will be held in the United States, following years of World Social Forums that have been held in Brazil, Africa, Venezuela, and other countries around the world. The Detroit forum is an important step in our struggle to build a multi-racial, intergenerational, diverse, inclusive international movement that will transform this country and changes history.
LIFETIME will be sending a delegation of CalWORKs students to this historic event, where we'll be conducting two workshops: (1) Ending Poverty, Not Welfare, about our work to challenge welfare time limits and make ending poverty the goal of the reauthorization of Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF), the 1996 legislation that created welfare reform; and (2) Women for Economic Justice (WEJ), an interactive session that will enable LIFETIME parent leaders to network and brainstorm with low-income women's organizations around the country, about how we can work together to end poverty for our families, and achieve economic justice for our communities.
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ANSI-HSSP WORKSHOP on EMERGENCY EVACUATION OPERATIONS
THURSDAY, JUNE 17, 2010
Astor Crowne Plaza
739 Canal Street
New Orleans, LA
Registration is open until June 9th. Go to http://www.ansi.org/ to register.
In February 2009, the ANSI-Homeland Security Standards Panel (HSSP), in collaboration with the National Organization on Disability (NOD) Emergency Preparedness Initiative (EPI) and the NFPA Disability Access Review and Advisory Committee (DARAC), launched a new Workshop to examine existing and/or needed standards for Emergency Preparedness for Persons with Disabilities and Special Needs in both the built environment as well as for evacuation operations. The final Workshop report issued in May 2009 is available for your review [click here].The ANSI-HSSP will now launch a Phase II series of three separate issue-driven Workshops related to the topic of Emergency Preparedness for Persons with Disabilities and Special Needs working to provide actionable recommendations for the timely development of standards, specifically related to the built environment, products and assistive devices, and emergency evacuation operations.
5/21/2010
Call To Action: Take pictures and videos of our marshes, beaches and Gulf Coast. We need to document the current conditions of wildlife and the natural surroundings that may be impacted by the oil spill. Video or audio testimony and observations are also encouraged.
Please submit media and contact or organizational information to video@belowthesurface.org. We'll be
making the map available to any organizations who want to use it or integrate it into their website.
5/10/2010
As all eyes turn toward our Coast and the landfall of the BP Horizon Disaster oil slick, the Equity and Inclusion Campaign will go forth with our scheduled All-Campaign Regional Convening. With an added sense of purpose, we bring together all policy areas represented in the Campaign. The meeting will present important information regarding all Working Groups, Media Training and Community Organizing.
In addition, we will conduct official business, including the election of new Board Members. If you would like to nominate self or others to the board, please send a short resume to Mary Troupe at mary@msccd.org by May 21, 2010. Please note that Board Members are required to be Equity and Inclusion Campaign members.
Hotel information and an official agenda will be sent out soon.
Unity and Purpose
All Campaign Regional Convening
May 26-27, 2010
Biloxi, MS.
(We will begin promptly at 10:30am on May 26, 2010
and end promptly at 1:00pm on May 27, 2010.)
In order to ensure everyone a hotel room (double occupancy) and meals
Please RSVP by May 14, 2010 to matthew@equityandinclusion.org
5/3/2010
As the BP oil slick washes ashore coastal Louisiana and heads towards Mississippi and Alabama, our hearts and minds are with the families and communities across the Gulf Coast. To survivors of the BP Horizon explosion, as well as the families, friends and co-workers of those missing, we extend our deepest sympathies and prayers.
As we coordinate information and resources, we will continue to send you regular updates. At the request of Equity and Inclusion Campaign participants along the coast, we have also set up a BP Horizon Disaster Resource Pagethat is interactive and can provide you with real-time, updated information, links to a variety of resources and information and volunteer opportunities.
We know that the impact of the BP Horizon Disaster on families and communities will be deep and long-lasting. We know that people have already lost their livelihoods; we also know that still more will. We know that the oil spill threatens our fragile wetlands, beaches and communities and that the environmental, economic and social impact of the spill will be deep and far-reaching, and that families still struggling to recover from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina are once again made vulnerable.
Please take a moment to visit our BP Horizon Disaster Resource Pageto read and post your own stories, access updated information and connect with community resources.
Now, more than ever, we must commit to restoring our wetlands and protecting our coast.
And together we will.
4/26/10
With the destruction of the tornadoes over the weekend, we are saddened by the loss of life and praying for the families and communities impacted. Please say a prayer today for those who suddenly find themselves facing life without a love one and for those facing the painful process of rebuilding homes and communities.
With Prayer,
Equity and Inclusion Campaign
4/21/10
Fair Housing Educational Forum for
Hurricane Katrina Relocatees
and the Atlanta Community
Saturday, April 24, 2010 - 11:00 am to 1:00 pm
in the Greater Saint Stephen Hall
Changing A Generation Full Gospel Baptist Church
3350 Greenbriar Parkway, SW
Atlanta, Georgia 30331
Near Greenbriar Mall
Light refreshments will be served. Free and open to the public.
Hear directly from Gordon Joyner, Esq., Executive Director and Administrator of the Georgia Civil Rights Department – Georgia Commission on Equal Opportunity and staff members about steps to take if discrimination of any kind has occurred, plus submit discrimination complaint forms on site.
April is National Fair Housing Month and Georgia Fair Housing and Equal Employment Opportunity Month.
For more information, call (404) 752-3001
- NAACP Atlanta Branch.
4/15/10
Equity and Inclusion Campaign is hosting a Policy Series throughout the Gulf Coast. The Policy Series is an opportunity to enhance our collective policy work, assess existing unmet needs, discuss solutions and strategize our advocacy.
The event will focus on Environment and Infrastructure, and be held on April 20, 2010, at the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer (610 Water Street; 10:30-2:30) in Biloxi, MS. A light lunch will be provided.
Our next event will focus on Workers' Rights and Economic Development, and be held on April 22, 2010, at the University of South Alabama Student Center (307 University Blvd North; 10:30-2:30) in Mobile, AL. A light lunch will be provided.
Our last Policy Series Event will focus on Education, and be held on April 28, 2010, at the Masonic Temple (1072 J R Lynch Street;10:30-2:30) in Jackson, MS. A light lunch will be provided.
In order to ensure everyone will be accomodated,
please RSVP for these events by April 16, 2010,
to matthew@equityandinclusion.org.
In your e-mail, please note which event you will be attending .
3/16/10
Our first event will focus on housing, and be held on March 23, 2010, at the Lindy C. Boggs International Conference Center on the campus of the University of New Orleans (Room 154 Amphitheater; 10:30-2:30) in New Orleans, LA. A light lunch will be provided.
Our second event will focus on health and healthcare, and be held on March 25, 2010, at the Dotch Community Center (3100 Banks Avenue; 10:30-2:30) in Mobile, AL. A light lunch will be provided.
In order to ensure everyone will be accomodated,
please RSVP for these events by March 18, 2010,
In your e-mail, please note which event you will be attending.
2/25/10
The Obama Administration's Long Term Disaster Recovery Working Group recently released a draft of its final report, the National Disaster Recovery Framework (NDRF), which incorporates many of the comments put forward by Equity and Inclusion Campaign participants in a January 7th meeting in New Orleans.
Comments on the draft are only allowed until this Friday, February 26th. To read and comment on the framework, click HERE.
The Equity and Inclusion Campaign will be sending a sign-on letter to the Administration this Friday, and we welcome your organization to sign on as a supporter. To view the letter, please click HERE.
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