Community Labor United
ACTION PLAN for a National Coalition with Local Leadership
September 21, 2005
Dear friends of the People's Hurricane Relief Fund
Since Hurricane Katrina, Community Labor United a New
Orleans based coalition dedicated to creating spaces for grassroots
organizations to dialogue, strategize, and build collective
work has been facilitating the development of a
Peoples' Hurricane Relief Fund & Oversight Coalition. Due to the
enormity of the task ahead of us and the many different areas of work
that need to be addressed, it has become clear that a national coalition
must form to take on this project.
Many of you have read the initial demands of the Peoples Hurricane
Relief Fund & Oversight Coalition. The document here below attempts to
further specify the goals and objectives of this coalition effort, and
to communicate a basic framework for organizing the massive body of work
before us. We also outline here a few of the many tasks we need folks to
take responsibility for.
Some of the work groups already have contact people so if you are
interested in these work groups, please email the provided contact. They
will be convening conference call meetings in the near future to include
new volunteers. There will be a retreat at the end of the month
(September 30) and each work group should send a representative to
present a report of your work and future work plans. The meeting space
will be announced shortly.
Some of the work groups do not yet have contact people. If you are
willing to be the contact, please email Becky at bbelcore@hotmail.com.
Also, if you are interested in doing certain tasks not related to any
committee, please email Becky.
For a strong, reunited, Peoples' New Orleans,
Peoples' Hurricane Relief Fund & Oversight Coalition
ACTION PLAN for a National Coalition with Local Leadership
OBJECTIVES OF THE COALITION
To build and maintain a coordinated network of community leaders,
organizers and community based organizations with the capacity and
organizational infrastructure that can help to meet the needs of people
most impacted by Hurricane Katrina and facilitate an organizing process
that will demand local, grassroots leadership in the relief, return and
reconstruction process in New Orleans.
GOALS OF THE COALITION
Manage the People's Hurricane Relief Fund and demand transparency from
FEMA and other major organizations raising funds and resources in the
people's name
Help to coordinate and support grassroots relief and organizing efforts
and act as a clearinghouse for information and volunteers
Create and maintain an ongoing space for networking and strategizing
between organizers and volunteers
Facilitate return/rebuild process and ensure local, grassroots
leadership and participation in every phase
ORGANIZING STRUCTURE
Local oversight work group to coordinate all working groups and
facilitate communication
Establish 6 offices with a point person for each office in: New Orleans,
Baton Rouge, Jackson, Lake Charles, Houston and support Common Ground's
office in Algiers
Establish "Survivors Councils" in cities across the country where
evacuees have been taken/ have settled to ensure their participation,
input and information distribution
Establish work groups (see below)
ORGANIZING PLAN
Encourage everyone to join a work group. Designate a point person from
each work group who can convene conference calls and email discussions
for the work group and who can be in touch with the communications
centers. Designate a point person for each communication center, even
where no physical offices exist. Host regular larger conference calls to
get report backs from work groups and communications centers.
WORK GROUPS AND IMMEDIATE TASKS
*Tasks that have been starred could be done by national volunteers
POLITICAL OVERSIGHT & RECONSTRUCTION immediate tasks:
- ensure local grassroots participation in all aspects of the work
- find out about and make sure someone attends all public meetings
regarding reconstruction
- coordinate technicians who are assisting with reconstruction efforts
including construction brigades and provide trade skills training
- organize political responses at a local and national level based on
the demands and analysis coming out of the People's Committee*
- draw individuals and groups that are part of the Black Liberation
Movement and coordinate resources and support*
- work with displaced evacuees to keep them informed and ensure their
input and participation*
- organize brigades of technicians for the reconstruction work*
- help to monitor government plans for return/reconstruction*
Contacts:
Malcolm Suber (msuber4366@yahoo.com)
Angela Winfrey (angelawinf@aol.com)
Ray Eurquhart (R.Eur@verizon.net)
ORGANIZING AND INTERNAL COMMUNICATION immediate tasks:
- Help establish offices and recruit organizers for Baton Rouge, Lake
Charles, Houston, Jackson, Algiers and New Orleans*
- Locate all CLU members and allies
- Skilled facilitators for meetings and conference calls*
- Establish website, find volunteer to maintain and update*
- Send out weekly updates of coalition work
Temporary Contact: Becky Belcore (bbelcore@hotmail.com)
Website contact: Andy Allen (andylovesbikes@yahoo.com)
FUNDRAISING/FINANCE immediate tasks:
- establish decision
- making protocol on how funds will be used
- establish budgets for both the Vanguard Fund and CLU
- put out public call for funds for organizing specifically, and
clarify how people can donate to organizing and/or direct relief*
- set up accounting system, find volunteer accountant*
Contact: John O'Neal (joneal2927@aol.com)
SUPPLIES immediate tasks:
- create list of the best places to distribute donations of supplies*
- create list of people/organizations who can help distribute supplies
and sites where supplies can be warehoused*
- coordinate supply distribution*
- designate point person to field requests for help with distribution*
Contacts:
Ishmael Muhammad (ishmaelmuhammad@yahoo.com)
Elaine Peacock (elainepeacock@yahoo.com )
HEALTH immediate tasks:
- assess/document medical conditions and needs*
- gather donations of medical supplies*
- build medical teams, establish free clinics*
Contact: Catherine Jones (cathjones_99@yahoo.com)
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH immediate tasks:
- independent testing of air, water and soil
- issue report about environmental conditions for the community
- help publicize health information to help reduce exposure to toxins
Temporary Contact: Melissa Burch (melburch@mindspring.com)
MEDIA immediate tasks:
- determine whether or not to invite professional, progressive media
consultants to work with us
- appoint Media Coordinator who takes interview requests, helps write
articles, etc.
- designate someone to handle requests for speakers and explore the
possibility of speaking engagements as fundraisers
- finalize official public statement for the press
- develop mechanism for updating press statement as situation develops
- identify and train spokespersons
- agree upon talking points
- identify people to monitor media and collect clips and issue daily
short reports to the media, legal and oversight committee
Contact: Cassandra Burrows (casbur@hotmail.com)
VOLUNTEER AND SOLIDARITY COORDINATION immediate tasks:
- appoint volunteer coordinator(s) with cell phone willing to field
calls from individuals and organizations looking for ways to
support/volunteer publicize this number and set up
email account specifically for this
- provide information to volunteers/organizations and facilitate their
participation in the project
- update inventory/database of the work organizations and individuals
are doing with contact info, and survey folks about how others like them
can join in their efforts send out to whole group
Contact for individuals: Jean Vegas ( jeanvegas_nola@yahoo.com)
Contact for organizations: Beth Simpson (elizacorps@yahoo.com)
LEGAL & CRIMINAL JUSTICE immediate tasks:
- conduct interviews with people who were at OPP*
- explore possibilities for lawsuits*
- conduct ongoing research, create weekly reports to inform the local
work*
- legal advisory role for relief fund*
- publicize DOC and OYD hotlines*
Temporary Contact: Jennifer Lai (yeujeng@gmail.com)
EDUCATION
- set up Freedom Schools and after school programs for children*
- set up adult literacy classes*
- evaluate other educational resources needed for community members*
Temporary Contact: Lisa Delpit (delpitl@fiu.edu)
STORY COLLECTION
- collect stories from displaced New Orleanians on their experiences
during and since the storm, as well as their ideas about what they would
like to see in a reconstructed New Orleans*
- publish and otherwise make available the findings of this research
for use in activism and influencing reconstruction policy*
Contact: Rachel Breunlin, Neighborhood Storybook Project
(rbreunlin@yahoo.com)
POTENTIAL ADDITIONAL WORK GROUPS IF SOMEONE VOLUNTEERS TO BE CONTACT
PERSON
COMMUNITY ACCOUNTABILITY
- gather reports of abuse that occurred as a result of the hurricane,
particularly crimes against women and children
- develop a process by which abuse can be addressed and justice is
served
- research and provide resources for victims
FAMILY REUNIFICATION
- visit or otherwise reach all shelters with hotlines and names of
missing folks
- Reunification for people displaced with limited resources
- work
to demand FEMA assistance in relocating families together
SOCIAL SERVICE
- coordinate volunteers to provide FEMA assistance across the country
(also as means to collect names and addresses of displaced folks)
- set up 1-800 number for evacuees to call for assistance (also helps
track people)
- assess needs of local evacuees in terms of basic needs (ie housing,
health care, education, etc)
- direct organizing work for building of
the People's Committee
ARTS & CULTURE
- develop means to emphasize that the people of New Orleans are the
culture of New Orleans
- work to support and include artists in reconstruction conversations
Copyright © 2005
Last Modified: September 21, 2005.
Webspinner: webmaster@crmvet.org
(Labor donated)