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PRESS RELEASE
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Red Cross volunteers
injured during Ebola burial in Democratic Republic of the Congo
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Two of the volunteers were seriously wounded and are
now receiving medical care for their injuries
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KINSHASA, Democratic Republic
of Congo, October 4, 2018/ -- Three Red Cross volunteers were injured Tuesday
(2 October) when they were attacked while carrying out a safe and dignified
burial in the city of Butembo in the north east of the Democratic Republic of
the Congo (DRC).
Two of the volunteers were seriously wounded and are now receiving medical care for their injuries. DRC Red Cross teams have faced incidents of violence and aggression from communities resisting safe burial protocols since the start of the Ebola outbreak in North Kivu. In September, one Red Cross volunteer was injured when people threw stones at a vehicle transporting a safe burial team. However, Tuesday’s attack has been the most violent incidence of community resistance to date. Dr Fatoumata Nafo-Traoré, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies’ (IFRC) Regional Director for Africa said: “This is an awful reminder of the dangers that these volunteer safe and dignified burials teams face. While we categorically denounce the attack on our colleagues, we understand the fear and frustration that many communities in North Kivu feel right now. People are scared and there are many rumours circulating that only serve to heighten the sense of fear and distrust.” The body of a person who has died from Ebola is highly infectious and if not handled properly can contaminate others. In previous Ebola outbreaks, these safe and dignified burials have been critical to stopping the spread of the disease. “Every day, our teams are doing what they can to build trust, to provide information, and to help people understand the risk that Ebola presents. They can do this because they come from these communities themselves. They speak the language and understand the customs and traditional beliefs,” said IFRC’s Dr Nafo-Traoré. The Red Cross has dispatched trained specialists to Butembo to provide immediate psychosocial support to those impacted and is working to improve the safety and security of volunteers. Grégoire Mateso Mbuta, the President of the Red Cross of the DRC said: “We call upon the communities in North Kivu to cooperate with volunteers and health workers who are giving their time to ensure that communities are protected from the Ebola outbreak. Local volunteers are critical to stopping the spread of disease.” Since the beginning of the outbreak, more than 180 specially trained Red Cross safe and dignified burial volunteers have carried out 162 burials in North Kivu.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of International
Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) |
Thursday, October 4, 2018
Red Cross volunteers injured during Ebola burial in Democratic Republic of the Congo
Wednesday, October 3, 2018
NAACP RELEASES TOOLKIT–“IN THE EYE OF THE STORM: A PEOPLE’S GUIDE TO TRANSFORMING CRISIS AND ADVANCING EQUITY IN THE DISASTER CONTINUUM” SEPTEMBER 26, 2018
NAACP RELEASES TOOLKIT–“IN THE EYE OF THE STORM: A
PEOPLE’S GUIDE TO TRANSFORMING CRISIS AND ADVANCING EQUITY IN THE DISASTER
CONTINUUM”
SEPTEMBER 26, 2018
FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE Media contact: Malik
Russell mrussell@naacpnet.org
BALTIMORE (September 26,
2018)–Today, the National Association for the Advancement of
Colored People (NAACP) announces the release of In the Eye of the Storm: A People’s Guide to
Transforming Crisis and Advancing Equity in the Disaster Continuum Toolkit. The
“eye” refers to how some communities, due to pre-existing vulnerabilities,
find themselves more in the crosshairs than others. And it also refers to the
need for watchful vigilance as we document and take action on
inequities. This 190-page manual prepares frontline
communities to be first responders in disasters as well as to serve as
monitors for equity in disaster response, and to advance an equitable
disaster policy platform.
NAACP believes the key to adequate and equitable
disaster preparedness and recovery is training and planning,” said Katherine
T. Egland, Chair, National Board of Directors Environmental and Climate
Justice Committee. “This toolkit
provides guidance on taking action to ensure that each
phase of the disaster continuum–from mitigation to preparedness to
response, relief, recovery, and redevelopment–is rooted in human and civil
rights.”
Recognizing the inequities along the entire disaster
continuum, from differential protective levee fortification, to who gets
served first in the disaster aftermath, to the ICE raids that have happened
in post-disaster contexts, to gentrification and displacement that can result
from disaster capitalism, the NAACP sees disaster justice as a core focus in
our civil rights agenda,”said Jacqui Patterson, Senior Director,
NAACP Environmental and Climate Justice Program. “Components of the
In the Eye of the Storm Toolkit include: Disaster Policy and Governance
Framework, How to Start a Community Emergency Response Team, Hosting a
Community Visioning Session, Establishing a Community Advisory Board, Civil
and Human Rights In Emergency Management Monitoring Tool, Partnership Matrix
of What Agencies/ Organizations Do What in Disasters, Disaster
Management Resource List, and more.”
“In January, the NAACP Florida State Conference made
sure that 28 of our units were trained as Community Emergency Response Teams
under FEMA. We then issued a challenge for all the NAACP State Conferences
to follow in our footsteps,” said Adora Obi Nweze, President NAACP
Florida State Conference and Chair, NAACP Emergency Management Taskforce. With
the release of this toolkit that provides guidance on setting up a CERT, we
re-issue the challenge! Katrina, Maria, Irma, and now Florence, as well as
the wildfires out west and the tornadoes and flooding in the
Midwest….all of these disasters and the impacts on our communities,
tell us in no uncertain terms that we have to be prepared! We implore
you to please join us in taking advantage of this toolkit to get geared
up and start your state and local NAACP Community Emergency Response
Teams, before disaster finds itself at your doorstep.”
The In the Eye of the Storm: A People’s
Guide to Transforming Crisis and Advancing Equity in the Disaster
Continuum Toolkit can be downloaded from the NAACP website by
clicking HERE.
###
Founded in 1909, the NAACP is the nation’s oldest and largest
nonpartisan civil rights organization. Its members throughout the United
States and the world are the premier advocates for civil rights in
their communities. You can read more about the NAACP’s work and our
six “Game Changer” issue areas here.
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Black Emergency Managers Association
International
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1231 Good Hope Road S.E.
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Washington, D.C. 20020
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Office: 202-618-9097
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bEMA International
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“Our lives are not our own.
We are bound to others, past and present, and by each crime and every kindness,
we birth our future.” ¯ David
Mitchell, Cloud Atlas
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Cooperation, Collaboration,
Communication, Coordination, Community engagement, and Partnering (C5&P)
A 501 (c) 3 organization.
Monday, October 1, 2018
Workshops..California. Resources for Food Assistance
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Thursday, September 27, 2018
Puerto Rico, USVI, Dominica, and other small nations globally is it the same?
‘Inept’ Puerto Rican government ‘riddled with corruption’: CEO
September 30, 2017 | 5:19pm
Jorge Rodriguez, 49, is the Harvard-educated CEO of PACIV, an international engineering firm based in Puerto Rico that works with the medical and pharmaceutical sectors. The Puerto Rican-born engineer says he has dispatched 50 engineers to help FEMA rehabilitate the devastated island — a commonwealth of the United States — after Hurricane Maria. He refuses to work with the local government, which he called inept and riddled with corruption.
For the last 30 years, the Puerto Rican government has been completely inept at handling regular societal needs, so I just don’t see it functioning in a crisis like this one. Even before the hurricane hit, water and power systems were already broken. And our $118 billion debt crisis is a result of government corruption and mismanagement.
The governor Ricardo Rossello has little experience. He’s 36 and never really held a job and never dealt with a budget. His entire administration is totally inexperienced and they have no clue how to handle a crisis of this magnitude.
For instance, shortly after the hurricane hit, the government imposed a curfew from 6 pm to 6 am and then changed it. Now, it’s 7 pm to 5 am, and makes no sense. The curfew has prevented fuel trucks from transporting their loads. These trucks should have been allowed to run for 24 hours to address our needs, but they have been stalled, and so we have massive lines at gas stations and severe shortages of diesel at our hospitals and supermarkets.
I’m really tired of Puerto Rican government officials blaming the federal government for their woes and for not acting fast enough to help people on the island. Last week I had three federal agents in my office and I was so embarrassed; I went out of my way to apologize to them for the attitude of my government and what they have been saying about the US response. When the hurricane hit we had experts from FEMA from all over the US on the ground and I was really proud of their quick response. The first responders and FEMA have all been outstanding in this crisis, and should be supported.
I have 50 engineers that I have sent out pro bono to help local companies get back on their feet. This includes getting people gasoline and cash, and helping them connect to others that can assist with repairs without delays.
I won’t allow my people to work with the local government.
I have a message for the U.S. Congress: Watch out what relief funds you approve and let our local government handle. Don’t let the Puerto Rican government play the victim and fool you. They have no clue what they are doing, and I worry that they will mishandle anything that comes their way.
They don’t need another aircraft carrier. They need experienced people to run a proper disaster command center.
New York PostSunday, September 23, 2018
Press Release. Fighting for the Gullah/Geechee Environment Globally. 9/23/2018
Give to the
Gullah\Geechee Nation:
In February of
2018, in one month over $1-billion dollars of revenue were generated for one movie
that portrayed fiction that became a call to action for many.
The Gullah\Geechee Nation is our reality.
The Gullah\Geechee Nation is our reality.
To our art,
business, music, Hip Hop community, sports, and other professional individuals
and organizations.
Give to reality,
Give to the need,
Give to the survival of our culture and heritage.
Give to the Gullah\Geechee Nation our culture and heritage.
***PRESS RELEASE***
CONTACT: Gullah/Geechee Sea Island Coalition
GullGeeCo@aol.com
(843)838-1171
Fighting for the Gullah/Geechee Environment Globally
(23 September 2018, St. Helena Island, SC, Gullah/Geechee Nation) Queen Quet, Chieftess of the
Gullah/Geechee Nation (www.QueenQuet.com)
initiated the "Save the Sea Islands" annual tour over
two decades ago. In that period of time, she has taken the Gullah/Geechee
story to national and international platforms including numerous United Nations
events, UNESCO, and most recently to the Global Climate Action Summit.
During the latter, she received a standing ovation for delivering this
riveting presentation about climate action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7ZLI8kpD_I&t=52s
Queen
Quet delivered the keynote address for the "Rise for Jobs, Climate,
and Justice Rally" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vD-LHMp5k0s&t=3s)
in Columbia, SC before she departed to be with world leaders at the Global
Climate Action Summit. She returned with the intention of
bringing the global message of how to work to protect the Carolina environment
against climate change back to that city as well. However, the Carolinas
Resilience Conference at which she is schedule to lead a session had to be
postponed due to Hurricane Florence. Queen Quet then used that time to lead her organization,
the Gullah/Geechee Sea
Island Coalition in coordinating storm recovery and emergency management
efforts for the Gullah/Geechee
Nation. Her knowledge of environmental issues and links with national
and global partners including the Black Emergency Managers Association International
immediately led to a people coming together to gather resources for and to get
assistance to coastal areas in a more equitable fashion than is normally the
case in times of crisis. She will be leading additional emergency
preparedness trainings throughout the Gullah/Geechee Nation
as part of the recovery efforts for those effected by the hurricane and
subsequent flooding and for the rest of the Nation due to the fact that the
hurricane season has not ended. Thousands of people are supporting this
initiative via https://www.gofundme.com/GullahGeecheeStorm and https://secure.actblue.com/donate/schurricanerelief .
Queen Quet is well aware that storms are only compounding the erosion of the
Sea Islands and the coast which is happening due to sea level rise and other
impacts of climate change. How to mitigate and reverse this harm is some
of the information that she is presenting in her lectures and workshops during
the "Save the Sea Islands World Tour." The work of the
tour is part of the commitment that has been made by the Gullah/Geechee Nation to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs).
Queen
Quet will deliver a keynote address at the University of Florida's
Chemistry Lab C130 in Gainsville at 7:30 pm on Tuesday, September 25, 2018
which is free and open to the public. This histo-musical
presentation and interactive dialogue will address how to maintain and sustain
cultural heritage in the midst of environmental issues, injustice, and
attempted displacement. The Gullah/Geechee have been faced with all of
these issues repeatedly and have managed to continue their existence on the Sea
Islands from Jacksonville, NC to Jacksonville, FL. The audience
will be able to not only hear of their success story, but will learn how to respectfully
engage with the community and support their efforts to protect their homeland.
After the engagement in Florida, Queen Quet will host an
event on historic St. Helena Island, SC to enlighten the Gullah/Geechee
community about the toxins caused by environmental dangers including oil
drilling (https://www.eventbrite.com/e/toxic-chemicals-and-oil-exploration-in-the-gullahgeechee-nation-discussion-tickets-49396723931?aff=ebapi).
She will then depart once again for the United Nations. Those
that want to support her UN journey which will include three more events during
2018 can contribute to that aspect of the "Gullah/Geechee Save the Sea
Islands Tour" via this GoFundMe campaign: https://www.gofundme.com/gullahgeechee-queen-quet-goes-toun
Queen
Quet says, "Hunnuh mus tek cyare de root fa heal de tree. Ef
hunnuh wan git de tools fa disya, cum fa yeddi de Gullah/Geechee."
Come out and hear the Gullah/Geechee wisdom that she will share.
Webe Gullah/Geechee Anointed Peepol!
Lun mo bout who webe
Volunteers Needed. BEMA Int. Liaison in HQ ARC Disaster Operations Coordination Center
Immediate need for volunteers to represent BEMA International within the
HQ American Red Cross (ARC) Disaster Operations Coordination Center (DOCC) as
the BEMA Liaison.
Ideal for undergraduate or graduate level
college\university students in homeland security & emergency management
curricula.
Volunteers would be activated as ARC DOCC is
activated. Possible 24/7 access to their
facilities will be provided.
Please contact me directly if interested for
basic requirements and understanding of emergency operations center, and
knowledge of ARC.
Charles
Charles D. Sharp
Chief Executive Officer
Black Emergency Managers Association
International
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1231 Good Hope Road S.E.
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Washington, D.C. 20020
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Office: 202-618-9097
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bEMA International
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Saturday, September 22, 2018
Update #5: Situation Awareness. Gullah Nation response & recovery Hurricane\Storm Florence. Sepember 22, 2018
Response and recovery of the Gullah Nation from hurricane\storm Florence is an ongoing effort from flooding long after the storm has past.
Financially our communities are constantly stressed. Give whatever and how much as possible.
Ask local buusiness, private industry to adjust their profit margins and give back to communities in need. Ask local Home Depot, Lowes, Walmarts, and others to contribute.
Corporation, and private industry are not just a part of the community in good times, but when disasters strike.
BEMA International
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Gullah Nation financial Support
Financially our communities are constantly stressed. Give whatever and how much as possible.
Ask local buusiness, private industry to adjust their profit margins and give back to communities in need. Ask local Home Depot, Lowes, Walmarts, and others to contribute.
Corporation, and private industry are not just a part of the community in good times, but when disasters strike.
BEMA International
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Gullah Nation financial Support
@SierraClub fa supportin de
@GullahGeechee!
- You can join their members in contributing to the coalition of groups that are working on #Hurricane #Florence recovery in the Carolinas by contributing electronically at https://secure.actblue.com/donate/schurricanerelief
You can donate to our rebuilding fund here:
You can also contribute to the on-going
Gullah/Geechee Land Legacy Fund here: https://www.gofundme.com/manage/gullahgeechee-land-legacy-fund
Here is Queen Quet's (Gullah Nation leadership)
Huffpost article during the storm
Here are some of the articles that have come out so far regarding
what the Gullah/Geechee
Nation is faced with even after the storms cease:
- https://www.citylab.com/environment/2018/09/hurricane-florence-could-sever-property-ties-in-carolinas-lowcountry/570316/
- https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/13/us/african-americans-hurricane-florence-displacement.html
- https://blackamericaweb.com/2018/09/12/south-carolina-gullah-community-has-experience-riding-out-storms/
Tenki Tenki fa hunnuh support!