Letter to the Peoples of the Americas

To All Our Friends and Allies in the Americas, 

The following is a list of initiatives the Peoples’ Hurricane Relief Fund (PHRF) and the Tribunal Organizing Committee are aiming to receive support on in the international arena, particularly in pursuit of the remedies proposed by the International Tribunal on Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, held in New Orleans, LA on August 29th – September 2nd, 2007.  

1. We would like to pursue an audience or hearing with the Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM) to present the findings of the Tribunal and request its support for various international advocacy initiatives pursuant to the remedies proposed by the Tribunal.
2. We would like to pursue an audience or hearing at the Organization of American States (OAS) to present the findings of the Tribunal and request a human rights hearing through the Inter-American Court.
3. We would like to pursue an audience with the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), if possible, to present the findings of the Tribunal to the organization and advocate that the organization call for a hearing on Hurricanes Katrina and Rita at the United Nations (UN).

Intermediate actions we would like support for include the following:

1. Help spread and promote the Tribunal petition being circulated on our website at www.katrinatribunal.org.
2. Help promote the International Parliamentarian Conference called by Brazilian State Deputy Jose Candido and Algerian Parliamentarian Louisa Hanoune and being promoted by the MNU and CONEN of Brazil.
3. Help advocate for the policy recommendations we are proposing and promoting including: a) designation of the survivors of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita as Internally Displaced Persons (IDP’s), b) restitution for Katrina and Rita IDP’s, c) the Gulf Coast Civic Works Project (see http://www.solvingpoverty.com), and d) H.R. 1227 the House Gulf Coast Hurricane Housing Recovery Act of 2007 and S. 1668 the Senate Gulf Coast Housing Recovery Act of 2007.

We thank you in advance for your consideration and support.  

In Unity and Struggle, 
Kali Akuno
Executive Director, Peoples’ Hurricane Relief Fund 
Friday, September 28, 2007

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