FAITH IN THE GULF

Lessons from the Religious Response to Katrina
August 2008

After Hurricane Katrina struck three years ago, faith and religious groups mounted an unprecedented response that made them the go-to resource for tens of thousands of storm victims.

Now, as New Orleans and coastal Mississippi struggle to rebuild, the expertise, resources and commitment of faith groups will be an indispensable ingredient to the success of long-term revitalization of the Gulf Coast.

Those are among the findings of “FAITH IN THE GULF” [pdf] a new report released by the Institute for Southern Studies.

The study, the largest to date on the religious response to Katrina, also finds that faith-based efforts can’t replace the central role of government in Gulf rebuilding, but they can be a valuable catalyst and model for federal, state and local policy.

As the Right Reverend Charles E. Jenkins III, Episcopal Bishop of Louisiana, said in a foreword to the report [pdf]:

“The Gulf Coast was dealt a merciless blow from two hurricanes in succession, and yet it has also been transformed by the boundless energy and generosity of strangers from far and wide. We are three years on from Katrina and Rita and the needs are still here, and the faithful are still coming.”

Read more on the Institute blog here. For a copy of the full report, visit here [pdf].

Labels: gulf watch, hurricane katrina, institute for southern studies, katrina three-year anniversary, reports

Hurricane Katrina and the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement

A Global Human Rights Perspective on a National Disaster
January 2008

Hurricane Katrina was not only a domestic tragedy: The U.S. government's insufficient efforts to prevent families from being uprooted, its inadequate emergency response, and the still-lagging recovery are at odds with internationally-recognized human rights principles -- standards that the Bush administration has promoted in other countries.

That's the finding of "Hurricane Katrina and the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement" [pdf], a new report by the Institute for Southern Studies.

The report is the first in-depth look at how closely U.S. officials have abided by the U.N. Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement in the wake of Katrina. The United Nations adopted the Principles in 1998 to protect the rights of people uprooted by war, storms and other calamities.

"Leaders in Washington have embraced the U.N. Guiding Principles for helping disaster victims abroad," said Chris Kromm, co-author of the study and Institute director. "But there's serious concern that the Principles continue to be ignored at home in the Gulf Coast."

For a full copy of the report, visit here [pdf].

Labels: gulf watch, human rights, hurricane katrina, institute for southern studies, reports

BLUEPRINT FOR GULF RENEWAL

The Katrina Crisis and a Community Agenda for Action
August/September 2007

On September 15, 2005, President Bush pledged that our nation would "do what it takes, and stay as long as it takes," to rebuild the Gulf Coast. Yet over 60,000 people are still in "temporary" FEMA trailers, and houses, hospitals and schools across the region remain shuttered. For thousands of people, the Katrina recovery has failed.

Blueprint for Gulf Renewal: The Katrina Crisis and a Community Agenda for Action [pdf], published in collaboration with Oxfam America and the Jewish Funds for Justice, looks at 80 statistical indicators and draws on interviews with more than 40 Gulf Coast leaders to identify roadblocks to recovery, and ways federal leaders can tackle critical needs in the region like housing, jobs and coastal protection.

The study also features “Where did the Katrina money go?” -- an in-depth analysis of federal Katrina spending since 2005. The Institute reveals that, out of the $116 billion in Katrina funds allocated, less than 30% has gone towards long-term rebuilding—and less than half of that 30% has been spent, much less reached those most in need.

For a full copy of the report, visit here [pdf]. You can read the press release here.

Labels: gulf watch, hurricane katrina, institute for southern studies, reports

Southern Exposure
NORTH CAROLINA AT WAR
The Costs of Being the "Most Military-Friendly State in America" (March 2007)

- View full report here [pdf]
- Read the press release here [pdf]
- Listen to Chris Kromm, Executive Director of the Institute, discuss "North Carolina at War" on North Carolina Public Radio's popular show, The State of Things (May 10, 2007)
- View the Institute's previous reports on the South and global engagement issues, The South and Iraq (October 2006) and Missiles and Magnolias (August 2005)

Gulf Watch
A NEW AGENDA FOR THE GULF COAST
What Congress Can Do to Confront the Ongoing Crisis of Hurricane Katrina (Feb/Mar 2007)

- View the full report here [pdf]
- Read coverage of "A New Agenda for the Gulf Coast"
"Our Message to Congress" (The Hill, 3/2/07)
"Katrina, 18 Months Later" (The Nation, 3/1/07)
"Bush Acknowledges Frustration in New Orleans" (Reuters, 3/1/07)
"New Orleans Still a 'Disaster,' Report Says" (Cox Newspapers, 2/26/07)

Institute Polls
THE SOUTH AND IRAQ
Opposition to Iraq War Growing in U.S. South (October 2006)

- Read the full press release [pdf]
- See highlights from the poll [pdf]

Gulf Watch
ONE YEAR AFTER KATRINA
The State of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast (Aug/Sept 2006)

- View the full report here [pdf]
- Listen to an interview with report co-author Chris Kromm on Mother Jones Radio -- you can either stream the program, download it, or podcast it.

Labels: institute for southern studies, reports