Hi friends, I’ve
had an idyllic though hard-working month, (well, except for the Sudden Oak Death
killing so many of our beautiful trees, and the Sudden Computer Death that ate
my hard drive), teaching permaculture and natural building in the Cazadero hills
that I love so much, and sleeping in my own bed. Meanwhile, thousands of
people have lost their homes to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. So this week,
I’ll be heading down to Louisiana and neighboring areas to help out in the
efforts described below. Your support, as always, is much appreciated, and
below is information on how you can join us or donate to help provide supplies.
I will try to send updates as I can. If you have a home, send some
love and energy to those who don’t, and back up your hard drive while you
still can,
-- Starhawk
(Feel free to repost the information below.)
Relief and Rebuilding after the Hurricanes
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita affected an area the size of Great Britain. While
the official government response has ranged from inadequate to abusive, hundreds
and thousands of ordinary people have volunteered time, skills, and resources
to help the survivors. As the flood waters recede, relief is still needed
in many communities. The Common Ground collective in Algiers, a suburb of New
Orleans, has organized community-based services, a medical clinic, and resisted
attempts to evict all the remaining inhabitants of the city. The Rainbow
Gathering kitchens have been feeding thousands. The Veterans for Peace have
been using their skills and experience to help bring supplies and needed services
to people.
For the month of October, the Green Earth Cluster will establish a base for people
with skills in ecological design, permaculture, and/or roots in earth-based spirituality
to connect together and volunteer our help. Many of us have been together
in Pagan Cluster actions in mobilizations, or taken part in Green Bloc projects
to support community gardens or challenge corporate control by planting a vision
of the world we want. Now we have an opportunity to use our skills on a much larger
scale.
In early October, we’ll be setting up an encampment on a friend’s
land near the Houma Reservation, about an hour and a half from New Orleans, working
on offering support to the elders and community members whose homes were flooded
and now need to be cleaned, demolded, and made habitable. The work is not
likely to be glamorous, and we may or may not have opportunities to do permaculture,
building or greening projects, but our intention is to do what is most needed.
Later, our base and focus may change as new needs are identified.
Who is needed? Anyone who can work hard, stay healthy in tough conditions, be
self-reliant, and do what needs to be done. People with carpentry and building
skills, trauma and crisis counseling skills, and medical training are always needed,
but so are those who can do driving, general cleanup, and are simply willing to
take on unpleasant tasks. We all need to be able to work sensitively in
a variety of different cultural milieus.
Below is the original Pagan Cluster Call to Action. Out of sensitivity to
the local, heavily Christian culture of the area, we are calling ourselves the
Green Earth Cluster. If you are moved to join us, contact information is at the
bottom of this post. There is also information on how to donate money (by
Paypal or by tax-deductible check) to help purchase needed supplies.
Pagan Cluster Call to Action
Hurricane Relief Mobilization
October, 2005
The Green Earth Cluster is planning to create a presence in the hurricane affected
areas for at least the month of October, around which we can reach out to support
the relief and rebuilding work of the local individuals and communities in the
affected areas.
What will we be doing?
Many of the details will remain fluid as we respond to opportunities and shifting
needs. We might be nailing tarps to roofs, we might be chipping wood, we
might be listening to people, we might be offering healing at a community medical
center, we might be building water filtration systems, we might be helping to
organize, we might be sifting through trash and building compost piles. In
all things we will be grounding
What spirit do we hope people will bring with them?
We have the intention of listening and being open to the needs and desires of
those who have survived this disaster and to be willing to adapt our response
to what we learn. Come with a spirit of willingness to do whatever is needed.
What kind of support can I expect?
It is our intention to create a space to support each other as we reach out to
others. There are at least two buses and an RV coming. Accommodations
will be very rough and might include tent camping or sleeping on floor space;
and will require a fair degree of self sufficiency and self responsibility for
your own health and groundedness.
How might I get there?
You can drive there - better yet find others from your area willing to go and
drive together. Borrow or rent a truck or van and collect needed supplies
from your local community to bring down.
You could also fly in and out of the New Orleans, airport.
The Living River bus, a grease bus with Elizabeth and Deborah, will be leaving
from North Carolina on October 5 and they are willing to pick 10 people up at
airports along the way (Charlotte, NC, must arrive by October 4; Atlanta, GA must
arrive before noon on October 5; or Birmingham, AL, must arrive by 2 PM October
5). Four people can get rides back to those airports with Elizabeth on October
17th. Contact Elizabeth at revolutionaryradical@yahoo.com or 336-877-5571
to make arrangements.
What time frame do I need to come for?
Our expectation is that people will come and go as their schedule and other considerations
allow. We will attempt to coordinate those able to offer transportation
to and from the mobilization with those that need it, however we ask that you
consider your transportation and scheduling needs and do your best to have a plan
to meet those needs before arriving.
What should I do if I want to come?
If you can come for any amount of time, email katrina@pagancluster.org with your
name and phone number(let us know if it is a cell or land line), the time you
will be coming, how you will be getting there, any particular skills or material
support you will be bringing with you and any needs that you want the PC community
to be aware of.
What else can I do?
1) You can donate supplies for Katrina survivors and for the Pagan Cluster
community while we are there.
The supplies that are most needed change day to day and by location, so please
check http://www.commongroundrelief.org/ to find out what is most needed. If
you have supplies that you are willing to donate, please e-mail katrina@pagancluster.org
with what you have and we will help to coordinate how to get it there.
2) You can donate much needed money which will be used to help finance this
mobilization and hopefully have enough to provide more of the needed supplies.
Contributions can by made through PayPal at www.pagancluster.org.
Please mail checks to: Alliance for Community Trainers; 1405 Hillmont; Austin,
Texas 78704. Indicate on the check that the donation is for "Pagan Cluster
Katrina Relief Mobilization".
3) You can pass along this call to as many supportive communities that you
know of in order to strengthen the webs of connections and support.
For more information:
An e-mail to katrina@pagancluster.org
will get a response as soon as possible. If you need to call someone, you
can call Juniper at 512-431-7988 or Elizabeth at 336-877-5571.
There is also useful and updated information at the following web-sites:
http://www.pagancluster.org/
http://www.commongroundrelief.org/
http://www.vfproadtrips.org/