[News] International Tribunal Issues Preliminary Findings + How to Support the International Tribunal
Anti-Imperialist News
news at freedomarchives.org
Thu Sep 6 17:46:59 EDT 2007
PRESS RELEASE
Contact: Monifa Bandele (917) 407- 3018
International Tribunal Issues Preliminary Findings
Bush, Blanco, Nagin Committed Crimes against Humanity
New Orleans—
Between August 29, 2007 and September 2, 2007, a
Tribunal of 16 esteemed jurists from nine
countries, including Algeria, Brazil, France,
Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mexico, South Africa,
Venezuela, and the United States, convened in
New Orleans to hear testimony by experts and
survivors of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
After hearing nearly 30 hours of testimony by
hurricane survivors and experts – covering
government neglect and negligence in 15 areas,
ranging from police brutality to environmental
racism, from misappropriation of relief to
gentrification, the jurists announced their preliminary findings.
Jill Soffiyah Elijah, the Deputy Director of the
Criminal Justice Institute at Harvard Law School
and Coordinating Justice for the International
Tribunal on Hurricanes Katrina and Rita,
announced the Tribunal's preliminary findings,
"It is our view that the US Government has
committed crimes against humanity particularly in
relation to its failure to maintain functional
levees that should have protected the City of New
Orleans from flooding
.it was the reckless
disregard and, in some instances, negligence of
the US government, the state of Louisiana and the
city of New Orleans that created the devastation we continue to see today."
Elijah also announced that the Tribunal made
preliminary findings that the federal, state and
local governments are guilty of violating the
human rights to life, dignity and recognition of
personhood; the right to be free from racial
discrimination-- especially as it pertains to
the actions of law enforcement personnel and
vigilantes; the right to return, resettlement and
reintegration of internally displaced persons;
the right to be free from degrading treatment and
punishment; the right to freedom of movement; the
right to adequate housing and education; the
right to vote and participate in governance and
the right to a fair trial, the right to liberty
and security of person and the right to equal
protection under the law. Both actions and
failure to act by the governments had
disproportionate devastating impact with respect to race and gender.
The jurists announced that they would deliver
their final verdict December 8, 2007—the second
anniversary of the Katrina Survivors'
Assembly. In the meantime, prosecutors will be
submitting additional evidence and videotaped
affidavits from an additional 25 survivors.
The prosecution team included experienced
attorneys from respected legal associations
around the country: the ACLU of New York,
National Economic and Social Rights Initiative,
the US Human Rights Network, the National
Conference of Black Lawyers, the Center for
Constitutional Rights, National Lawyers Guild,
the Center for Law and Social Justice at Medgar
Evers College, the NAACP Legal Defense and
Education Fund, Mississippi Workers Center for
Human Rights, Washington DC Legal Defender,
Mississippi Disaster Relief Coalition,
International Association of Democratic Lawyers,
Legal Empowerment Center and the Louisiana Justice Initiative.
The Tribunal Conveners—representing movements for
justice on four continents—reminded Tribunal
participants and witnesses of the solemnity of
their task. Lybon Mabasa, a founding member with
Stephen Biko of the Black Consciousness Movement
w in South Africa, insisted, "We must hold these
criminal governments to account in order to stop
the world from sinking into barbarism and to make
the world one where life is worth living."
#
For samples of videotaped testimony, contact Monifa Bandele at (917) 407-3018
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Greetings family, friends, neighbors, and comrades!
Thank you all for supporting the International
Tribunal on Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Your
participation, along with delegations from nine
countries, made the Tribunal a success. For the
first time, the public—both in the US and the
world—had the opportunity to hear a comprehensive
account of the crimes committed against the
people of New Orleans and the Gulf. And, for the
first time, an esteemed panel of international
jurists gave careful consideration to charges of
crimes against humanity, ethnic cleansing,
genocide and other violations committed by the US government.
However, if we are to gain restitution, justice
and the right of return for all those displaced
and forcibly removed, a tremendous amount of work
remains. Join us in spreading the word about the
Tribunal demands and building a strong
reconstruction movement grounded in human rights
principles to win the right to return. Below are
a few suggestions offered by Tribunal
organizers—including the attached petition—to
advance the reconstruction movement.
As Lybon Mabasa, Tribunal Convener from South
Africa, advised as he closed the proceedings,
"We adjourn the Tribunal for today, but even
greater work lies ahead. Only by committing
ourselves to this struggle will we save ourselves
from sinking into barbarism."
How to Support the International Tribunal
1. Build a Solidarity Committee in your city,
region or state to continue the struggle for a
just reconstruction and against ethnic cleansing in the Gulf Coast.
2. Join the PHRF action alert network at
<http://www.peopleshurricane.org/register/>http://www.peopleshurricane.org/register/.
3. Conduct a report back about the Tribunal
and the Gulf Coast Reconstruction Movement with
your members and supporters. Call 504.301.0215 for speakers and video.
4. Organize a teach-in or community forum in
your city, region, or state with members of the
Tribunal organizing committee to aid with the
national mobilization effort for the Tribunal and Survivors Assembly.
5. Agitate on the demands and recommendations
stemming from the Tribunal by asking civic,
labor, political, and religious organizations in
your area to sign on as endorsers. The prosecution called for:
• Reparations
• Prosecution of Bush, Blanco, Barbour, Nagin,
FEMA, the Army Corps of Engineers, and Homeland
Security for crimes against humanity
• International and national support for the
right of return and reconstruction with justice and dignity
6. Support the Tribunal Petition Drive to
demand the right of return, adherence to the IDP
principles, and federal works project by asking
your members and supporters to gather signatures
in your area. Petitions are available at either
<http://www.katrinatribunal.org/>www.katrinatribunal.org
or <http://www.peopleshurricane.org/>www.peopleshurricane.org .
7. Contact the various government officials in
your city, region, and state and demand that they
support legislation that recognizes the IDP
status of Hurricane Survivors, provides
restitution for Hurricane Survivors, supports the
Gulf Coast Civic Works project, and holds all
parties responsible for crimes against humanity liable for their actions.
8. Support the calls for censures, boycotts,
and direct action issued by the Tribunal
organizers and Survivors Assembly to pressure the
US government to accept the demands and recommendations of the Tribunal.
9. Support the International mobilization for
the Tribunal by promoting its findings, verdict,
and demands to your international contacts and
allied organizations. Encourage them to start
resolution initiatives, petition drives, and
calls for international solidarity and action.
10. Demand that all Presidential candidates
take a stand in support of the findings of the
Tribunal, reparations, a just reconstruction, and
the right of return for all Gulf Coast IDP's.
11. Raise funds to provide ongoing financial
support to the Tribunal organizers to publish and
distribute the findings, continuing raising
awareness, and pursue national and international litigation.
In Unity and Struggle,
Kali Akuno
PHRF Executive Director
Tuesday, September 4th, 2007
Stay tuned to
<http://www.katrinatribunal.org/>www.katrinatribunal.org
for updates. Also please send pictures for thorough documentation.
Freedom Archives
522 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
415 863-9977
www.Freedomarchives.org
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