Hurricane Readiness Subject of National Coalition on Black Civic Participation Democracy Symposium
From U.S. Newswire Releases:
Newswire/ -- Questions regarding federal, state, municipal and non-governmental agencies response to this year's predicted active hurricane season will be the subject of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation's (NCBCP) 5th Annual Voices of the Electorate Democracy Symposium, scheduled to be held on Wednesday, June 7, 2006, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the National Press Club, 529 - 14th Street, NW, 13th Floor, Washington, DC.
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita wreaked untold havoc on Gulf Coast communities which remain, in too many cases, still in varying states of devastation.
This year, all stakeholders need to be included in the planning process to ensure more lives are saved and communities more effectively rebuilt," said Melanie L. Campbell, Executive Director & CEO of the 80-organization member National Coalition on Black Civic Participation (NCBCP).
In response to the disconnected disaster relief efforts, NCBCP established its Rebuild Hope NOW Campaign to assist displaced victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in rebuilding their lives and communities.
Engaging its broad, nationwide network, the NCBCP, its local affiliates and partners served as a clearinghouse for information, assisted with short and long-term financial challenges; successfully evacuated families stranded in rural areas; connected displaced families with loved ones, and generally provided disaster relief when official responses were stymied, overwhelmed or unavailable.
The four-city Katrina Survivors Empowerment Weekends and Candidates Forum prepared displaced residents to make informed voting decisions before casting ballots for candidates of their choice whether by absentee ballot, early voting or in-person.
The National Coalition commissioned noted scholar and pollster, Dr. Silas Lee, to conduct an exit poll in New Orleans on April 22nd to elicit responses regarding any barriers Katrina Survivors continue to encounter as they work to rebuild their lives and monitor any voters' experiences at the polls.
"The 2005 Hurricane Season was a wake up call that emergency preparedness is a serious matter that all Americans not only need to be aware of, but, we also learned we need to be prepared to provide assistance to our communities.
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