York University Responds to the Damage Inflicted by Hurricane Felix
on the Nicaraguan Caribbean Coast
On the morning of Tuesday, September 4, the category 5 Hurricane Felix severely struck northern areas of the Caribbean Coastal Region of Nicaragua. By latest reports, there are over 168,000 disaster victims; 102 deaths have been confirmed up to now, and a further 113 persons remain missing. 80 percent of the existing social and economic infrastructure of the regional capital city of Bilwi (Puerto Cabezas) has been seriously damaged or destroyed. Both the Government of Nicaragua, and the United Nations World Food Programme have declared a state of emergency for the region, calling to the international community for urgent support of humanitarian assistance.
The York community also has a special reason for assisting with the rebuilding effort – its longstanding relations with two important community-based organizations located there. The first is the Bilwi campus of URACCAN University, a relatively new, grassroots institution, founded in 1995 as the first post-secondary institution in the region to provide higher education opportunities for the Indigenous, Afro-descendant and Mestizo peoples living there. The second is Bilwi-Vision, a community-based, non-profit television channel providing locally-produced programs and services to the area. A number of faculties, students, departments and centres at York University have maintained formal partnerships and exchanges with both of these organizations since their founding a decade ago. Both institutions were severely damaged by the hurricane, and as a result, virtually all classes, programs and activities have been suspended until such time as their basic infrastructures can be adequately rebuilt. Both have issued international appeals for assistance.
Please consider making a generous donation to this worthy cause. Cheques can be made out to “Rights Action” (a registered Canadian NGO specializing in community development in Central America), and sent to the offices of CERLAC (address below) through either the internal York or external mail systems. For donations by credit cards, simply go to www.rightsaction.org and click on "CanadaHelps" (Make your donation on behalf of "Felix-Nicaragua”).
All donors will receive charitable tax receipts. Funds collected will be divided equally three ways – to a fund for general humanitarian relief in the region, and to reconstruction efforts on the Bilwi campus of URACCAN and for Bilwi-Vision. For further information, please contact Shana Shubs, CERLAC Coordinator, 416-736-2100 ext. 88705, shanays@yorku.ca.
Centre for Research on Latin America and the Caribbean (CERLAC)
240 York Lanes
York University
4700 Keele Street
Toronto, ON M3J 1P3
Attn: Hurricane Fund
Links:
Resource page for hurricane relief and recovery: Nicaragua-Atlantic Coast Hurricane Relief
Flattened by hurricane, Mosquito Coast faces hunger and disease
UN to launch $17-million appeal to feed 100,000 Nicaraguan hurricane victims
Naciones Unidas reforzará Comité de Emergencias de la RAAN
“Más de 300 muertos reportan comunidades”
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