OXFORD, Miss. – In wake of Hurricane Gustav, memories of Hurricane
\nKatrina were brought to the surface again for many residents of the
\nGulf Coast states. With this in mind, legal experts and other
\nprofessionals plan to gather Monday at the University of Mississippi to
\ndiscuss the state of Hurricane Katrina recovery efforts and the
\nchallenges that remain.
\n
Set for 4:30 p.m. in Overby Center Auditorium, the discussion is free and open to the public. Panelists will identify related issues that voters should consider in choosing the next president. The discussion will include observations on matters of national security and recommendations for effective federal responses to future disasters, such as flooding in the Midwest. They also plan to address the roles of nonprofit organizations, pro bono attorneys and volunteers in providing community legal assistance in disaster recovery.<\/p>\n
Sponsored by Oxfam America and the Public Interest Law Society, the panel includes John M. Barry, prize-winning and New York Times best-selling author of “Rising Tide: The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 and How It Changed America” (Simon & Schuster, 1997); Reilly Morse, attorney with Mississippi Center for Justice Katrina Recovery Office; Bill Quigley, human rights attorney, law professor and director of the Gillis Long Poverty Law Center at Loyola University in New Orleans; and Tracie L. Washington, president and CEO of the Louisiana Justice Institute.<\/p>\n
The discussion is among dozens of campus events planned to prepare students and local audiences for the first 2008 presidential debate, scheduled Sept. 26 at UM. The face-off in the Ford Center between the candidates is to focus on national security and foreign policy.<\/p>\n
Lyle Gravatt of Tupelo, a second-year law student at Ole Miss, co-organized the panel with UM law graduate Annette Hollowell. He is president of both the Public Interest Law Foundation and the student environmental organization Roots and Shoots.<\/p>\n
“We chose the panel and once we determined who could come, Annette wrote the grant to Oxfam America,” Gravatt said. “We thought it was a great idea in light of the upcoming presidential debate and hoped this would stimulate discussion.”<\/p>\n
Gravatt is also on the advisory board of the Student Hurricane Network, a national organization started by Tulane University student Morgan Williams. SHN is a national association that has sent 4,500 students from 110 law schools across the country dedicated to providing long-term assistance to communities affected by Hurricane Katrina by creating and coordinating volunteer opportunities. They are also assisting with cleanup efforts after Hurricane Gustav.<\/p>\n
Oxfam America is an international relief and development organization that creates lasting solutions to poverty, hunger and injustice. Oxfam works in 120 countries, providing practical assistance to help people overcome poverty and respond to disasters.<\/p>\n
For more information or to request assistance related to a disability, contact Gravatt at wlgravat@olemiss.edu<\/a> .<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"