Student World Assembly
Hurricane Katrina Action Alert | September 2nd, 2005

Action Alert!

Give a helping hand to the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

On August 29, Hurricane Katrina swept through Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and nearby regions causing catastrophic damage, with winds blowing up to 175 mph. The death toll is expected to reach the thousands and is estimated to be one of the most costly and worst natural disasters ever to have occurred in the United States. More than three quarters of Louisiana is flooded, leaving thousands of residents homeless and leaving five million people with no power. The wake of the storm has caused a myriad of problems, most specifically the flooding of levees which caused large amounts of water to incessantly flow into the city. Thirst, hunger, and lack of facilities has also led to looting and disorder. The hurricane’s damage was especially tragic in New Orleans that mayor, Ray Nagin, stated that “The city will not be functional for two or three months.”

The SWA is encouraging its members to donate to the following organizations to help with the relief effort:

	www.redcross.org
	www.redshield.org
-	www.habitat.org
SWA chapters are encouraged to set-up tables on their campus and community to raise funds for the relief effort and also hold events in order to raise awareness of this pressing issue. Together we can surely make a difference! By clicking on the links below you will be able to find background information on the ongoing crisis: DEADLY KATRINA U.S.A. TODAY CNN NOLA

Our Mission
The Student World Assembly is a non-governmental, nonpartisan organization created to represent students globally. It provides a deliberative assembly where students around the world can exchange views, vote on global issues through online discussion forums and in annual international conventions, and translate these views into meaningful actions.

Our Democratic Philosophy
The Student World Assembly believes that true global democracy affirms fundamental human rights, which include the dignity and worth of all human beings, the equal rights of men and women, social, economic and cultural justice for every person, and the freedom to promote these causes. SWA’s representative democracy offers a powerful instrument for addressing the vital social and political conditions that threaten our global future. The informed wishes of the people, conveyed through the collective of a democratic assembly, need to be heard in the decision-making processes. By giving students from the most remote to the more accessible institutions an equal voice, we are enabling all students to educate, participate and take action, and to begin thinking of themselves as global citizens.