Wgtn fundraiser for Chch

Written By: - Date published: 11:53 am, April 7th, 2011 - 3 comments
Categories: activism, notices - Tags:

Wgtn Public Meeting & Fundraiser – After the quake: community responses in Christchurch

Public Meeting

7pm, Friday April 8th

Upstairs @ Thistle Hall (cnr Cuba and Arthur Streets), Wellington

Entry by koha

Following the devastating earthquake in Christchurch on February 22nd, a number of organisations sprung into action to help organise and coordinate support within the community. In many parts of Christchurch, aid and communication from Government and large NGOs was virtually non-existent for some time after the quake, and it was left up to pre-existing organisations, neighbours, families and friendship networks to ensure that people were able to access the resources and information they needed.

3 speakers will be talking about some of the work that went on in the period immediately after the earthquake, and on some of the challenges facing Christchurch residents over the coming months.

Allister D from Beyond Resistance will talk about the work that his group was involved with in the Linwood and Avonside suburbs, providing food, water and gas to hard-hit communities. He will also talk about likely challenges that working class communities will face during the rebuilding phase.

Matt Jones from Unite Union will discuss the situation for workers in Christchurch. After the earthquake in September, Unite organised protests to pressure employers who were refusing to pay workers. Now, many thousands of people are out of work in Christchurch (some temporarily, others permanently) and Matt will talk about the issues they face.

Ros Houghton from Women’s Refuge will explain some of the challenges faced by Women’s Refuge in Christchurch after the earthquake, in which much of their local resources were destroyed. She will talk about the work that Refuge is doing to support women and children who have affected by sharp increase in domestic violence since the earthquake.

There will be a raffle with prizes and cake for sale so please bring money to donate.

All funds raised will be split 50/50 between the Christchurch Women’s Refuge Earthquake Appeal and Beyond Resistance, whose callouts for funds were the driving force behind the organising of this meeting.

The venue is BYO so feel free to bring a drink for yourself, but please respect the speakers.

3 comments on “Wgtn fundraiser for Chch ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. Asher 1
    7 April 2011 at 1:36 pm

    Thanks for posting this, Standardistas 🙂

  2. vto 2
    7 April 2011 at 1:41 pm

    Well done and an excellent idea. Having been through things down here people have a solid knowledge of what is most important in the immediate aftermath. It is essential those lessons are passed on. Such will save lives and lifes.

    Couple of quick and easy ones;

    1. do not live or work in brick buildings older than about 20 years. Or make sure there are safety cages that can be jumped into quickly. How many of you are reading this in just such a building?

    2. Water for cleaning is the most important(provided enough for drinking). More important than power and sewer. Keeping yourself and clothing and other stuff clean rapidly rose up to the top of the list for near everyone. Rather be in the dark or by candle light and cooking on the bbq than stink to high heaven. Of course we couldn’t clean in the sea or rivers because of the raw sewer being pumped in and there are virtually no other such waterways around Chch. It a dry place.

    Good stuff

  3. Jum 3
    7 April 2011 at 1:58 pm

    It fascinates me how, when something goes wrong, women and children are the first to be attacked for it.
    Whether it is beneficiary bashing or the downfall of society or ‘must have been asking to be raped’; it’s always the same.
    What a different world this would be if men finally understood that women were not, aren’t and never will be (hopefully) the enemy, and worked with them to improve life.  I say hopefully, because eventually when women realise that so many men really do hate them they will have to organise their own society, and men and children will be the poorer for it.
    The true enemy is what it has always been; greed and selfishness.
    Yesterday’s version was war.
    Today’s version is moneytrading and TPPA.
    Tomorrow’s version will be war.