Pastor Qiyamah Rahman of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of St. Croix talks about the devastation in St. Croix in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in this video. She said that 80-85 percent of St. Croix’s infrastructure has been lost or damaged. The island is receiving federal aid from FEMA and a number of other U.S. government agencies and groups. She has set up a Go Fund Me site at Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of St. Croix on Go Fund Me. She provides a written description of the needs and concerns of St. Croix as well as the Neighbor-to-Neighbor program she is developing to extend the reach of federal disaster relief to help clear local roads, driveways, and debris in homes and to send volunteers to do wellness checks on neighbors to help identify vulnerable persons who may be sick, disabled, elderly, pregnant, or very young. She also discusses this in the video interview. The devastation of larger and more intense storms due to climate change is discussed, noting the opportunity to rebuild the power grid using solar and possibly wind power–along with the importance of standing up for our brothers and sisters in ALL of the devastated areas (hurricanes, fires, droughts, etc.) by contacting our congresspersons and asking for adequate aid for these areas all over the U.S., and for dramatic and immediate steps to address climate change by shifting the U.S. economy to renewable energy. The shift to electric cars is also a key carbon dioxide reducer. I interviewed Rev. Rahman in Atlanta on October 1, 2017. She is planning to return to St. Croix soon, since the airports are scheduled to reopen tomorrow. She expressed gratitude for the donations and thoughts of care and concern for St. Croix.
Published by Dr. Susan Perz, Ph.D.
For years I have worked as a self-funded peace educator and journalist while also working full-time as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. My Ph.D. is in Education. I have written books, produced short documentary videos and interviews on my video hosting site www.earthfamily.tv for adults and children. My new ebook, "Conceiving a Peaceful World" is a solutions-focused map for creating peace with social justice on earth. How we can create a society that actually supports the development of healthy families, communities, and environments for ALL people. How can we create peaceful transitions to a society that is economically, environmentally, and democratically sustainable and uncorruptible? My book shares stories and interviews of exceptional women reveal leadership skills to transform our world, along with poetry and art. You can find my book at: www.womenswisdom.tv In my blog and YouTube sites I share my passion for healthy families and communities with social justice for all people through solution-focused down-to-earth information and interviews. I am grateful for the chance to share this journey with you and I appreciate your interest in learning about my work and the work of generations of leaders and peacemakers from diverse backgrounds. It will take all of us working together to create a better world! As a realist, I believe that peace on earth is necessary for the survival of our earth--and that it will take massive changes to make it happen. As a peacemaker, I believe those changes can happen through peaceful transitions among collaborating neighbors when we choose to learn, listen, and cooperate! View all posts by Dr. Susan Perz, Ph.D.