CRSCAD Newsletter

Center for Rebuilding Sustainable Communities after Disasters

John W. McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies

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CRSCAD Newsletter
October 2011

Adenrele Awotona.2011 photo

Dear Partners, Friends, and Colleagues,

On April 27th, 2011, the central and northern parts of the state of Alabama were hit by dozens of tornadoes. According to a paper by Dr. Samuel Addy and Ahmad Ijaz of the Center for Business and Economic Research at the University of Alabama titled, Preliminary Economic and Fiscal Impacts of the April 27, 2011 Tornadoes on Alabama, 43 of the state's 67 counties were declared federal disaster areas; 240 lives were lost; more than 2,200 were injured; and about 14,000 homes were either totally destroyed or declared uninhabitable.

The paper also noted that Tuscaloosa County was one of the worst smashed where the tornado fully flattened many businesses and residential communities in the middle of the city.

After seeing the damage in storm-wracked neighborhoods,

President Obama said that he had "never seen devastation like this" and promised the residents that "we're going to make sure you're not forgotten."

On June 29th, 2011, I was invited to lead a participatory community-based Workshop at the University of Alabama on "Rebuilding Sustainable Communities for children and their families after the April 2011 Tornado in Tuscaloosa, Jefferson County (Birmingham, Pleasant Grove and Fultondale) and environs."

Professor Rick Houser has prepared a report on the Workshop which has been sent out to over 50 schools and a number of mayors including the superintendent of education in Alabama. Professor Houser is the Head of the Department of Educational Studies in Psychology, Research Methodology & Counseling at the University of Alabama.

The links below (bottom right) lead to the press coverage of the event.

Thank you.

Adenrele Awotona

Founding Director & Professor

CRSCAD's New Team Member

Muna.Killingback I have the pleasure to announce that Muna Killingback joined our team as Academic Program Coordinator on October 11th, 2011. The position entails publicizing the Center's academic and professional certificate programs and coordinating the recruitment and admissions process, grant-writing, organizing special events and representing the Center at disaster sites when necessary.

Muna Killingback comes to CRSCAD with many years of experience advocating for and writing about women's and human rights, peace, and social and economic justice. She most recently served as the Executive Director of the non-profit organization Theological Opportunities Program which offers educational programming on women's issues. She is a former Director of Communications and Financial Development Associate for the World YWCA, headquarters of the global women's movement in Geneva, the second-most-populous city in Switzerland. As a freelance writer and editor, she has specialized in the work and communications needs of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), including grant writing. She continues to serve as one of the World YWCA's UN representatives. She has degrees in English and Journalism from Douglass College of Rutgers University, USA.

Please kindly join me in extending a warm welcome to Muna.

Adenrele Awotona

Director

About CRSCAD:

The primary purpose of the Center for Rebuilding Sustainable Communities after Disasters (CRSCAD) is to work in close collaboration with practitioners, academics, researchers, policy makers and grassroots organizations in the United States of America and in all the continents of the world in their search for the most appropriate and sustainable ways to rebuild their communities after disasters. Read more here...