Buddhist Peace Fellowship's Statement on the Crisis of Hurricane Katrina

September 1, 2005

Source: Buddhist Peace Fellowship

http://www.bpf.org/html/resources_and_links/statements/Katrina.html

On September 1, 2005 the Buddhist Peace Fellowship released a statement concerning Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath. "The Buddhist Peace Fellowship sends our thoughts and prayers to all those who have been affected by Hurricane Katrina, especially the citizens of New Orleans. We can’t begin to imagine the scope of this tragedy, as it unfolds before us. Those worst stricken by this disaster are overwhelmingly Black, poor, and disenfranchised. BPF encourages all of our chapters and dharma centers across the world to contribute to emergency relief efforts as soon as possible... And we bow deeply in recognition of all the people who are working tirelessly in these efforts: military personnel, nonprofit organizations, and civilians. They are true bodhisattvas. In the long run, much more will be needed in terms of offering support to help this region of the U.S. recover... There will be time to take a deeper look at [the] hard questions [which have been raised by this situation]. But in this moment, we believe that the appropriate response is to rally around the people of Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, and Mississippi and offer support of all kinds – material, emotional, and spiritual."