NEW ORLEANS, AUG. 25 — Naomi Klein, the writer-activist best known for her book on corporate multinationals and global resistance in "No Logo," spoke in front of over one hundred people at Loyola Law Center. Klein arrived in New Orleans a few days ago and receivied guided tours of social justice work that continues two years after Hurricane Katrina and the flooding caused by inadequate government levees.
A remarkable contingent of organizers from tsunami-affected areas of India–one leading an organization of 43,000 paid people, another coordinating 240 paid organizers–were present for the speech. Earlier they met with local activists and each group shared strategies and processes of social justice in the face of disasters. The film "Redefining Peace" by Sunil Kupperi of Bangalore India–shown before Klein’s appearance–delved into the paths, principles and organizing of eight determined women leading justice movements in India. The violent repression of the state against those movements provided the segue for Klein to discuss injustices unveiled by the flood in a global context.
Most New Orleanians know the content of Klein’s new book coming out in September, "The Shock Doctrine: the rise of disaster capitalism," all too well with the economic opportunism and privatization that free-market capitalists had in store for the public services in the city.
Klein’s talk brought in forgotten or "secret" histories, a radical populist analysis and relevant observations of modern struggle (and stories from her trip to New Orleans ten days after the flood) that reverberated with the largely activist crowd, which inspired an earnest and relevant conversation for the future of not only New Orleans but our world. No longer do capitalists and politicians collude to benefit when reacting to disasters with contracts and the usurpation of land or public services, but, like Iraq, they now often create them.
But please don’t listen to me, listen to the talk for yourself.
Also, read the book when it comes out, discuss it with friends and take action.
*The world premiere of Klein, Alfonso and Jonas Cuaron’s short film of the same name of the book is played shortly into the talk. Alfonso Cuaron is the world famous Mexican director of "Y Tu Mama Tambien," "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban," "Children of Men" and, most recently, a documentary on the topics of immigration, climate change and disasters titled "The Possibility of Hope."
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