May 20th, 2010
We are still just over 2 years from the Rio+20 meeting in Brazil scheduled for June 2012 and the just finished PrepCom in New York points to a disaster in the making.
The UN is a gigantic, slow-moving, behemoth at the best of times, interspersed with some sparks of movement and hope. The first Earth Summit was one of those sparks. It created very real mechanisms on trying to deal with biodiversity issues, deforestation, desertification, sustainable development and climate change. True, these mechanisms have been systematically undermined by powerful countries, like Canada. Witness the attempted drowning of the Kyoto Accord in Copenhagen, an illegal act by countries like Canada, which are signatories to Kyoto. Still, the first Rio Summit inspired many new developments and a framework for sustainable development. Read the rest of this entry »
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April 29th, 2010
Dear Friends,
If you thought that the World Bank had softened its stand on being one of the main agents of water privatization, please see the articles and report below.
The push for increasing water pricing and the ‘evidence’ that water privatization is actually positive, demonstrates that the ideology of water privatization is stronger than ever with the Bank. Read the rest of this entry »
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April 23rd, 2010
Tags: Cochabamba
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April 20th, 2010
Dear friends,
Just wanted to share a few words about the just-ended Feria del Agua in Cochabamba….a very important moment for our water movement, both 10 years ago and today!
Ten years ago the world was a different place. We had not awoken to the dangers of the neo-liberal agenda and corporate power, let alone the dangers of climate change overwhelming our already fragile ecosystem. Today most around the world are aware of the dangers of water privatisation, even if some governments and international financial institutions continue to embrace this failed concept.
One major event served as a catalyst for this shift in world view. This event was the Water War in Cochabamba, Bolivia. I believe the courage and strength of the peoples of Cochabamba allowed others to believe they too could fight corporate control of water and other examples of these most virulent forms of capitalism. Read the rest of this entry »
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April 1st, 2010
I just finished participating in an impressive 2-day conference on the Right to Water at Syracuse University. This was hosted by the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, which has been ranked as the number one school on public affairs in the US, since ranking began 15 years ago. Over 250 faculty, students and public attended the events for the 2 days, with presenters from around the world giving speeches and presenting papers. I was very pleased to be asked to contribute as a result of Maude being unable to attend. Read the rest of this entry »
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March 23rd, 2010
Just finished an amazing World Water Day.
The day began with the news that a committee tasked with assessing Coca-Cola’s liability in the Plachimada case had recommended 48 million US Dollars in compensation for the community. This is clearly a victory after years of perseverance, I just wish Mylamma, the women who was such an inspiration in this struggle, had lived to see this day.
Still, this was a great way to begin the day. We moved on to see the Council of Canadians deliver 56,000 petitions to the world’s most intransigent government on recognition of water as a human right, Canada. These petitions demanded action on water as a human right and on implementation of a national water plan in Canada. The pressure is on this government and is being ramped up globally. Read the rest of this entry »
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March 16th, 2010
In Copenhagen, the fight for climate justice was dealt a severe setback. Attempts by powerful governments (including Canada) to sideline international norms and trash multilateralism proved to be a critical stumbling block and remain a major threat to any hope of dealing with global warming in a comprehensive manner. The struggle continues to unfold, and despite the setbacks, it was inspiring to see small island nations take a stand and tens of thousands of youth in the streets to defend their future and reclaim their power. The other good news coming out of Copenhagen was that the water justice movement found her voice in advocating positive solutions to the global climate crisis. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Bolivia, Cochabamba, Copenhagen, People's Climate Summit
Posted in Climate Change, Water Justice | 2 Comments »
December 17th, 2009
Whereas the abuse, over extraction and displacement of water to promote a global economy based on unlimited growth and corporate power is a major cause of climate change;
Whereas greenhouse gas emission-fueled climate change is destroying glaciers and freshwater systems, profoundly and negatively impacting the lives and livelihoods of billions of the world’s most vulnerable people;
Whereas to deal with the growing water shortage, there is now a move to have water declared a market commodity to be put up for sale to the highest bidder, thereby denying the basic human right to water to
billions; Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Copenhagen
Posted in Climate Change, Water Justice | No Comments »
November 16th, 2009
Humanity is at a critical moment in our relationship to the planet. After decades of mass consumption of resources, with little thought to the sustainability of our actions, we are now facing multiple crises. Climate change highlights our inability to responsibly manage the commons, but just as concerning is the global water crisis or our inability to protect dwindling freshwater supplies and allocate them equitably and responsibly.
Unequal allocation and lack of access to clean water has created a crisis of sanitation. The raw numbers are shocking, further pointing to a profound impact on overall human dignity and suffering. The UN estimates that 1.4 billion people have no access to clean water. While 2.6 billion people in the world live without toilets and bathrooms and are often forced to defecate in waters from which they retrieve water for drinking. It is little wonder that 2.2 million people, mostly children under 5, die every year from diarrhoeal diseases. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Crisis, for profit
Posted in Climate Change, Water Commons, Water Justice | No Comments »
