The Blue Communities Project
We are pleased to note that the Blue Communities Project – a joint initiative by the Council of Canadians and CUPE is now expanding to communities in other parts of the world. The Blue Communities Project provides communities with the tools to fight the privatization of water and promote the human right to water. Through the project, we are working with local governments, community activists and water operators to ensure water justice for all.
A “Blue Community” is one that adopts a water commons framework that treats water as belonging to no one and the responsibility of all. Because water is essential for human life, it must be governed by principles that allow for reasonable use, equal distribution and responsible treatment in order to preserve water for nature and future generations.
The Blue Communities Project calls on communities to adopt a water commons framework by:
- Recognizing water as a human right.
- Promoting publicly financed, owned and operated water and wastewater services.
- Banning the sale of bottled water in public facilities and at municipal events.
The Blue Communities movement has grown internationally with Paris, France, Bern, Switzerland and other municipalities around the world going “blue.” Schools, religious communities and faith-based groups have also adopted principles that treat water as a common good that is shared by everyone and is the responsibility of all.
We invite you to become a part of the global movement for water security and justice by joining the Blue Communities Project. Learn what you can do to help protect the water commons – our shared water resources – in the face of increasing pressure to put water up for sale and privatize water services.
Resources:
- Blue Community Germany / Die Blue Communities in Deutschland
- Blue Communities in Latin America
- Blue Communities Spain
- Blue Community Switzerland / Blue Community Schweiz
- Blue Communities in the United States, Food and Water Watch
- Blue Communities Project Guide (Canada & U.S.) / le Guide pour le projet Communautés bleues (français)
- Eau Secours, Québec, Canada
Here are a number of international Blue Communities:
- Wolfgang-Ernst-Gymnasium, Büdingen, Germany, May 27, 2022 (Germany’s first Blue School!)
- University of Zurich, Switzerland, May 17, 2022
- Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany, March 22, 2022
- Gato de Gorgos, Spain, March 22, 2022
- Hamburg, Germany, March 22, 2022
- Neustreliz, Germany, January 21, 2022
- Büdingen, Germany, January 21, 2022
- Biedenkopf, Germany, November 25, 2021
- Universidad de Leon, March 25, 2021
- Philipps University of Marburg, Germany, March 22, 2021
- Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium, November 29, 2019
- Los Angeles, California U.S.A, November 6, 2019
- Kempten, Germany, October 15, 2019
- Gossau St. Gallen, Switzerland, September 10, 2019
- Augsburg, Germany, March 24, 2019
- Thermaikos, Greece
- Javea, Spain
- Mòstoles, Spain
- Medina Sidonia, Spain
- Cádiz, Spain, November 23, 2018
- Marburg, Germany, July 9, 2018
- Thessaloniki, Greece, June 4, 2018
- Berlin, Germany, March 22, 2018
- Neuchâtel, Switzerland, March 12, 2018
- Munich, Germany, October 18, 2017
- Northampton, Massachusetts, June 1, 2017
- World Council of Churches, October 25, 2016
- City of St. Gallen, Switzerland, September 26, 2016
- University of St. Gallen, Switzerland, September 26, 2016
- Federal University of Lavras, Brazil, May 13, 2106
- Paris, France, March 21, 2016
- Federal University of Lavras, Brazil, May 13, 2106
- Zurich, Switzerland, June 11, 2014
- Cambuquira, Brazil, March 11, 2014
- University of Bern, Switzerland, September 18, 2013
- City of Bern, Switzerland – designated the first Blue Community outside of Canada, September 18, 2013
Blue Communities Ambassadors:
- EYATH in Thessaloniki, Blue Communities Ambassador, November 28, 2016
- AEOPAS (a national Spanish network) La Asociación Española de Operadores Públicos de Abastecimiento y Saneamiento, Blue Communities Ambassador, April 9, 2018
Institutional members:
- The sewage company in Barcelona
- The Giahsa water company in Huelva, Spain
Comunidades Azules en Latinoamérica / Blue Communities in Latin America (Map)
- Cambuquira, Minas Gerais, Brasil
- Unión de APRs cuenca río Petorca, Chile
- Acueducto de Cascajo, Marinilla, Colombia
- Asociación de Acueductos Comunitarios de Tasco -ASOACCTASCO, Colombia
Die Blue Communities in Deutschland. In den Jahren 2017 und 2018 haben die Parlamente von Augsburg, Berlin, Marburg und München beschlossen, sich zu den Prinzipien von Blue Communities zu bekennen.
Blue Community Switzerland is a network of institutions and communities committed to the right to water. / Blue Community Schweiz ist ein Netzwerk von Institutionen und Gemeinden, welche sich für das Recht auf Wasser einsetzen.
- Aki – Katholische Hochschulseelsorge
- Alpines Museum der Schweiz
- Effingen Municipality
- Evangelisch-reformierte Kirche Schweiz
- Fachhochschule Graubünden / University of Applied Sciences Graubünden
- Fachhochschule St. Gallen
- Gemeinde Hornussen
- Gewerkschaft Syndicom
- Gewerkschaft UNIA
- Gossau St. Gallen
- Haus der Kirchen der Reformierten Kirchen Bern-Jura-Solothurn
- Hornussen Municipality
- Hilfswerk der Evangelischen Kirchen Schweiz (HEKS)
- Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft Chur
- Katholische Kirchgemeinde St. Franziskus Zollikofen
- Kirchgemeinde Petrus Bern
- Pädagogische Hochschule St. Gallen
- Reformierte Kirchgemeinde Biel
- Reformierte Kirchgemeinde Bümpliz
- Reformierte Kirchgemeinde Grenchen-Bettlach
- Reformierte Kirchgemeinde Johannes
- Reformierte Kirchgemeinde Kirchdorf
- Reformierte Kirchgemeinde Muri-Gümligen
- Reformierte Kirchgemeinde Nydegg
- Reformierte Kirchgemeinde Spiez
- Reformierte Kirchgemeinde Wülflingen
- Reformierte Kirchgemeinde Zollikofen and Heiligkreuz
- Reformierte Kirchgemeinde Zürich
- Stadt Bern
- Stadt St. Gallen
- Universität Bern
- Universität St. Gallen
- Ville de Neuchâtel
- VPOD Region Basel
- VPOD Region Zürich
- World Council of Churches (WWC)
Brescia University is making waves and challenging other campuses to take the pledge to become a Blue Community ?
Posted by Blue Planet Project on Thursday, 22 April 2021
Blue Communities in Canada:
- Académie des Sacrés-Cœurs, Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville, Quebec, July 4, 2022
- École (polyvalente) Robert-Ouimet, Acton Vale, Quebec, July 4, 2022
- Le Collège Aviation Select, Gatineau, Quebec, July 4, 2022
- Huron University College, London, Ontario, March 22, 2022
- Saint-Gabriel, Quebec, March 21, 2021
- Saint-Cléophas-de-Brandon, Québec, April 11, 2022
- Le Domaine-du-Roy Regional County Municipality, Quebec (7 communities), July 13, 2021
Chambord, Lac-Bouchette, La Doré, Saint-André-du-Lac-Saint-Jean, Saint-Félicien, Roberval (2019), Saint-François-de-Sales (2019), Sainte-Hedwidge and Saint-Prime. - Saint-Paulin, Quebec, July 13, 2021
- Saint-Élie-de-Caxton, Québec, April 22, 2021
- London, Ontario, March 23, 2021
- Brescia University College, Ontario, March 22, 2021
- Candiac, Québec, December 16, 2020
- Otterburn Park, Québec, October 19, 2020
- Saint-Félix-de-Kingsey, Quebec, December 9, 2019
- Saint-Félix-de-Valois, Quebec, November 6, 2019
- Roberval, Quebec, November 4, 2019
- Plessisville, Quebec, October 29, 2019
- Victoriaville, Quebec, September 4, 2019
- Saint-Fulgence, Quebec, June 5, 2019
- Saint-François-de-Sales, Quebec, June 4, 2019
- La Commission scolaire de Montréal (CSDM), Quebec, May 22, 2019
- Richmond, Quebec, May 7, 2019
- Jericho House, Youth Leadership, Justice & Spirituality Centre, Niagara Region, Ontario, May 6, 2019
- Monseigneur-A.-M.-Parent High School, Saint-Hubert, Quebec – became the first Blue School, April 18, 2019
- Trois-Rivières, Quebec, March 25, 2019
- City of Montreal, Quebec, March 22, 2019
- McGill University, Quebec, March 22, 2019
- Rivière-du-Loup, Quebec, February 15, 2019
- Nicolet, Quebec, February 11, 2019
- Town of Danville, Quebec, January 28, 2019
- Sisters of Mercy of Newfoundland, October 19, 2018
- Federation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Canada, December 10, 2017
- District of Lunenburg, NS, December 8, 2015
- Thunder Bay, ON, March 23, 2015
- Tsal’alh, St’át’imc Territory – became the first Indigenous Blue Community, January 12, 2015
- Bayfield, ON, October 24, 2014
- Tay Township, ON, April 9, 2014
- Amqui, QC, September 16, 2013
- Thorold, ON, July 2, 2013
- Welland, ON, November 6, 2012
- Comox, B.C., October 4, 2012
- Cumberland, B.C., July 9, 2012
- Nanaimo, B.C., June 25, 2012
- St. Catharines, ON, May 28, 2012
- Niagara Falls, ON, April 25, 2012
- North Vancouver, B.C., February 6, 2012
- Ajax, ON, December 2011
- Tiny Township, ON, September 12, 2011
- Kingston, Ontario, Fall 2011
- Victoria, B.C., June 24, 2011
- City of Burnaby, B.C. becomes Canada’s first Blue Community on World Water Day, March 22, 2011.
Note: This map may not be a comprehensive list.
Brussels Capital Region, November 29, 2019
L-R: Meera Karunananthan (Blue Planet Project), Jonathan Bierman (Vivaqua), Minister-President of the Brussels Capital Region Rudi Vervoort, Maude Barlow and Brussels Blue Community représentatives Gabriel DeTheux, Lea Vromman, Martha Vandermeulan, Auréliens De Bolster, Alexandre Van Hoeke and Simon Verhoye.
Cambuquira Municipality, Brazil
Bern, Switzerland, the first international Blue Community.
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
#StadtAugsburg ist #BlueCommunity. Am Sonntag wurde das Zertifikat an Bürgermeisterin @Eva_K_Weber übergeben. Was die Stadt und die Stadtwerke Augsburg tun, um die vier Forderungen der Initivate zu erfüllen: https://t.co/taFPEL3TjH #fliesstbeiuns #augsburg @reinererben pic.twitter.com/QcpQTdJ7qE
— Stadt Augsburg (@stadtaugsburg) March 25, 2019