Labour and civil society groups say World Water Forum is bankrupt

oalition of civil society and labour groups from nearly 70 countries called for the end of the World Water Forum today. They demaned that policies about water be decided in an open, transparent and democratic forum rather than a trade show for the world's largest water corporations.

 

“It is becoming increasingly evident that the  World Water Forum and everything it represents is a cause of the world water crisis and not the solution,” says Maude Barlow senior advisor to the President UN General Assembly.  “The World Water Forum is morally bankrupt, financially bankrupt and bankrupt of ideas.”

 

 “The forum is about top-down solutions when we need bottom-up solutions," says Sheelu Francis of the Tamilnadu Women's Collective. “Privatization of water affects small scale farmers, who are the majority of farmers in India .” Privatization in India has made water inaccessible to subsitence farmers and paved the way for large scale monoculture, which according to Francis has had devastating environmental and social impacts.

“The divide remains deep, between the people who want quality water and sanitation and the bankers and corporations who control the World Water Council.  Their vision is the same one that brought us the financial crisis – a shrinking government, unregulated markets and corporate profits, says David Boys, utilities officer for the 20 million-strong union federation Public Services International. "Our vision is governments that deliver quality public services, financed by fair taxation, with decisions made under conditions of transparency, accountability and participation.  The divide has not been bridged here in Istanbul.”

 

Anthony Chimpheho, trade unionist from Malawi, tells that Malawi has been under pressure since 1990s from the World Bank to privatise.

"We say that water i live. Private sector involvement is like selling our own life. Water is a human right. Why can't donor countries remove these conditions forcing privatisation? In stead of privatisation we want to use public public partnerships. In Malawi it's not that we don't have the capasity in forms of human resources. It's the financial recources that lack.We beat back privatisation in 2003 - workers led the fight with civil society, we campaigned and won.

 

 

Omar Fernandez, a senator from Bolivia , spoke of the the strengths of community control of water and the importance of indigenous management of water resources based on traditional methods.

Earlier in the week a counter-forum, dubbed the “People's Forum” showcased success stories of of public and community-led water governance structures, the application of local indigenous water conservation techniques and other alternatives to the models of large-scale water privatization and high technology solutions promoted by the World Water Forum.

Comments

[ugg.com]

I loved to read that. Thank you so much for sharing the post with all.You are bookmarked in my favourites.

[Coach outlet]

I'm interested in such offer,The sound quality in these podcasts is really poor. I feel bad about complaining about something that is free, but I think it is important.
we wan change our life but no idea for do.

[supra vaider shoes]

For this statement, Jochen Zeitz argued that a considerable part of the product had being through wind and rain to counter the trend of fail for decades

[Jimmy Choo Chaussures]

It's so nice to have you do all of the research for us. It makes our decision making so much easier!! Thanks.

[supra kids shoes]

I like you on facebook and follow through google reader!

[Moncler]

Recent articles. I think this is the most beautiful in the world the article, there must be many people like it your works will get everyone recognized you is the best I will always support you

[see through toaster]

I loved to read that. Thank you so much for sharing the post with all.You are bookmarked in my favourites.