1st Hemispheric Assembly of Red VIDA - Summary Report

[Guest guest]

Fri, 18 Feb 2005 10:40:25 -0500

" Sara Grusky " <sgrusky

 

 

[WATERFORALL] 1st Hemispheric Assembly of Red VIDA - Summary

Report

 

 

 

 

 

News from Public Citizen's Water For All Campaign

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Summary Report from the 1st Hemispheric Assembly of the Red VIDA

(Vigilancia Interamericana para la Defensa y el Derecho al Agua or

Inter-American Network for the Defense and the Right to Water)

January 25-26, 2005 in Porto Alegre, Brazil

(Translated from Spanish by Sara Grusky, Water for All, Public

Citizen)

 

With the same enthusiasm and commitment that originally gave birth to

the VIDA network in August of 2003, the network held its first

Hemispheric Assembly on January 25-26, 2005 where more than 60 people

from 14 countries representing diverse social movements and

organizations came together prior to the meetings of the World Social

Forum in Porto Alegre, Brazil.

 

During two days of intense work, we had opportunity to share the

experiences of the fight against privatization of water in many of our

countries and to dedicate our efforts to the formulation of a joint

plan

of work. This joint work plan looks at a medium-term horizon and it

identifies the main challenges that we will need to conquer in order to

advance our mission to defend the right to the water.

 

We opened the agenda of the Assembly by sharing the energy and hope

that we all gain from the victory in El Alto, Bolivia, where the

transnational water company Aguas de Illimani (Suez) was expelled

following the struggle, perseverence and conviction of the citizens and

also from the victory in Uruguay where history was made by constructing

democracy through the passage of a referendum by more than 60% of the

population that supported the reform of the constitution to assure that

water is a fundamental human right and a public good.

 

The second day of the Assembly was dedicated to elaboration of the core

content of the work plan of the Red VIDA. We divided into small groups

for reflection and debate and from this work gathered together the

important contributions and proposals to develop the workplan of the

network for the following two years (2005 - 2006). The work plan

defines

three key points:

1. We will challenge the privatization of water by developing campaigns

against the large transnational water companies (like Suez), the

international financial institutions (like the World Bank and WTO) and

their national and local accomplices who assure the application of

privatization policies.

2. We will work to defend, to promote and to improve the public systems

of water and sanitation management. We will support the development of

alternatives models of water management that ensure democracy, citizen

participation, and social responsibility.

3. Similarly, we will work to broaden and extend the membership and

alliances of the Red VIDA. In this context, it is important to mention

that we were very pleased to have the participation of organizations

from Colombia and Paraguay - who played the role of observers in the

event and showed interest in joining the network.

 

For each one of these mentioned lines of work, we identified strategies

and programs that will be sent out in next few days as part of the full

report of the assembly of the Red VIDA.

It is also important to emphasize the participation of the Red VIDA in

the diverse activities of the WSF from the opening march in which many

people attended carrying messages in defense of water and the fight

against privatization. The red VIDA also organized in collaboration

with many other organizations a number of workshops including

workshops

exposing the role of the World Bank in promoting water privatization, a

speak-out on formulating a UN Treaty on water, a special workshop to

build solidarity for the struggle in El Alto, Bolivia, a strategy

session to plan for the World Water Forum in Mexico City and many

others! The Red VIDA also worked closely with Public Services

International, Brazilian environmental and trade groups, the freedom

from Debt Coalition in the Philippines, RMALC and many others to craft

a

unified Water Action Platform that was released at the WSF.

For more information contact: info or view our website

at:

www.laredvida.org

 

 

 

 

 

Sara Grusky

Water for All Campaign

Public Citizen

Phone: (202) 454-5133

Website: www.wateractivist.org

 

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For more information on the Water For All Campaign please visit

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