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Languages: English and Spanish (simultaneous translation)
February 1st to the 3rd 2010, the Reclaiming Public Water (RPW) Network will organise an international seminar on global water challenges and people-centered solutions. Participants from more than 30 countries will bring their knowledge and experiences about how to improve water provision through democratisation of water management, partnerships between public water companies (public-public partnerships or PuPs) and other progressive solutions. The seminar (the first global RPW assembly since autumn 2005) will be a space for campaigners, community water activists, public water operators and unionists to learn from each other and strategise on research, campaigning and other joint work.
Day 1 (1st February): Achievements, lessons-learned and challenges ahead in the struggle for public water for all
8:45- 9:30 Registration
Morning session (9:30-12:30) – in plenary
Welcome
Video message from Vibhu Nayar and the Change Management Team (Tamil Nadu, India)
9:45 - 11:05 Regional updates on advancing alternatives to privatisation
One speaker from each region will present main achievements and how these were secured, as well as new political realities and challenges (presentations to be prepared collectively in each region): presentations on the Americas, Asia, Africa and Europe
11:05 – 11:20 What changes in Paris after remunicipalisation
Anne Le Strat, director of Eau de Paris, Deputy Mayor of Paris in charge of water, sanitation and canals management
11:20 - 11:40 The climate crisis and other global water challenges: defending the global commons
Dr. Suresh, The Centre for Law, Policy and Human Rights Studies
11: 40 - 12.00 The global water policy discourse and water privatisation threats today
David Hall, Public Services International Research Unit (PSIRU)
12:00 - 12:30 Discussion
12:30 - 14:00 Lunch
Afternoon session (14:00-18:00) – mostly in workshops
14:00 - 14:30 Short presentations on the topics of the afternoon workshops (in plenary)
The goal of these workshops is to reach a common understanding of progress made and new challenges in key areas.
14:30 - 17:00 Workshops
1. Democratisation experiments, Public-Public Partnerships and remunicipalisation
This workshop focuses on concrete experiences with advancing alternatives on the ground.
2. Defending the human right to water and the global commons
This workshop will discuss legal reforms and other strategies to implement the human right to water as well as how to practically advance the vision of water as global commons.
3. New forms of privatisation and commercialisation
How is privatisation being promoted and implemented on the ground in Asia, Africa and elsewhere?
17:00 - 18:00 Report back from the workshops (in plenary)
Dinner
Day 2 (2nd February): Developing collective strategies
Morning session (9:00-12:00)
9:00-10:30 Wrap-up discussion: progress made, political context and challenges for the years ahead for the RPW network (and presentation of proposals from the network task force) (in plenary)
10:30-12:30 Workshops - first round
The goal of these workshops is to develop concrete strategies and plans for joint work.
1. National and regional platforms for PuPs
The workshop will explore how political and institutional support for PuPs can be developed at national and regional levels and discuss proposals for a PuP knowledge clearinghouse and PuP training centers.
2. Implementing the human right to water
Workshop on strategies for implementing the human right to water, exploring the potential of initiatives like the Latin American Water Tribunal, the International Charter on Water Access, etc.
3. Mapping of alternatives, collective learning & outreach
This workshop will assess the efforts made in the RPW network, the Municipal Services Project (MSP) and other networks as well as discuss next steps, including the Virtual Course on Water Management and Governance (educational programme for water professionals) that is being developed in India.
12:30-14:00 Lunch
Afternoon session (14:00-18:00)
14:00- 16:00 Workshops - second round
The goal of these workshops is to develop concrete strategies and plans for joint work.
1. Public funding for public water
The revised EU Water Facility will for the first time ever make funding available for PuPs – how to broaden the availability of EU funding for progressive public water solutions?
2. Global Water Operators Partnerships (GWOPA)
How to ensure that GWOPA stays on track to support not-for-profit PuPs?
3. The rural water crisis and water resources struggles
This workshop will explore how the RPW network can broaden its focus beyond urban and peri-urban water supply
16:00- 18:00 Report back and discussions on our common strategies (in plenary)
This session will explore how we can cooperate more effectively to influence global, regional and national water policy debates.
Dinner
Day 3 (3rd February): Joint work and the future of the RPW network
Morning plenary session (9:00-12:30)
Concretise collective work plans
Deciding on how to improve the functioning and coordination of the RPW network, based proposals from the network taskforce location: Brussels, Belgium |
Public debate
Join the pan-Asian water dialogue between policy makers, water operators,
engineers, unions and water rights activists.
Featured Speakers India
B.K. Sinha, IAS, Director General, National Institute of Rural Development
Rajendra Singh, Tarun Bharat Sangh, Rajasthan, Magsaysay Award Winner
Featured Speakers International
Anil Naidoo, Blue Planet Project, Council of Canadians
Saleh Rabi, Director, Palestiniaian Water Training institute, Palestine
Mary Ann Manahan, Focus on Global South, Philippines
Moderator
Arvind Sivramakrishnan, The Hindu and Asian College of Journalism
Open to the public as part of the proceedings of the Asian Water Colloquium on September 26, 2008.
5-30 pm. At the IC & SR Auditorium, the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras.
If you are unable to participate physically, you can Query the Colloquium online (click here) and track the feedback on www.rightsresearch.org
location: Chennai, India |
WATER: COMMON GOOD, PUBLIC MANAGEMENT, AND ALTERNATIVES
Securing the Right to Water—Challenges and Solutions in Asia
September 25-27, 2008
IC & SR Hall, Indian Institute of Technology, Chennai, India
organised by Reclaiming Public Water Network, Focus on Global South, Chennai Host Group: Dept. of HSC, IIT, Madras Water Engineers and Centre for Law, Policy & HR Studies
meeting of activists, public water managers/operators and trade unions focuses on existing and emerging water "alternatives"(to corporate-driven privatization and its various forms).
In particular, the workshop will be a space/venue:
• for understanding and analyzing the water situations in the Asia region, particularly, in terms of alternatives,
• identify common issues and concerns among different water players in the region, and a collective framework on water (as a resource, human right, and common good);
• towards arriving at a common understanding of water alternatives (e.g. to corporate-driven privatization) within the context of democratization (e.g. Public-Public Partnerships);
• to identify possible areas of cooperation among trade unions, civil society groups/water rights advocates, and public utility managers, for collaboration, complementary and concerted action in the region; and
• visit and learn from the democratization experiment being conducted in the Tamil Nadu’s state water board and in the irrigation/agricultural engineering department.
Programme Schedule
25.9.2008
9.00. to 9.30 a.m. Registration of Delegates
9.30 a.m. - 10.00 a.m. : Starting the Colloquium, Preliminary remarks,explanation of colloquium schedule etc.
10.00 a.m. – 11.00 a.m.: Inaugural Session
Welcome Address
10.00 – 10.10 a.m. Prof. VR Muraleedharan, HOD, HSS, IIT Madras
10.10-10.20 a.m, Rep. of International Group – Why this Colloquium
Inaugural Address
10.20 – 10.45 a.m. Ms. Santha Sheela Nair, IAS, Union Drinking Water Dept., Government of India – Inaugural Speech (to confirm title/theme)
10.45 – 11.15 a.m. Q & A Session: Interaction between Secretary & Delegates.
11.15 – 11. 30 a.m. Coffee / Tea /Refreshment Break
11.30 to 1.30 p.m. Establishing the Koodam
Country Wise Presentations on Status and Challenges before water sector –– Plenary
Note: County delegates confirmed: 15 Asian countries; Latin American and European Networks
Note: Each country report should ideally focus on a gist of the:
(i) status and type of management of water in each country (public/private/co-operative/mixed), (ii) existence of legal rights and protection, (iii) economics of water delivery systems (investment funding, pricing of water, tariff systems, national/regions policies governing these issues), (iv) approach to water commons, (v) nature of water conflicts and (vi) examples of alternatives.
In particular, statistics related to access to water should be provided (people served, people not served, quality, water for food, environmental aspects). If possible, participants to include a short history of the water sector in their country with special reference to political economy, such as changes brought in by governments with differing ideologies, IFIs and Multilateral agencies.
Southeast and East Asia: Hong Kong/China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Japan (11:30-1:00pm)
South Asia and the Middle East: Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, India, and Palestine (1:00-1:30 pm; and 2:30-3:30pm)
1.30 – 2.30 p.m. Lunch
2.30 – 4.45 p.m. Country presentations – continue
South Asia and the Middle East: Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, India, and Palestine (2:30-3:30pm)
The Americas and Europe: Turkey, Mexico/Latin America, Europe/Netherlands, and Canada/North America (3:30-4:45pm
Conclude.
4.45 – 5.00 p.m. Refreshment Break
5.00 – 6.30 p.m. Commonalities and Conflicts – Challenges and Changes
Placing the Presentations in Perspective: The general picture in Asian region vis-à-vis other countries – Plenary session
To be led by a panel of 3-4 persons, based on the presentations.
6.30 – 7.00 p.m. Winding up First day – Summary reflections
7.00 – 800 p.m. Cultural interaction?
8.00 p.m. Dinner
26.09.2008
9.00 – 9.30 a.m. Mood Meters – Start ups! Reflections of first day
9.30-10.00 a.m. Shifts in 5 Dimensions of Water
Introducing the structure of Discussions– Plenary session
10.00 a.m. – 1.00 p.m. Where do we go next?
Parallel Sessions focusing on shifts in law, policy and practice in the following thematic areas
A. Water and the Global Commons – Status & Challenges
B. Public Management – Nature, Challenges, Conflicts. Including issue / experience of Water Regulatory Authorities.
C. Economics of Water – nature of funding, issues related to
investment, tariffs and costs.
D. Delivery systems – systemic issues affecting water delivery, Satisfaction in delivery, issues of change etc.
E. Alternatives & PUPs – nature of alternatives tried out in Improving Water systems, delivery etc.
(Flexible 15 mts. hour Refreshment break at around 11.30 a.m. to be taken up at appropriate times, depending on discussion)
1.00 p.m. – 2.00 p.m. Lunch
2.00 p.m. – 4.00 p.m. Plenary presentations of 5 theme discussions.
4.00 p.m. – 5.00 p.m. Convergence of Concerns – Establishing Shifts to reclaim water as part of the global commons, public management & alternatives -
Reflections by a Panel– to kick start the discussion.
5.00 p.m. Break for public dialogue.
5.30 p.m. – 8.00 p.m. PUBLIC DIALOGUE: Policy makers, Water Operators, Engineers Associations and Trade Unions, Corporate Bodies and Citizens Groups.
27.09.2008
9.00 a.m. – 9.30 a.m. Mood Meters – What does the Koodam say? Reflections on feed back of previous 2 days’ sessions.
9.30 a.m. – 11.15 a.m. Plenary: Strategising Shifts – Templates for Action
9.30 a.m.-10.30 a.m. : Strategising Shifts in Law & Policy
Discussion to be kicked off by reflections by a Policy Maker, Water Operator/ engineer, Civil Society Rep.
10.30 – 11.15 a.m. Templates for Action – Finding Friends, Preparing Partnerships!
What manner of action at Local, Regional and Global levels of action?
11.15 – 11.30 a.m. Refreshment break
11.30 a.m. – 1.00 p.m. Asian Approach to the WWF, 2009 – What next?
Learning from WWF, 2006 – Red Vida and the Alternate WWF Claudia (Mexico).
Preparation for the WWF, 2009 – Anil Naidoo and Turkish friend
1,00 p.m. – 2.00 p.m. Lunch
2.00 p.m. – 3.30 p.m. Creating Consensus – Strategising Synergies
Finalising templates for action in the Asian Region
3.30 – 5.00 p.m. Closing Session:
location: Chennai, India |
http://laredvida.org/
Las alternativas a la privatización y comercialización del agua. Agua pública y comunitaria y el derecho humano al agua en las Américas.
1. Datos generales
_Número de días del seminario:_ 3
_Lugar_: Cochabamba, Bolivia
_Fecha_: 23-25 de agosto 2008.
2. Participantes:
Miembros de red VIDA y otras organizaciones de las Américas que sean parte de:
1. Sistemas de agua comunitaria;
2. Cooperativas de agua;
3. Organizaciones alternativas de gestión del agua
4. Asociaciones comunitarias y públicas que gestionan agua y/o saneamiento básico.
5. Empresas públicas y sindicatos de trabajadores
6. Grupos con incidencia directa sobre uno de los arriba mencionados
3. Objetivos
1. Analizar los actuales conflictos de la privatización y comercialización del agua, en la búsqueda de la construcción de una gestión pública y comunitaria en las Américas.
2. Analizar los retos, problemas y desafíos de la gestión pública y comunitaria del agua en las Américas en base a la discusión de lo público bajo el tema transversal del control y la participación social.
3. Realizar un balance autocrítico de la lucha por el agua como un bien común en las Américas, analizando el papel de los diferentes gobiernos y evaluando nuestras resistencias y propuestas en torno de la gestión pública y comunitaria del agua y la asociación público–público, público–comunitario y comunitario–comunitario.
4. Impulsar a través de proyectos concretos la cooperación público-público entre sistemas comunitarios, cooperativas y empresas públicas de agua que asistan al evento.
5. impulsar y apoyar el desarrollo de una base organizativa y conceptual de aprendizaje colectivo para que los sistemas de agua públicos, organizaciones sociales que inciden en los mismos y otros actores relaciones con ellos puedan, si así lo quieren continúen y profundicen en el futuro, los objetivos planteados en los puntos 1 a 4.
4. Temática
1. Del porqué de los conflictos y la lucha contra la privatización y comercialización del agua
Existen muchas experiencias de resistencia y enfrentamiento contra la privatización y comercialización del agua a nivel global, sobre todo en los países mal llamados del tercer mundo. Estas políticas de privatización, resistidas y enfrentadas, sólo buscan beneficiar a las grandes transnacionales en la más infame lógica de lucro. Los gobiernos pro neoliberales y seudo progresistas reciben a las transnacionales con los brazos abiertos, dándoles todas las ventajas legales y económicas. Así, la lucha contra la privatización del agua ha surgido no sólo contra la privatización de este elemento en sí mismo, sino en lo que representa como máxima expresión del capital y el neoliberalismo.
Así mismo, la comercialización del agua representa un peligro, no sólo cuando la sombra de la privatización se cierne sobre las empresas públicas o comunitarias de agua, sino también cuando estas empresas públicas se inclinan por ella en la misma lógica de lucro.
2. Nuestras resistencias a la privatización del agua y de la necesidad de mirarlas crítica y autocríticamente
Muchas veces nuestra perspectiva se circunscribe únicamente a un problema parcial que es la privatización o la contaminación del agua. A ello es necesario sumarle una mirada más amplia y profunda. Por ello, en aquellos lugares en donde se ha recuperado la empresa de agua para mantenerla o convertirla pública, se han tenido muchos conflictos que pasan por la ineficiencia, la corrupción y otros tantos males. Por lo general el principal conflicto es que no se ha podido superar a la racionalidad institucional que engendra el capital, derivada por lo estatal, como por lo social, incluso, se puede afirmar que no son suficientes los esfuerzos desde abajo y transparentes de gestión pública sino van acompañados de transformaciones más grandes.
ii b) Las organizaciones y movimientos sociales del agua en sus entornos locales y sus articulaciones en redes a diferentes niveles (regionales, globales) han encontrado maneras de intercambio y fortalecimiento a través de asociaciones. Estas herramientas están en una fase inicial y son pocas las experiencias por ahora. Estas son nuevas formas de solidaridad activa cuyos actores principales son las empresas públicas y los sistemas comunitarios; así estas de pronto ya no son solamente sujetos de conflicto sino también sujetos transformadores que pueden construir formas de gestión y aportar a cambios en otros lugares.
3. Los conflictos actuales del agua y la nueva arremetida neoliberal de la privatización
Los conflictos del agua no se limitan a la discusión de su distribución, sino van más allá. Incluyen el manejo irresponsable del agua donde se privilegian usos mercantiles, industriales o agroindustriales, por encima del consumo humano, la agricultura de autosubsistencia y de los ecosistemas. En definitiva, es un problema integral que tiene que ver, por ejemplo, con las políticas de desarrollo que impactan el agua y los territorios y son implementadas por muchos países, incluso los que supuestamente tienen gobiernos progresistas, y que prefieren incentivar la explotación minera, la construcción de represas y los monocultivos dedicados a la producción de celulosa y/o agrocombustibles, y la deforestación por sobre la protección de la vida.
Aun si las políticas macro en un país parecen ir por el cambio (Bolivia, Uruguay, Brasil), muchas de las veces, las políticas nacionales sobre el sector permanecen estancadas en la lógica de comercialización y la apropiación privadas (las asociaciones Publico-Privadas son un ejemplo de ello). Esta limitación estructural del campo organizativo del área del agua y saneamiento, proviene de las políticas del Banco Mundial y las organizaciones internacionales (como el Foro Mundial del Agua) y obstaculizan e impiden que se lleven a cabo políticas progresistas en todos los niveles y escalas (de lo local hasta lo global).
Por otro lado, las transnacionales y los organismos internacionales que las apoyan, como el Banco Mundial y el Fondo Monetario Internacional, no han desistido de sus intenciones de seguir buscando lucro con el agua, por ello, están impulsando en muchos lugares las empresas público-privadas, los contratos de servicios, la construcción de infraestructura por empresas privadas, así como el acaparamiento de las fuentes de agua y su contaminación que son todas formas de privatización. Esta arremetida es un nuevo peligro.
4. De la lucha por el agua como un bien común y por la gestión de nuestras propias vidas
Hablamos del agua como un bien común para enfrentar a la lógica del capital que convierte todo en mercancía, pero también para escapar de la lógica del derecho en cuanto obligación que siendo un avance no responde a la necesidad de entender el agua como un bien de todos los seres vivos y no vivos.
Hemos visto que luchar por el agua como un bien común representa imaginarse el mundo de otra manera, representa recuperar la capacidad de gestionar nuestras propias vidas. Las experiencias de manejo comunitario, tradicional o autogestionario son claves para impulsar una visión diferente. Es necesario fortalecer estas formas de manejo que representan, por lo general, formas más democráticas y participativas de gestión y control.
5. Mesas/temas de discusión
1. Conflictos actuales de la privatización del agua
Las nuevas arremetidas del neoliberalismo.
2. Retos, problemas y desafíos de la gestión pública
Control social, normas y leyes (reformas constitucionales), empresas públicas, redefinir lo público, lo comunitario
3. Los acuerdos de Cooperación/Asociación publico-publico y posibles acuerdos
Que se ha dado en los hechos, dificultades para el avance, formas de cooperación, éxitos, retos, etc.
Cómo implementar mecanismos de cooperación entre los pueblos, comunidades, entidades para solucionar el problema de acceso al agua sorteando las herramientas del modelo capitalista (préstamos de los organismos financieros internacionales, consultorías con visiónmercantil, etc.)
Cómo promover, desde los movimientos sociales, mecanismos de cooperación versus TLC. location: Cochabamba, Bolivia |
The alternatives to the privatization and commercialization of water.
Public and community water and the human right to water in the Americas.
1. General Information
Number of days of the seminar – 3
Place, Cochabamba, Bolivia
Date: August 23-25, 2008
2. Participants
Members of the VIDA network and some organizations in the Americas that
are part of:
1. Community waters systems
2. Water cooperatives
3. Alternative water management organizations
4. Community and public associations that manage water and/or basic sanitation
5. Public companies and workers' unions
6. Groups with direct impact on one of those mentioned above.
3. Objectives
1. To analyze the current conflicts surrounding the privatization and commercialization of water, in order to construct public and community management in the Americas.
2. To analyze the challenges and problems of the public and community water management in the Americas, based on a discussion about the public model under the transversal theme of control and social participation.
3. To evaluate the struggle for water as a common good in the Americas in an auto-critical manner, analyzing the role of the different governments and evaluating our resistances and proposals regarding the public and community management of water and the public-public, public-community andcommunity-community partnerships.
4. To encourage public-public cooperation through concrete projects between community systems, cooperatives and public water companies that attend the event.
5. To encourage and support the development of an organizational and conceptual foundation for collective learning so that public waters systems, social organizations and other related actors can, if they so wish, continue and further develop the objectives proposed in points 1-4 in the future.
4. Thematic
1. The reason behind the conflicts and the struggle against the privatization and commercialization of water. There are many experiences of resistance and confrontation against the privatization and commercialization of water at a global level, above all in the so-called and badly named Third World countries. These privatization policies, which are resisted and confronted, only seek to benefit major
multinationals in their infamous thirst for profit. Pro-neoliberal governments and pseudo progressive governments receive multi-nationals with open arms, giving them all the legal and economic advantages. As a result, the battle against the privatization of water has emerged not only against the privatization of this element in and of itself but also in terms of what it represents as a maximum expression of capital and
neoliberalism.
At the same time, the commercialization of water represents a danger, not only when the shadow of privatization hangs over public or community water companies but also when these public companies incline towards it under the same logic of profit and gain.
2. Our resistance to the privatization of water and the need to look upon it in a critical and auto-critical manner. Frequently our perspective only focuses on a partial problem, which is the privatization or contamination of water. However, we need to have a broader and more profound perspective. For this reason, in places where it has been possible to recover the water company in order to maintain or convert it into a public company, there have been many conflicts related to inefficiency, corruption and other problems. Generally, the principal conflict stems from the fact that it has not been possible to overcome the institutional rationality that gives rise to capital. In fact, it is possible to affirm that it is not enough to have public management efforts that come from below and are transparent unless these are accompanied by more far-reaching transformations.
2 b) Water organizations and social movements in their local environments and their links to networks at different levels (regional, global) have found ways to strengthen themselves and to exchange ideas
and information through associations. These tools are in an initial phase and therefore there are few experiences to date. These are new types of active solidarity, whose main actors are public companies and communities systems; therefore these suddenly are not only subjects of conflict, but also transforming subjects that can constructs management models and contribute to change in other places.
3. Current conflicts for water and the new neoliberal privatization attack
Conflicts over water are not limited to a discussion about its distribution, but go beyond that. They include the irresponsible management of water that prioritizes commercial, industrial or agro/industrial uses over human consumption, subsistence agriculture and eco systems. It is definitely an integral problem that is related, for example, to development polices that have an impact on water and territories and are implemented by many countries, including those that have supposedly progressive governments. Governments prefer to encourage mining exploitation, the construction of dams and mono-crops dedicated to the production of cellulose and/or agro-fuels and deforestation ahead of the protection of life.
Even if the framework policies of a country seem to be moving toward change (Bolivia, Uruguay, Brazil), frequently national policies about the sector remain caught in a logic of commercialization and private appropriation (Public-Private joint ventures are an example of this). This structural limitation in the organizational field of water and sanitation comes from World Bank policies and those international organizations (Such as the World Water Forum) that create obstacles and impede progressive policies at every level and scale (from the local to the global).
On the other hand, the multi-nationals and the international bodies that support them, like the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund have not relinquished their aim to continue seeking profit from water. For this reason in many places they are encouraging public-private companies, service contracts, infrastructure built by private firms as well as the monopolization of water sources and their contamination
which are all forms of privatizations. This front of attack represents new danger.
4. The struggle for water as a common good and for the management of our own lives.
We talk about water as a common good in order to confront the logic of capital that converts everything into merchandize but also to escape from the logic of a right as an obligation, which represents progress
but does not respond to the need to understand water as something that is a common good for all living and non living beings.
We have seen that the struggle for water as a common good requires imagining the world in a different way, it represents recovering the capacity to manage our own lives. The experiences of community,
traditional or self-management are key in order to impel different vision. There is a need to strengthen these types of management that generally represent more democratic and participatory forms of
management and control.
5. Round tables/Themes for discussion
1. Current conflicts surrounding the privatization of water.
The new fronts of neoliberalism.
2. Challenges, problems of public management
Social control, regulations and laws (constitutional reforms), public
companies, redefining what is public, community.
3. Public-Public Cooperation/Partnership agreements and possible ones.
What has taken place in the facts, difficulties for progress, types of
cooperation, success, challenges, etc.
How to implement cooperation mechanisms among peoples, communities,
entities to solve the problem of access to water, avoiding the tools of
the capitalist model (loans from international financial bodies,
consultancies with a commercial vision, etc)
How to promote, from social movements, cooperation mechanisms versus FTA. location: cochabamba, Bolivia |
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE
WATER: Under the Yoke of Capitalism
22-23rd March 2008
Venue: Yildiz Technical University, Oditorium Hall, ISTANBUL
PROGRAMME
22nd March, Saturday
09.30 – 10.00 Conference Opening Speeches
10.00 – 11.00 Change in point of view in the process of capital accumulation: The Roles of Nation States and Institutions in commercialization of water
Moderator: Prof.Dr. Izettin Onder
- Water Crisis: A Fact or Fiction / Tahir Ongur – President of İstanbul Branch of the Chamber for Geology Engineers/TMMOB
- Privatization as a projection of the restructuring in state: With its prevalent coverage and unchanged consequences
/ Prof. Mehmet Turkay – Marmara University
- The new rolles charged on municipalities by neo liberalism
* David Boys / PSI
* Serhat Salihoglu / DISK – Municipality Workers’ Union
11.00 – 11.15 Coffee Break
11.15 – 12.15 Contınue
- From Commons to Commodification: Alternative Communities Against New Enclosures Dynamics / Prof.Dr. Fuat Ercan – Marmara University
- New form of Privatization: Privatization through Expropriation / Turkey Case / Prof. Turkel Minibas – İstanbul University
- Discussion
12.15 – 13.00 Lunch Break
13.00 – 13.45 Press Meeting For World Water Day in Besiktas Port Square
14.00 – 15.45 The Impacts of Water Usage on Water Resources (1)
- Water Usage in Mining / Cetin Uygur – President of DISK-Mining
Workers Union
- Importance of Water For Energy Companies / Chamber
of Electricty Engineers / TMMOB
- Water Basins and Urbanization / Chamber of
Arthitectures / TMMOB
- Water Usage in Machinery and Metal Manufacturing Industry /
Selcuk Goktas –G.Secretary of DISK–United Metal workers’
Union
- Domestic Usage of Water / İlknur Birol /Association of the Shelters for People
15.45 – 16.00 Coffee Break
16.00 – 17.30 Continue (2)
- Impacts of water privatization on municipality workers / Saadet Yegin – Branch President of KESK-Municipality Employee Union
- Water in Food Chain / İbrahim Kaya / Chamber of Food Engineers / TMMOB
- Irrigation Systems and Water Privatization through Irrigation Associations: A Practice From Turkey / Ahmet Atalık – President of Istanbul Branch of Chamber of Agricultural Engineering / TMMOB
- The Impacts of Water Commercialization over agricultural production for livelihood / Abdullah Aysu – The President Of Peasants’ Federation
- The Impacts of Capitalist Transformation in Agricultural Sector over Water Usage in Agriculture / Shiney Varghese – IATP
- Discussion
18.00 – 19.00 A Theatre Performance on Water: “Like Water” / Marmara Theatre Performers
23rd March, Sunday
09.30 – 11.00 The Impacts of Water Commercialization On Public Health and Environment
- The Impacts of Water Commercialization on Environment and Cultural Heritage
1. Prof.Dr. Beyza Ustun
2. Eylem Tuncaelli / President of İstanbul Chamber of
Environmental Engineering / TMMOB
- The Impacts of Commodification of Water on Public health
1. Dr.Vahide Bilir / TTB/ Association of Turkish Medical Doctors
2. Arzu Çerkezoglu / President of DISK/ Revolutionary Health Workers’ Union
- Discussion
11.00 – 11.15 Coffee Break
11.15 – 12.45 WWF / 2009 ISTANBUL
- International Water Institutions and Their Impacts on National Policies / Anil Naidoo, Council of Canadians
- What Are the Aims of Opposition Movements? / Olivier Hoedeman, CEO
- Emilio Molinari / Italian Water World Contract Committee
- Discussion
12.45 – 14.00 Lunch Break
14.00 – 16.00 ` Struggle Examples from the World
- Hilda Salazar – Mexico, COMDA
- Carlos Sosa – Uruguay, FFOSE
- Afsar H. Jafri - India
- Renato Di Nicola – Italy, Foro Italiano Movimenti perl'Acqua
- Oscar Olivera Bolivia, Red-Vida
- Mary Ann Manahan – Philipinnes, Focus on the Global South
- Afsar Jafri – India, Focus on the Global South and Mumbai Paani
- A Representative from Edirne City Council for Water
16.00 – 16.15 Coffee Break location: ISTANBUL |
Date 7. 8 January 2008
Brussels, Belgium
VENUE: Scotland House, Rond-Pont Schuman 6, Brussels
Public water delivery in Europe is seriously threatened, not only by privatisation, but also by commercialisation, outsourcing and other problematic trends that rapidly undermine the 'publicness' of public water delivery.
With the seminar on 7-8 January, co-hosted by the Reclaiming Public Water Network and the Public Interest Research Network (with support from the European Federation of Public Service Unions - EPSU), we want to focus on the nature of public water delivery in Europe today as well as on the question how to reclaim public water in Europe through democratisation and other progressive reforms.
We are inviting water activists, unionists, academics and public water managers from across Europe, hoping that the seminar will substantially contribute to strenghtening campaigning and research networks for defending and reclaiming public water in Europe.
Among the key themes of the seminar will be:
- conceptual discussion of the state of (public) water delivery in Europe
- the role of the EU in the neoliberal transformation of the water sector in Europe
- developing an alternative agenda for water delivery and water governance (remunicipalisation , democratisation and other progressive reforms, public-public partnerships, etc.)
- campaigns against commercialisation of water delivery and for reclaiming public water
Seminar Programme
Monday 7 January
0900 – 1100 Welcome plenary
Welcome Jan-Willem Goudriaan (EPSU) and Tommy Kane (PIRG, Strathclyde University)
* Introduction round (discussion of expectations, outputs from seminar)
* Summarising the scope of seminar (issues, outputs etc)
* Warm-up discussion on general principles and structures of ‘publicness’ – what do we mean by “public water”in Europe.
Speakers/discussants: Phillip Terhorst and others
1100 – 1130 Coffee Break
1130 – 1300 New trends in privatisation and commercialisation of water delivery in Europe
* Commercialisation of public water companies in Scotland, Sweden and elsewhere
* New forms of privatisation in Central and Eastern Europe, Turkey and elsewhere
1300 – 1400 Lunch Break
1400 – 1530 Plenary: the role of the EU institutions
* The role of EU policies and funding for the water sector
* The neo-liberal agenda and the Washington Consensus
1530 – 1545 Coffee Break
1545 – 1700 Turning the tide – initiatives to replace privatisation with genuinely public water management (first round)
* The Italian campaign for a moratorium on privatisation
* Aqua public Europea – the new federation of public water utilities
Monday evening: Dinner at restaurant in downtown Brussels
Tuesday 8 January
0900 – 1030 Turning the tide – initiatives to replace privatisation with genuinely public water management (second round)
* The French movement for remunicipalisation
* Presentation of the ‘Water Remunicipalisation Tracker’
1030 – 10.45 Coffee Break
1045 – 1200 Successful progressive water management reforms in Europe
* Sustainable public management covering the whole water cycle: the case of Amsterdam
* Towards participatory water management in the province of Seville
1200 – 1330 Developing an alternative vision for Europe
* Reflecting on insights from earlier discussions to discuss alternatives and how to enact them
1330 – 1430 Lunch
1430 – 1600 Developing work plans and strategies
Smaller groups to discuss issues including:
- strategies towards the World Water Forum (Istanbul, March 2009)
- joint action to advance remunicipalisation in Europe
- progressive public water management & public-public partnerships
- collective research projects
1600 – 16.15 Coffee Break
1615 – 18.30 Closing Plenary
* Feedback from workshop groups
* Develop follow-plans for RPWN in Europe and more generally pan-European movement-building
* Closing remarks
For more information about the Reclaiming Public Water Network, see:
www.waterjutsice.org
About the Public Interest Research Network:
www.publicinterest.ac.uk
About the European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU):
www.epsu.org
location: Brussels, Belgium |
Africa Water Network Annual General Meeting
And
Africa Regional Seminar on Alternatives to Privatisation.
14-18 November 2007
Johannesburg, South Africa
The Africa Water Network would like to take this opportunity to inform you about the upcoming Annual General Meeting and African Regional Seminar on Alternatives to Water Privatisation.
The African continent has been described as the most deprived continent in terms of water and sanitation connections. Nowhere is the word flying toilet heard but Africa, where lack of water and sanitation connection has forced people into a dehumanising condition. It is no gains say that the provision of sufficient water to human beings improves health and sanitation. History has taught us lessons but humanity has refused to let go their greed for profit at the deterrent of the poor. "In Great Britain public investment financed an expansion of sewerage systems. Life expectancy increased in the four decades after the 1880s by an astounding 15 years, with reduced child deaths accounting for the bulk of the gain.… By one estimate water purification alone explains half the mortality reduction in the United States in the first third of the 20th century. No other period in US history has witnessed such rapid declines in mortality rates. By 1920 almost every big city in today’s industrial world had purified water. Within another decade most had built large sewage treatment plants that removed, treated and disposed of human waste in areas where it would not contaminate drinking water" UNHDR 2006.
Africa, however, where you have about 55% of the population having access to potable water, is forced to cut back public spending. This policy has aided the perpetual killing of people on the continent through cholera, typhoid infections and other water borne diseases. If it made sense for British and US governments, it is absolutely correct to fight for public investment and control of our water resources and systems.
This meeting will among other things look at the following issues;
1. The state of water services in African countries. Prior to the AGM, the AWN secretariat has collated information from member countries; this will be processed and presented as a preparatory document to the AGM.
2. Development of Effective Strategies and Tactics Towards Stopping Privatisation. We have been sharing information as to what is happening in various countries. The successes and challenges of the struggles, but we have not been able to do a collective analysis of tactics and strategies. There are no handbooks developed for activists with tools for their campaigns. It has become imperative that such a thing is developed to document and also aid the building of activist movements on the continent and beyond.
3. During the WSF in Nairobi where the African Water Network was launched, we had the opportunity to learn about the initiatives of Comrades from Kenya, Mali, Senegal, Savelugu (Ghana) etc in the field of alternatives to privatisation. They were very laudable and encouraging but all with teething problems. During the AGM there will be a seminar on Alternatives, which shall focus on:
a. How to popularize the models
b. How to break the investment barrier for the models
c. Public Public Partnerships (PUPs) as a way to speed up improvements in public water delivery
4. The Global Water Operators Partnerships Alliance, initiated by the UN as a platform to promote better public water management, but gradually pro-privatisation public companies such as Vitens and Rand Water are seizing the space. If this is allowed to go on there might be consequences of commercialisation and privatisation emerging from the GWOPA. There is the need for the AWN to get informed about these processes in other to allow us make informed decisions.
5. The AGM shall review the performance of the governing structure of the coalition.
For further information contact;
Alhassan.adam [at] gamail.com
Patrick Sindane
sindane [at] gmail.com
location: Johannesburg, South Africa |
May 6, 2007, 1:00 – 3:30 pm, Doshisha University, Kyoto
The 2001 Asian Development Bank (ADB) “Water for All” Policy clearly illustrates the Bank’s wide-ranging agenda in commodifying Asia’s water from resource management to provision of piped water services. Essentially, the policy promotes full cost recovery in water pricing, and steps up the entry of private investments in the water sector. ADB takes parallel efforts with the World Bank and Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) in pushing for privatization in the region and even takes step further by emphasizing on the concept of “tradable water rights”. By using loans as leverage, ADB forces national governments to put in place requirements for profitability to facilitate private takeover of public services.
The Review of ADB’s Water Implementation Policy in 2005 has simply affirmed the need to accelerate privatization by more than doubling the Bank’s investments in the water sector. The ADB’s new Water Financing Program targets US$ 20 billion annual investments for 2006 –2010 in making water “a core business area of ADB operations”. ADB is also co-organizing the first Asia Pacific Water Forum Summit to be held in Oita Prefecture, Japan, in December 2007, which will focus on water financing, among others.
On the occasion of the 40th Annual Governors Meeting, in Kyoto, several social movements, labor unions and water campaign networks have come together in a workshop to present their critique on the ADB water privatization agenda and their struggles for water justice. This workshop specifically aims to present concrete country cases of failed water privatization and the erosion of access when water is made contingent on profitability --- constantly rising water prices, poor quality, the lack of transparency and accountability on the part private water companies, government bail-outs, increasing debt burdens, workers’ job insecurity and lack of social protection. Struggles and campaign experiences in promoting alternatives to water privatization, such as public-public partnerships (PUPs), will be shared.
PROGRAMME
Opening & Objectives
- Hemantha Withanage, Executive Director, NGO-Forum on ADB
Overview of the Trends and Issues on Water Privatization in Asia & the Role of ADB and JBIC
- MS Lidy Nacpil , Coordinator, Jubilee South –Asia/Pacific Movement on Debt & Devt (APMDD)
PANEL PRESENTATIONS: Water Privatization Experiences and Struggles
■Profiting from People’s Lives: The Case of MWSS Water Privatization
- Ms. Ana Maria Nemenzo, President, Freedom from Debt Coalition
■Manila Water Privatization: Suez Mismanagement & Labor Issues
- Ms. Roberta Estimo, President, Maynilad Water Supervisors Union
■Indonesia Water Privatization and the Case for PUPs (tentative title)
- Mr. Hamong Santono,Coordinator, Kruha, Indonesia Water Rights Coalition
■Jakarta Water Privatization: Impact on Workers and Consumers (tentative title)
- Ms. Dameria Hasibuan, President, SP PDAM Jakarta, Municipal Water Supply Workers Union of DKI Jakarta
■The Case of the ADB-assisted Water Privatization in Sri Lanka (tentative)
- Mr Suranjan Kodithiwakku, Coordinator, Green Movement
■Current Situation of Water Privatization in Japan and Our Struggle Against It
- Mr. Kazutaka Kubota, General Secretary, Zensuido (All Japan Water Supply Workers Union)
Cases of ongoing challenges to improve public water from around the world
- Launcing of the book "Reclaiming Public Water" (Japanese edition)
TNI and CEO
Open Forum –Questions & Proposals for Action
- Moderated by Mr. Noboru Inokuchi, Jichiro
Summing –Up & Closing
- Mr. Hemantha Withanage, Executive Director, NGO Forum on ADB
Co-organizers: Jubilee South/Asia-Pacific Movement on Debt and Development (APMDD), Public Services International (PSI), NGO Forum on ADB, Freedom from Debt Coalition (FDC), Transnational Institute (TNI), Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO) and AM Net
* See background papers location: Kyoto, Japan |
updated at the tour blog: http://reclaimingpublicwaterindia.blogspot.com/
During the tour,three different Indian language editions(Tamil, Hindi and Malayalam)of the Reclaiming Public Water (RPW) book will be launched. Shripad Dharmadhikary will also launch his latest book "Water: Private,Limited - Issues in Privatisation, Corporatisation and Commercialisation of Water Sector in India ".
Four international speakers from the Reclaiming Public Water Network joining the tour:
Santiago Arconada, Venezuela
Julian Perez, Bolivia
Tamsyn East, UK
Olivier Hoedeman, The Netherlands
The diverse activities are being organised with active participation of local water groups and activists. The tour visits Chennai (Tamil Nadu), Delhi, Mumbai, Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu), Palakkad/Plachimada (Kerala) location: India |
See pictures from the demonstration.
http://www.indymedia.be/nl/node/7998
Demonstration in front of the European Commission's Trade department, Monday
March 19th. Meeting point: Rond-Point Schuman at 13.30.
The European Union is using international trade talks to demand developing
countries open up their water sector for European multinationals. This happens
not only in the WTO services negotiations (GATS), but also in other free trade
talks, ranging from the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) to the proposed
free trade agreement with the ASEAN countries in South East Asia.
Join with an international group of water activists (in Brussels for the AMECE
conference at the European Parliament) as we demand that the European
Commission recognises water is a human right and that water must be kept out of
all free trade agreements!
Speakers will include:
Charles Santiago - Malaysia
Virginia Shetshedi - South Africa
Riccardo Petrella - Italy
Jan Willelm Goudriaan - Belgium
Al-hassan Adam - Ghana
Adriana Marquiso - Uruguay location: Brussels |
Amrta Institute, Trans National Institute and Public Service International
I. Introduction
2007 marks the tenth year of private sector participation in Jakarta’s water service. The private sector participation, in the form of concession, is the largest one yet in Indonesia. At the moment, according to data from BPPSPAM (The Supervising Agency for Finance and Development), there are 21 clean water projects that are offered to the private sector. PDAM (public water utilities) itself, through its management, have many cooperation with the private. It is fair to say that private sector participation will be even more intensive in the future.
Unfortunately, a comprehensive and thorough review on private sector participation in many areas has not been done. The private participation in Jakarta surely can be the most important case to review and to learn from at least for three different reasons: it is the largest in Indonesia and the concession model that was chose is said to be the optimum model of private participation and this year it is entering its tenth years.
Critics to private participation in Jakarta water service are also abundant. Among them are un-met technical targets and service standards as regulated in the cooperation agreement. In a cooperation agreement, public (consumer) interests are reflected through the technical targets and service standards, and also the consequences for failing to meet the targets.
Unfortunately, the clauses (in the cooperation agreement) on service standards and technical targets are filled with conditions that do not guarantee its fulfillment. For example, Clause 20 (a) states that technical targets are subject to changes from time to time according to Financial Projections. It means technical targets will be changed if financial realizations are in any way do not match its previous projections.
Other clause states that if there are material differences in the annual investment plan, the annual Operation and Maintenance Program, the annual Financial Projections and the annual budget agreed by the First Party and/or by the Regulatory Body, then the parties will make changes on the Technical Targets and/or Service Standards that are directly affected.
The examples above show the difficulty of guaranteeing that public interest are represented in the agreement. That’s why changes to better guarantee public interests are crucial and should be made immediately. Lately, the concessionaires are also repeatedly said that they will amend the cooperation agreement. For a better water service, it necessary to quickly respond to the concessionaires’ promise.
For the above purposes, we are planning to conduct a seminar titled “Jakarta water concessions: how to improve the service”. Objective of this seminar is to discuss and give valuable inputs for the betterment of the water concession contract in Jakarta and other cities. The seminar will be conducted at:
Day/Date : Thursday / March 15, 2007
Time : 09.00 – 15.00
Place : Park Lane III Room, Second Floor, Park Lane Hotel
Jl. Casablanca Kav 18
Jakarta 12870
Phone. 021 - 8282000
II. Objective
1. Provide a discussion room to form recommendations for a better water concession agreement in Jakarta.
III. Speakers
1. David Hall, Director of Public Service International Research Unit – Greenwich University, London.
2. Wijanto Hadipuro, Researcher of Amrta Institute for Water Literacy.
3. Nurmasyah Lubis, B Commission member, DKI Jakarta City Council
4. Achmad Lanti, Head of DKI Jakarta Regulatory Body
5. Mark Waite, President Director of PT Thames PAM Jaya
6. Thierry Krieg, President Director of PT PAM Lyonnaise Jaya
7. Azas Tigor Nainggolan, Head of Jakarta Resident Forum
IV. Participants
Academicians, clean water-related departments, NGOs, public service workers union, and journalists. location: Jakarta, Indonesia |
A coalition of water justice groups has been working together to prepare a joint program of water seminars during the WSF 2007 and to support the launch of the new African anti-privatisation network:
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General Threats to Water Justice: From Pollution to Privatization, Protecting Our Water
Sunday 21 January 5:30-8:00 pm
Place: Modibo Keita
Interpretation yes
Co-organised by Ghana CAP, Council of Canadians, World Development Movement, Public Services International, Corporate Europe Observatory, Transnational Institute, France Libertes, South African Water Network, Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, Blue Planet Project and others
The World's water is under threat. From all corners of the globe water activists have been defending the world's water against privatization, corporatization and commodification, but the struggle does not end there. Even as we are winning victories, our water is being depleted, diverted and polluted in an attempt to control this most vital and life-giving essence.
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Reclaiming Public Water! Seeking for possibilities of improving water supply through Public-Public Partnerships
Monday, 22 January 8:30-11:00 am
Place: 3 IN – Lower
Interpretation French and Spanish
Co-organised by Ghana CAP, Council of Canadians, World Development Movement, Public Services International, Corporate Europe Observatory, Transnational Institute, France Libert¡¦, Engineers Withour Borders Cataluanya and others.
The seminar will present a range of experiences from Africa and elsewhere with improving public water delivery through democratisation and other progressive reforms. Another major focus will be how to unlock the potential of Public-Public Partnerships in accelerating improvements in access to clean water and sanitation.
Chair: Vicky Cann (World Development Movement, UK)
Speakers:
 Abu O. Alhassan (Savelugu Water Board, Ghana): the experiences with community controlled water management and public-community partnership in the town of Savelugu.
Peter Werikhe (Public Employees Union, Uganda) on the reform experiences of the National Water and Sewerage Corporation.
Mussa Billegeya (TANGO, Tanzania) about the failed privatisation in Dar es Salaam and options for improving the performance of public water operator DAWASCO.
Carlos Pedro Bastos (Vice-President of ASSEMAE, Brazil): democratisation of water management in the municipality Santo Andre and elsewhere in Brazil.
David Boys (Public Services International): Public-Utility Partnerships (PUPs) and the new UN Water Operator Partnerships (WOPs) initiative.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The commodification of water: From social crisis to resistance
Monday, 22 January 11:30-2:00 pm
Place:22 IN – Lower
Interpretation yes
Co-organised by Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung, Food and Water Watch and Coalition Against Privatization (South Africa)
The commodification and privatisation of water has various effects on poor households. This workshop highlights water as a contested public good and introduces perspectives from the north and the south. How is water supply reorganized in order to create the acceptance of neoliberal policies? The workshop will focus on different strategies of resistance which range from activities against the implementation of prepaid-meters to the challenge of re-communalising the water supply.
------------------------------------------------------
Rural water challenges
Tuesday, 23 January 11:30-2:00 pm
Place: 4 IN – Upper
Interpretation French or Spanish
Co-organised by Ghana CAP, Council of Canadians, Corporate Europe Observatory, Transnational Institute, the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, Engineers Withour Borders Cataluanya and others.
The seminar will assess the challenges in rural drinking water supply and sanitation systems in Africa and elsewhere, and explore ways forward. This will happen on the basis of presentations on community managed water systems and other forms of public management in rural areas. The seminar aims to develop an action plan for advancing democratisation of rural water management.
Chair: Olivier Hoedeman, Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO).
Speakers:
Shiney Varghese (IATP): the challenge of securing water for all in rural areas.
George Rubiik (CCFMC KISUMU, Kenya): improving water supply in rural areas through public-community partnerships.
Mary-Ann Manaham (Focus on the Global South, The Philippines): rural water cooperatives in The Philippines.
Cheikh Diop (president of the "Senegalese association for environment"): access to water in rural and peri-urban areas in Senegal.
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Right to Water-Session/Workshop
Tuesday, 23 January 11:30-2:00 pm
Place: Modibo Keita
Interpretation yes
Co-organised by Ghana CAP, Council of Canadians, World Development Movement, Public Services International, Corporate Europe Observatory, Transnational Institute, France Libertes, South African Water Network, Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, Blue Planet Project and others
One of the most contentious issues currently being discussed globally surrounds the debate about the Right to Water. Corporations stand beside water activists and claim there is a right to water, but the two visions are world's apart. Which vision prevails will define whether we have a sustainable future based on, democracy, human dignity and water justice, or we have a future based on corporate control with profit and the market deciding where the water flows. Understand the issues around this debate and join those advocating for Water Justice.
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African Water Network
Wednesday 24 January 11:30-2:00 pm
Place: 12 IN – Upper
Interpretation French or Spanish
Group Description: NCAP (Ghana), South African Coalition Against Water Privatisation(South Africa), Council of Canadians, France Libertes, Food and Water Watch (US), World Development Movement (UK), CEO and TNIThis workshop aims to launch an African Water Network of activist in African countries and share experience in the struggle against water privatisation and building people's alternatives. A series of sessions are being organized through an international participatory process and we ultimately aim to make a contribution to the development and existence of the African Water Network.
 Invitation: Dear Water Activist
It is our pleasure to invite you to participate in the efforts to build a strong new network for opposing privatisation on the African continent.During the World Social Forum (WSF) in Nairobi,( 20-25 January 2007) a series of water seminars and strategy events will take place that will all have a strong focus on struggles in Africa (more information at the end of this letter). The expected outcome of these meetings is to launch the "African Water Network", a platform for information dissemination,international solidarity and joint mobilisation among African water activists.
In Africa, the privatization agenda is being promoted through a range of different initiatives and institutions such as NEPAD, SADC and ECOWAS,backed by the IFIs. We as activists on the continent need to develop a campaign agenda towards these forces of privatization. Water utilities inNigeria, Cameroun, Liberia, Sierra Leone and many other African countries are marked for privatization. Also Ghana, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Tanzania,Burkina Faso, Guinea and South Africa are battling with forms of privatization. While activists in all of these countries are doing their best to stop or reverse privatization, there is not a common platform to pull together our talents and resources as a collective to defeat this monster. The new network shall serve this purpose as a unifying platform.
The new network will need a clear political mission, which defines that our main objective is to fight to maintain water in public control and have access to water recognised as a fundamental human right. Water is a social good and a cultural heritage for humanity. A common property for all human beings, plants, animals and inorganic matters which cover the earth crust,its atmosphere and beyond. With this at the back of our minds, we shall not support any form of water privatization in what ever shape or form.
To get the network functioning, I suggest that we need a coordinating center with people committed to ensuring that information and resources are mobilized around the continent to support specific country struggles. There could also be regional coordinating points to support the AWN coordinator.
*What are the processes for building the new network during the WSF?*
A strong delegation of African water activists has been selected to participate in the WSF events. A series of water seminars has been jointly prepared by a coalition of groups from Africa, Europe and North America; all of these seminars will focus strongly on African water issues and have one or more African speakers. A WSF session on the new African water network will take place on January 24 th, in which we will discuss the lessonslearned from all the previous sessions and agree on a plan of action for the new network. In the days before this session, there will be evening meetings at the Kenya Institute of Education (KIE) to strategise and prepare the launch of the new network. The evening of January 20 th we will have the first of these evening meetings.
Look forward to work with you on all of this in Nairobi!
Al-hassan Adam
Coalition Against Privatization of Water, Ghana
alhassan.adam@gmail.com +233-244208184 (Nairobi cell 0736155485)
Activists from the following African countries will be staying at the Kenya Institute of Education (KIE): Burkina Faso, Cameroun, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa,
Tanzania and Togo.
A coalition of water justice groups has been working together to prepare a joint program of water seminars during the WSF 2007 and to support the launch of the new African anti-privatisation network:
Coalition Against Privatization (South Africa), Ghana Coalition Against Privatization of Water, Council of Canadians, Food and Water Watch (US),World Development Movement (UK), Public Services International, Corporate Europe Observatory, Transnational Institute, France Libertes, and others,
location: Nairobi, Kenya |
Water activists to launch pan-African network against privatisation at World Social Forum
Nairobi, 18 January 2007
A pan-African network to counter water privatisation will be launched at the World Social Forum (WSF) in Nairobi, Kenya, which takes place from 20-25 January.
Despite the disastrous record of water privatisations in Africa, international aid donors and governments continue to promote 'private sector participation' and commercialisation as the solution to Africa’s water crisis. Civil society groups from across Africa and other parts of the world will use the WSF to announce a plan of action to counter this misguided push for water privatisation.
Privatisation experiments in CóÓe d’Ivoire, Guinea, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania and elsewhere in Africa over the last decade have failed to deliver the promised improvements, argues Al-hassan Adam of the Ghana Coalition against Privatisation of Water: “Privatisation has resulted in higher water bills and, in some cities, these have been compounded by large-scale disconnections of those who cannot pay. Yet the World Bank and donor governments stubbornly continue to promote privatisation by attaching conditions to debt relief, aid and loans.”
During seminars on 21-24 January, speakers from across Africa will debunk the myth that 'private sector participation' is the way forward for improving access to clean water and sanitation in Africa. “Governments need to learn the lessons from successful public and community providers in order to make the human right to water a practical reality for everyone,” says Al-hassan Adam.
The following seminar speakers are available for interview:
Mussa Billegeya of the Tanzania Association of NGOs (TANGO) will discuss the failure of privatisation in Dar es Salaam and its aftermath. Following the cancellation of their contract, the water multinationals are now suing the Tanzanian government for millions of dollars.
Peter Werikhe of the Public Employees Union in Uganda will present the successful reforms that have helped the National Water and Sewerage Corporation boost its service coverage from 48 per cent in 1998 to 70 per cent in 2006, while keeping water tariffs affordable. NWSC now works in not-for-profit Public-Public Partnerships with utilities in Tanzania and Zambia to share expertise and improve services.
Abu O. Alhassan of the Savelugu Water Board, Ghana, will introduce the successful experiences of community-managed water in a rural town in Northern Ghana. Access to potable water in Savelugu has within a few years been increased to 74 per cent (the national average for rural areas is 36 per cent).
Christian Lawrence of the Campaign for Good Governance (Sierra Leone) is working with communities in Freetown to ensure they have a strong voice in the consultation about how to ‘reform’ the Freetown water company and 23 other public companies. The consultation process is in the hands of consultancy giant PricewaterhouseCoopers which, despite its controversial pro-privatisation record, has received a major grant from the UK government for undertaking this task.
Virginia Setshedi from the Coalition Against Water Privatisation (South Africa) will present the legal challenge against the use of prepaid water meters, which have disastrous consequences for poor communities.
Sekou Diarra, Coordinator of the Malian Committee for the Defence of Water (CMDE), will present recent developments in Mali, where the national water and electricity company was effectively renationalised after Saur and other foreign water firms failed to fulfil contractual obligations on new facilities and pricing.
A longer list of African water campaigners and other speakers that are available for interview is available on request. An extensive programme of water seminars during the WSF is available online at http://www.waterjustice.org/?mi=21
The World Social Forum website is: http://wsf2007.org/
For more information, contact:
Al-hassan Adam (Ghana Coalition against Privatisation of Water), 0736155485 (from local); 00254 736155485 (from abroad) - from Saturday 20/1, email <alhassan.adam [at] gmail.com>
Vicky Cann (World Development Movement, UK), 0727 804 318 (from local); 00254 727 804 318 (from abroad) - from Friday 19/1, email <Vicky [at] wdm.org.uk>
Olivier Hoedeman, (Corporate Europe Observatory), 0736121242 (from local); 00254 736121242 (from abroad) - from Saturday 20/1, email olivier [at] corporateeurope.org
Notes
1: The joint program of water seminars during the World Social Forum is organised by Ghana Coalition against Privatisation of Water, World Development Movement, Public Services International, Corporate Europe Observatory, Transnational Institute, Food & Water Watch, France Libert¡¦, South African Water Network, Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, Council of Canadians (Blue Planet Project) and others.
2: The report “Pipe Dreams” (World Development Movement, March 2006 http://www.wdm.org.uk/resources/briefings/aid/pipedreamsfullreport.pdf) documents that in every case where the private sector has been responsible for extending water access in sub-Saharan Africa, it has failed to deliver the promised level of investment. 25 per cent of those still in need of a water connection globally are in sub-Saharan Africa, yet it has received less than one per cent of private companies’ promises of investment. 80 per cent of the major water privatisation contracts in sub-Saharan Africa have been terminated or are being disputed in relation to investment issues.
location: Nairobi, Kenya |
Assessing the challenges in the rural drinking water supply and sanitation systems worldwide
Developing an Action Plan for Democratization
Spanish
Seminar programme
Background and Objectives of the event:
The 'Reclaiming Public Water' network (RPW) has until now been centered mainly on urban water delivery. During several RPW meetings, including the workshops in Mexico City in March, there was a lot of interest in extending this work into rural water issues.
Taking advantage of the fact that people from around the world who have been actively working on rural water issues will be present in Southern Europe in the end of November, it was proposed to have a kick-off meeting to start a discussion within RPW network on these important issues.
The preliminary objective of the seminar is to identify the challenges of reforms and democratisation of public models of drinking water supply and sanitation in rural areas, in the regions of Latin America, South and South East Asia, and Africa. Furthermore, we expect to establish work relations and ongoing work amongst the participants and to create a network of people on rural water.
Key questions include:
1. The nature of the challenge in drinking water supply and sanitation in rural areas and the relationship between urban, rural and peri-urban: key similarities and differences
2. What does `public¡¦mean in rural areas?
3.Non-privatised/non-commercialised, community-run, which role for public utilities? Democratisation within the community and utility. The role of the community and the professionals of water. Water management from an ecosystemic point of view (also quality).
4.Review of institutions and mainstream approaches to rural water, including those of international, national donor agencies and IFI's. Change management and institutional transformation. Structural changes in rural drinking water systems over the last 15 years (from water providers - professionals) to water facilitators) Building a water governance in rural areas. Creation of spaces/institutions for the participation and control between rural communities, municipalities and in the planning and regulation of water.
5. Policy shifts in pricing / tariff. Economic management models: recovery cost, cross policy subsidies, solidarity mechanism. Initial investments, the availability of funds to improve public rural public management.
6. Relationship between productive uses and human uses in rural areas. Commercialisation in rural areas causes this type of conflict, more than the privatization public utilities. As a possible follow-up from the seminar, a discussion paper with an overview of insights and experiences could be written and published.
Co-organised by: Engineers without Borders (ESF), Catalunya, Spain, Transnational Institute (TNI), the Netherlands, Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO), the Netherlands
location: Barcelona, Spain |
organizado por Ecologistas en Acción
*Madrid, 17 noviembre 2006*
/Salón de Actos del Ministerio de Medio Ambiente/
El acceso universal al agua potable es uno de los retos futuros de la humanidad. Pero, lejos de garantizar este acceso universal, estamos poniendo en grave peligro a buena parte de los ecosistemas ligados al agua. Esto supondrá -ya está suponiendo- una importantísima pérdida en calidad y cantidad suficiente de un recurso imprescindible para la vida misma. Son numerosos los conflictos bélicos, territoriales y entre usuarios por el control de este recurso.
Unos 15 millones de seres humanos mueren cada año por falta de agua en el mundo. Según la UNESCO, en 2025 unos 4.000 millones de personas, la mitad de la población mundial, no tendrán agua potable. Paralelamente, el marco privatizador en la gestión de los abastecimientos urbanos está suponiendo una merma aún mayor en la capacidad para garantizar un acceso al agua potable, sometiendo a las leyes del beneficio económico este bien esencial que debiera ser un bien común y considerarse como uno de los derechos de todo ser humano.
*Programa*
10:30 - 11:00 Recepción y apertura del seminario
11:00 - 11:30 Objetivos del Milenio en el abastecimiento universal del agua.
Declaraciones globales versus realidad local
- Erika González Briz, Paz con Dignidad
11:30 - 12:00 Participación social y sostenibilidad en el acceso universal al agua potable
- Santiago Martín Barajas, Ecologistas en Acción
12:00 - 13:30 Marco privatizador y resistencias por una gestión publica del agua
- Tom Kucharz, Ecologistas en Acción
- Abel Esteban, Corporate Europe Observatory (Holanda)
- SABES (El Salvador)
- Ecofondo (Colombia)
16:00 - 18:00 Cooperación española para la mejora de los abastecimientos urbanos
- Jaime Morell, Consorcio Provincial de Aguas de Sevilla
- Patuna Hernández, Ecología y Desarrollo
- Gonzalo Marín, Ingeniería sin Fronteras
- Inmaculada Cuenca, Centro de Nuevas Tecnologías del Agua
- Pablo Alcalde, Acción Contra el Hambre
18:00 - 18:30 Pausa
18:30 Debate de conclusiones y clausura location: Madrid |
Octubre Azul
Octobre Bleu
Blue October
Favor de circular entre sus redes
SVP Circulez largement
Please circulate broadly
Español abajo
Français ci-dessous
Dear Allies,
Many organizations from all over the world are planning Blue October activities to promote the right to water and to challenge corporate control over water.
We have put together two tools we hope you find useful to support your actions:
1) A poster template where you can fill in information on your activities and print out at your convenience.
2) A press release template so you can easily share information with the media.
Please let us know if you are planning a Blue October activity!
We look forward to hearing from you!
Please send brief details on any actions you are planning to:
Gigi Kellett – gkellett@stopcorporateabuse.org
For questions contact:
Anil Naidoo – anil@canadians.org
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Estimad@s compañer@s,
Muchas organizaciones de todo el mundo están planeando actividades de Octubre Azul para promover el derecho humano al agua y denunciar el control de empresas sobre este bien común.
Hemos elaborado dos herramientas que esperamos sean útiles para sus acciones en defensa del agua:
1) Una base de póster donde pueden agregar información específica de sus actividades e imprimir de acuerdo con sus necesidades.
2) Un formato para boletín de prensa para compartir información con los medios que está anexo a este mensaje.
¡Avísenos si están preparando alguna actividad de Octubre Azul!
¡Esperamos recibir noticias suyas!
Por favor manden detalles de las acciones que estén preparando a:
Gigi Kellett – gkellett@stopcorporateabuse.org
Si tienen alguna pregunta:
Roberto Cruz - rcruz@magma.ca
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Chers alliés,
De nombreuses organisations du monde entier préparent des activités dans le cadre de la campagne Octobre bleu pour promouvoir le droit à l'eau et contester la mainmise des entreprises sur cette précieuse ressources.
Allez sur http://www.blueoctobercampaign.org/ maintenant!!
Nous avons élaboré deux outils que vous trouverez sans doute utiles pour appuyer vos interventions:
1) Un modèle d'affiche à laquelle vous pouvez ajouter les renseignements sur vos activités et que vous pouvez imprimer selon vos besoins.
2) Un modèle de communiqué de presse pour vous permettre de transmettre facilement vos renseignements aux médias.
Pour trouver les documents cliquez ici:
http://www.blueoctobercampaign.org/wordpress/?page_id=51
Veuillez nous faire savoir si vous planifiez des activités pour Octobre bleu !
Nous attendons de vos nouvelles!
Veuillez envoyer de brefs détails sur les activités que vous prévoyez organiser à :
Gigi Kellett - gkellett@stopcorporateabuse.org
Si vous avez des questions, communiquez avec :
Sonia Vani - svani@canadians.org
location: World |
The activists in defence of waterlocation: Vienna |
The Forum’s objective is to
promote access to
water for all and water
management done in a
democratic, united and
sustainable manner. See also
http://www.fame2005.orglocation: Geneva |
International conference
aiming to form a coalition of
civil society groups from
Central and Eastern Europe in
defence of sustainable public
services. Protect the
Futurelocation: Budapest |
Dozens of seminars and
workshops on water justice
struggles will take
place during the World Social
Forum. The Brazilian public
utility federation ASSEMAE will
co-ordinate. location: Porto Alegre |
A coalition of groups will co-
host strategy seminars on
opposing water privatisation
and promoting public water
alternatives. Contact WDMlocation: London |
During this year's AEPF
conference, there wil
workshops on:
(1) the impacts of water
privatisation in Asia
(2) experiences with
alternatives (effective
public water) in Asia and
Europe.
Contact
T
NIlocation: Hanoi |
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