THE RIGHT TO WATER- NY TIMES
Print format

From: Akasa W.
Date: Tuesday, July 27, 2010, 6:06 AM
Subject: The Right to Water- NY Times
Reply to: 270510
ID: 270521

Good Morning Dearest Sisters....

  I know it seems like I have been missing in action but life is busy....Thank You All for Your sharings!  I 
did get a chance to tune into listen to Sharon on Sunday, like you Shalahnia.   Saturday evening I spent 
in meditation for Lake Victoria and I do want to share about that meditation but not just yet.  Suffice it 
to say it was powerful.   

  The next river to pray for then, would be the Citarum River in Indonesia....."The 200-mile long Citarum 
River in Indonesia hosts more than 500 factories along its banks and is quite possibly the most polluted 
river in the world. There is so much garbage coating the surface that in many places you can’t see the 
water, and it is more profitable to forage for garbage than making a living fishing the river, though you 
do risk catching a nasty disease by spending any time in it."  The link for this is:  
http://www.netflipper.com/worlds-dirtiest-rivers-and-lakes/       There is also a picture there for a visual if 
you would like.  I did post a picture of Lake Victoria last week but it did not show up.  I have decided 
not to use the calendar at this point as it is too hard to navigate in it so...if we can pray for the Citarum 
until next Wednesday then I will post another at that point.

  I pray You All are doing well and wish for you a week full of blessings....
  With Much Love and Peace,
  Akasa

--- On Mon, Jul 26, 2010, in msg270510, 
Shalahnia K wrote ---

Thank you so much for this LaVonne

I did tune into the Broadcast with Sharon, but there were technical difficulties with the Water Blessing 
broadcast.
Blessing to you and Elisa for your meeting.

Blessings,

Shalahnia

--- On Mon, Jul 26, 2010, in msg270506, 
Lavonne Rees wrote ---

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/17/opinion/17iht-edgorbachev.html?_r=2

The Right to Water

By Mikhail Gorbachev, New York Times, July 16, 2010
The United Nations estimates that nearly 900 million people live without clean water and 2.6 billion 
without proper sanitation. Water, the basic ingredient of life, is among the world’s most prolific killers. At 
least 4,000 children die every day from water-related diseases. In fact, more lives have been lost after 
World War II due to contaminated water than from all forms of violence and war.
This humanitarian catastrophe has been allowed to fester for generations. We must stop it.
Acknowledging that access to safe water and sanitation is a human right is crucial to the ongoing 
struggle 
to save these lives; it is an idea that has come of age. It was first proposed a decade ago by civil society 
organizations, like Green Cross International, which I helped establish in 1992. Today, it is a mainstream 
demand that many governments and business leaders support. That is a great achievement.
This month, for the first time, the U.N. General Assembly is preparing to vote on a historic resolution 
declaring the human right to “safe and clean drinking water and sanitation.” It is a pivotal opportunity.
So far, 190 states have acknowledged — directly or indirectly — the human right to safe water and 
sanitation. In 2007, leaders from the Asia-Pacific region recognized safe drinking water and basic 
sanitation as human rights and fundamental aspects of security. In March, the European Union affirmed 
that all states must adhere to their human rights commitments in regard to safe drinking water.
Not all nations are on board, however. The United States and Canada are among the very few that 
have 
not formally embraced the right to safe water. Their continued reluctance to officially recognize the 
right 
to water should be questioned, not least by their own citizens. President Barack Obama’s national 
security 
strategy calls for furthering human rights and sustainable development around the world; that goal 
should 
be translated into support for access to water as a human right.
A few other states, like Turkey and Egypt, have also hesitated to formally acknowledge the right to 
water, 
mainly because of boundary-related water issues.
However, an absolute global consensus is not essential. The reluctance of a handful of countries cannot 
derail this vitally important trend.
Recognizing water as a human right is a critical step, but it is not an instant “silver bullet” solution. This 
right must be enshrined in national laws, and upholding it must be a top priority.
Failures to provide water and sanitation are failures of governance. Recognizing that water is a human 
right is not merely a conceptual point; it is about getting the job done and actually making clean water 
widely available. We must clarify the obligation of governments to finance and carry out projects that 
bring these services to those who need them most.
Developing countries that have incorporated the right to water in their legislation, like Senegal and 
South 
Africa, have been more effective in providing safe water than many of their neighbors.
Recent U.N. statistics show that the world is on track to meet, or even exceed, the Millennium 
Development Goal to halve the number of people without safe drinking water by 2015. This should be 
applauded. But the goal for sanitation will be missed by 1 billion people. At current rates, some parts of 
Africa are at least a century away from providing safe water and sanitation to all. A “water apartheid” has 
descended across the world — dividing rich from poor, included from excluded. Efforts to redress this 
disparity are failing.
Expanding access to water and sanitation will open many other development bottlenecks. Water and 
sanitation are vital to everything from education to health to population control. As population growth 
and climate change increase the pressure for adequate water and food, water will increasingly become a 
security issue. As global temperatures rise, “water refugees” will increase. Water touches everything, 
and 
strong collaboration among all sectors of society — governments, activists, farmers and the business and 
science communities — is needed to increase its availability.
Making access to water and sanitation a daily reality is good business, and good for the world economy. 
According to the U.N. Environment Program, a $20 million investment in low-cost water technologies 
could help 100 million farming families escape extreme poverty. Dedicating $15 billion a year to the water 
and sanitation millennium goals could bring $38 billion a year in global economic benefits. That’s a pretty 
good rate of return in today’s financial climate. It is within our grasp for the first time.
There is tremendous political will and popular momentum behind the movement to formally declare safe 
water and sanitation as human rights. We must seize this moment and translate our enthusiasm into 
solid, 
binding legislation and action at the national and international levels — starting with the expected U.N. 
vote this month.
I was pleased a few weeks ago to hear President Nicolas Sarkozy call for the 2012 World Water Forum —
 
to be held in the French city of Marseille — to be the venue for the international recognition of the 
universal right to safe water and sanitation. This cause needs more “champions” — respected public 
figures and opinion leaders who act as its ambassadors around the world.
The actions and voices of millions of citizens have brought the global movement for the right to water 
this 
far. I hope that more people will join us to help bring us closer to the ultimate goal — a world where 
everyone’s right to safe water and sanitation is not just recognized but is also fulfilled.
Mikhail Gorbachev was the leader of the Soviet Union from 1985 until its dissolution in 1991. He is a 
founding member of Green Cross International and is on its board.

---

---