Please Circulate and Do Come!!
Madras Institute of Development Studies
And
People’s Union for Civil Liberties – Tamil Nadu & Puducherry
And
People’s Union for Civil Liberties – Tamil Nadu & Puducherry
INVITATION to meet a Delegation of Water Rights Activists from Bolivia, Venezuela, Netherland and UK
Date and Time: 2.30 p.m. on 22nd April, 2007
Venue: MIDS, 79, II Main Road , Gandhi Nagar, Adyar, Chennai 600 020
Many of us have heard about the struggles of the people of Cochabamba in Bolivia against the privatization of their water which deprived vast sections of the poor and marginalized from access to water. The protests called `Water Wars’, against commoditizing water and reclaiming water as part of the global commons or common community resource have grown worldwide encompassing many countries across all the continents. Whether in Bolivia, Venezuela, Argentina or Uruguay in Latin America or in Ghana, Tanzania or Nigeria in Africa or in Manila, Colombo, Dhaka or Chennai on Asia the issues are the same: to assert the fundamental right of all citizens to water, to ensure proper and democratic management of water supplies, to prevent water from being sold or made into a marketable commodity thereby ensuring that it is available for a price, to bring about sustainability in water management and use and to ensure citizens not only have a role in water policy and management but also do their duty to ensure that water is safeguarded for future generations.
In November, 2005 a number of water rights campaigns from different parts of the world came together to launch a network called `Reclaiming Public Water’. The impetus came from a book by the same title detailing and documenting the struggles and campaigns of people in many countries to safeguard their water. This book which is available online for free downloading (www.tni.org/books/publicwater.pdf; www.waterjustice.org) has become an influential book worldwide.
The RPW book has been translated into more than 12 languages worldwide including Chinese, Portuguese, Spanish etc. In India , three language editions are being released in April, 2007: Tamil, Hindi and Malayalam.
A function is being organised to release the RPW Hindi edition in Delhi on 25th April (by Medha Patkar), the Malayalam edition on 29th April in Plachimada Trichur, Kerala and on 30th April in Chennai. The Tamil edition is being published by New Century Book House (NCBH).
Four members of the RPW network are in Chennai on 22nd April, 2007 and have agreed to share their experiences in a small interactive meeting.
We have pleasure in inviting you to participate in the meeting. Please also inform others who may be interested in the issue. The details of the visiting water campaigners are given in the next page.
Dr. S.Janakarajan , Professor, MIDS, (E:mail: janak@mids.ac.in Tel.: 94440 26533)
Dr. V. Suresh, President, PUCL-TN/P (E-mail: rightstn@yahoo.com; 94442-31497)
Chennai: 17.4.2007
Members of the RPW Network Touring India
1. Julian Perez from Bolivia
Julian is part of the Water Ministry in Bolivia and is a water engineer by training. He was involved with the water rights movement in the famous Cochabamba struggle and in El Alto region of Bolivia . He has been appointed as an Adviser to the Bolivian Water Minister, Abel Mamani. He is working with the newly formed water ministry, trying to establish a new public water company in El Alto and is playing an important communication role between social movement and the ministry.
2. Santiago Arconada from Venezuela
He is an Adviser to the Venezuelan Environment Ministry. He is well known for his work with water related issues, particularly related to water supply and sanitation issues in Caracas , Venezuela . He has interest in learning more about community mobilization and participation experiences in respect of improving water services.
3. Ms. Tamsyn East from UK
Tamsyn East is part of the World Development Movement (WDM), which is an advocacy group in the UK which lobbies and campaigns with UK government and policy makers about trade and development policies, especially those policies which end up only furthering dependency of developing countries. The WDM has been campaigning with DFID to stop funding water privatization policies and instead support PUBLIC-PUBLIC PARTNERSHIPS. Their campaign was successful in persuading DFID to announce a major shift in UK Water Policy supporting Public-Public Partnerships globally, which was announced on International Water Day on 22nd March, 2007 .
See http://www.wdm.org.uk;
`Dirty Aid, Dirty Water’ Campaign: http://www.wdm.org.uk/campaigns/water/index.htm
`Going Public: Southern Solutions to the Growing Water Crisis’: www.wdm.org.uk/goingpublic
4. Olivier Hoedemann from Netherlands .
Olivier Hoedemann is part of the `Reclaiming Public Water’ network of water rights groups and organisations working in almost all the continents. The RPW network has become a globally influential network focusing on reforming public sector water utilities and building community centred alternatives to sustainable water schemes. Their book titled `Reclaiming Public Water’ has been translated into at least 12 world languages and is to be translated into another 8, including in Tamil, Malayalam and Hindi with Kannada and Bengali soon to join in.
Dr. V. Suresh & D. Nagasaila
Advocates
President, PUCL-Tamil Nadu & Pondicherry
Advisor for Tamil Nadu, to the Supreme Court Commissioner on Food Security
Office: Hussaina Manzil, 3rd Floor,
255 (Old No. 123), Angappa Naicken Street, Chennai 600 001.
Phone Nos.:
Off.:+91-44-25352459
Res.:+91-44-24493494
Mobile/Cell: 094442-31497
E-mail: rightstn@yahoo.com
In November, 2005 a number of water rights campaigns from different parts of the world came together to launch a network called `Reclaiming Public Water’. The impetus came from a book by the same title detailing and documenting the struggles and campaigns of people in many countries to safeguard their water. This book which is available online for free downloading (www.tni.org/books/publicwater.pdf; www.waterjustice.org) has become an influential book worldwide.
The RPW book has been translated into more than 12 languages worldwide including Chinese, Portuguese, Spanish etc. In India , three language editions are being released in April, 2007: Tamil, Hindi and Malayalam.
A function is being organised to release the RPW Hindi edition in Delhi on 25th April (by Medha Patkar), the Malayalam edition on 29th April in Plachimada Trichur, Kerala and on 30th April in Chennai. The Tamil edition is being published by New Century Book House (NCBH).
Four members of the RPW network are in Chennai on 22nd April, 2007 and have agreed to share their experiences in a small interactive meeting.
We have pleasure in inviting you to participate in the meeting. Please also inform others who may be interested in the issue. The details of the visiting water campaigners are given in the next page.
Dr. S.Janakarajan , Professor, MIDS, (E:mail: janak@mids.ac.in Tel.: 94440 26533)
Dr. V. Suresh, President, PUCL-TN/P (E-mail: rightstn@yahoo.com; 94442-31497)
Chennai: 17.4.2007
Members of the RPW Network Touring India
1. Julian Perez from Bolivia
Julian is part of the Water Ministry in Bolivia and is a water engineer by training. He was involved with the water rights movement in the famous Cochabamba struggle and in El Alto region of Bolivia . He has been appointed as an Adviser to the Bolivian Water Minister, Abel Mamani. He is working with the newly formed water ministry, trying to establish a new public water company in El Alto and is playing an important communication role between social movement and the ministry.
2. Santiago Arconada from Venezuela
He is an Adviser to the Venezuelan Environment Ministry. He is well known for his work with water related issues, particularly related to water supply and sanitation issues in Caracas , Venezuela . He has interest in learning more about community mobilization and participation experiences in respect of improving water services.
3. Ms. Tamsyn East from UK
Tamsyn East is part of the World Development Movement (WDM), which is an advocacy group in the UK which lobbies and campaigns with UK government and policy makers about trade and development policies, especially those policies which end up only furthering dependency of developing countries. The WDM has been campaigning with DFID to stop funding water privatization policies and instead support PUBLIC-PUBLIC PARTNERSHIPS. Their campaign was successful in persuading DFID to announce a major shift in UK Water Policy supporting Public-Public Partnerships globally, which was announced on International Water Day on 22nd March, 2007 .
See http://www.wdm.org.uk;
`Dirty Aid, Dirty Water’ Campaign: http://www.wdm.org.uk/campaigns/water/index.htm
`Going Public: Southern Solutions to the Growing Water Crisis’: www.wdm.org.uk/goingpublic
4. Olivier Hoedemann from Netherlands .
Olivier Hoedemann is part of the `Reclaiming Public Water’ network of water rights groups and organisations working in almost all the continents. The RPW network has become a globally influential network focusing on reforming public sector water utilities and building community centred alternatives to sustainable water schemes. Their book titled `Reclaiming Public Water’ has been translated into at least 12 world languages and is to be translated into another 8, including in Tamil, Malayalam and Hindi with Kannada and Bengali soon to join in.
Dr. V. Suresh & D. Nagasaila
Advocates
President, PUCL-Tamil Nadu & Pondicherry
Advisor for Tamil Nadu, to the Supreme Court Commissioner on Food Security
Office: Hussaina Manzil, 3rd Floor,
255 (Old No. 123), Angappa Naicken Street, Chennai 600 001.
Phone Nos.:
Off.:+91-44-25352459
Res.:+91-44-24493494
Mobile/Cell: 094442-31497
E-mail: rightstn@yahoo.com
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