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Water and sanitation

Clean water and sanitation – recently recognised by the United Nations as basic human rights – are critical to good health. They help prevent disease. Yet billions of people have no ready access to safe water. It is an essential service that governments must provide to protect their citizens and serve their common good. Read more here

The resounding message from people’s world water forum: Reclaim public water!

16 March 2012
Tap and water made from banknotes at the alternative water forum

Two international forums on water issues happened in Marseille, France the week of 12 March that – like reflecting pools, mirrored the different values of those attending.

The democracy of water is winning in Madrid as well

09 March 2012
Demonstrators in Madrid

After a year and a half of protests by trade unions and citizens, of demonstrations and debates throughout the Madrid community, on Sunday, March 4th a people’s consultation was held in the surrounding municipalities, organized by the Platform against the privatization of the Isabel II Canal (Privatizacion del Canal Isabel II), by the Movement M-15 (Indignados) and by several social and political groups.
(from the Alternative Water Forum website)

Private role in delivering water raises questions

09 March 2012
Report by Food and Water Action

When the European Commission launched an investigation early this year into possible price fixing by French water utilities, the move added ammunition to campaign groups that oppose privatisation of a vital public resource. A new report challenges the notion that corporations can deliver better service, leading to calls to roll-back liberalisation of water services in Europe and beyond.

Call to action for the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation

09 March 2012
drop of water

The 6th World Water Forum is held under the slogan "It’s time for solutions and commitments”. Yet the current draft Ministerial Declaration falls short of commitments on the right to safe drinking water and sanitation that virtually all United Nations Member States have already made. This is unacceptable.

American colleges shun bottled water

09 March 2012

Bottled water is coming under attack on college campuses. More than 90 schools, among them Brown University and Harvard University are banning the sale or restricting the use of plastic water bottles, unnerving the $22 billion retail packaged-water industry in the U.S. The University of Vermont is the latest to join the movement, announcing in January it would stop sales early next year.

6th World Water Forum and Alternative Water Forum

08 March 2012
Alternative water forum logo

Unions from 30 countries will gather in Marseille, France to express loud and clear their concerns about water policies.  The occasion is the triennial World Water Forum –WWF6, a corporate tradeshow which masquerades as a global policy arena.  The water forum was the brainchild of the French multinational corporations Veolia and Suez, in cahoots with the World Bank, created back when privatisation was the only solution for getting water to poor people in developing countries.  Now, the gloss is off the rose, and only the sharp spines are left.

The PSI messages at WWF6 include:

Keep Nestlé out of universities, says civil society

06 March 2012

Following a decision by the University of Alberta to grant an honorary agree to Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, former executive direction and current chairman of Nestlé, a group of over seventy civil society organisations, including PSI, has sent a letter of protest to the University.