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Your municipality and the Water Declaration: Sign on!
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Since Development and Peace began campaigning on the right to water in 2003, almost 100 Canadian municipalities and the Canadian Federation of Municipalities have affirmed the “Water Declaration.” A fundamental piece of the current ecumenical campaign, the Declaration asserts that water is a sacred gift that connects all life; that access to clean water is a basic human right; that the value of the Earth’s freshwater to the common good takes priority over any possible commercial value; and that fresh water is a shared legacy, a public trust and a collective responsibility.
Why would you want your Municipal Council to endorse the Declaration and know about our campaign? Because it is directly responsible for treating and supplying drinking water within its territory, and with rare exception, municipalities are the owners and/or managers of water filtration plants, pumping stations and of the network of aqueducts and sewers. Your Council is responsible for maintaining, updating and developing the network of aqueducts and sewers, and as a result, can become a target of water multinationals that offer their resources and expertise in privatization of municipal water services. Municipalities are on the front lines of the potential battle over water privatization in Canada.
Can your community be the 101st, the 500th, or the 1000th community in Canada to endorse the Declaration? We think so, and we have resources to help you make it happen! These include a draft letter or presentation to council, a draft declaration for the council to endorse, and The ABCs of Lobbying A Municipal Council. See also a list of municipalities which have already endorsed the declaration.
(Thanks to Development and Peace for preparing these materials!)
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