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LAW 2008 aims to focus attention on the issue of the private exploitation of water, and the impact of this on human development. It will have a further emphasis on the Association Agreement currently being negotiated between the European Union and the Andean Community of Nations (CAN) - to be approved by summer 2009.
Although water is absolutely fundamental for life to exist, over 1 billion people in the world lack safe access to clean water and 25 million people in the world die every year as a result of contaminated waters. In Latin America, despite having 55% of the world's total renewable water resources, 100 million people live without access to safe water. Recent waves of privatization of water in countries such as Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Bolivia and Colombia, have often made matters worse, with massive increases in water rates, illnesses and death from contaminated water. This situation has sparked massive demonstrations such as the “Water Wars” in Bolivia and has forced some administrations to rescind the contracts to multinationals that were reaping huge benefits from water privatisation while delivering very poor service or no service at all to the vast majority in want.
It is an agreement currently at negotiation stage, which will include a Free Trade Area as well as progressive market liberalisation. This liberalisation will include basic services such as water. Privatisation of water has already had devastating effects for those living in poverty and for peasants in many Latin American countries. The privatisation of water has been at the heart of mass protests such as the Bolivian Water Wars. People's power has overturned this policy in some countries and many European organisations are demanding water to be left out of any trade agreement. As members of the EU we believe we have the possibility of influencing this aspect of the Agreement before it is signed in 2009.
~Ricardo Buitrón, from Acción Ecológica, an Ecuadorian ecological organisation with existing links to Ireland (featured in RTE documentary). The organisation has worked on various campaigns around natural resources, including oil and water. Representatives of the organisation participated in LAW 2006. They are long-term LASC partners and our co-operation will add consistency to LASC's work.
~Enrique Galán, member of the Directive Committee of ECOFONDO, a Colombian environmental organisation, legally constituted as a private non-profit corporation working to protect public interests. ECOFONDO's regulations and administrative structure define it as a non-governmental, democratic and participatory organisation. This organisation is also participating in the campaign to hold a referendum to integrate water as human right in the Colombian constitution.
~ Giuseppe de Marzo, spokesperson of ASUD, an Italian association promoting Global solidarity between the Global South and North. They have been active in various initiatives in solidarity with the struggle for social justice in Latin America. They have also participated in the mobilisation against water privatisation in Italy, where they have collected 400,000 signatures against it.
~ Satoko Kishimoto, transnational Institute (TNI) Amsterdam, Water Justice Project. www.tni.org. Satoko Kishimoto is a coordinator of Water Justice Project at Transnational Institute (TNI) based in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. The Water Justice project advocates alternatives to water privatisation such as progressive public water reforms and Public-Public Partnerships as the key elements for solving the global crisis in access to clean water and sanitation. She is a member of the editorial team of 'Reclaiming Public Water-Achievements, struggles and visions from around the world-' published in 2005. The book has been translated into 12 languages by now.
The Latin America Solidarity Centre (LASC), which is an initiative for cultural promotion, development education and campaigning solidarity, linking Ireland and Latin America. Partners for LAW 2008 include Irish Congress Trade Unions (ICTU), University of Limerick, Irish Mexico Group, Latin America Street Children Organisation (LASCO), Socialist in Limerick, Galway One World Centre, Ecological Society of the NUG, Amnesty Galway.
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For further details contact:
LASC , 5 Merrion Row, Dublin 2
Ph. 01 6760435
info@lasc.ie