|
Urge support for new bill that asserts human right to water |
 |
|
The Water for the World Resolution, re-introduced on March 18, 2005 by Rep. Janice Schakowsky, D-Ill., states that water is "a public trust and a global good and should not be treated like a private commodity." This urgent resolution, which has the support of hundreds of citizens organizations including UUSC and 23 Congressional co-sponsors, calls upon the U.S. government to recognize water as a global public good and fundamental human right in its trade, development and international financial policies. Take action now Urge your representative to co-sponsor House Concurrent Resolution 120, the Water for the World Resolution. If you contacted your representative last year, please do so again since this is a new session of Congress. Visit our online Legislative Action Center to send an immediate message by e-mail or fax. Message/Talking points
Background The United Nations recognizes access to adequate clean water as a human right because it is so essential to human life. That's why governments have built public water systems to provide this vital service to their populations. However, in different parts of the world, these public water systems are now in need of repair and expansion. Cash-strapped governments, like the City Council in Detroit, are turning to private water companies to purchase water systems, upgrade them and operate them for profit. In response, a vibrant movement has sprung up all over the world as people are defending their right to water. People are lobbying their own governments, and the World Bank, seeking a place at the table when decisions about water privatization are being made. With our new program focus on the human right to water, UUSC will work closely with grassroots organizations both in the United States and internationally, supporting their struggle. "UUSC defends the human right to water and upholds equal access for everyone," says UUSC President Charlie Clements. "A key way to guarantee equitable right to water is to strengthen the grassroots organizations that defend it." Communities battle corporations for water control The World Bank is so certain that water privatization is the only solution to improve water service that they make it a condition of their loans. Countries must either sell or lease their water systems to private companies or enter into a public-private sector management partnership in order to get their loans. In the last decade, the number of people who get water from private water companies rose from 15 to 400 million. It's just not working for the poor. Around the world, but especially in the global South, when water is privatized, the rates go up and usually service and quality go down. Water privatization turns water from a public service into a commodity for profit. As with all other commodities, people who can afford it buy it, and people who cannot afford it make do. Stories from around the world Detroit, Mich. — Over 40,000 Highland Park/Detroit families learned about the problems of water privatization in the time it took them to turn on a tap. Nothing came out. The city government of Detroit had decided that the only way to repair and re-invigorate their old, debilitated public water system was to sell it to the corporate sector to run for profit. In order to make their faltering water system more marketable, they hiked up the rates and turned off the taps. Suddenly, these families, mostly African American women-headed households became part of the 1.25 billion people in the world who do not have access to clean drinking water. The Michigan Welfare Rights Organization has taken the city to court. Lawrence, Mass. — The mayor had consultants perform a secret review of five bids to have the city's water system privatized through a long-term contract. Within two weeks of a City Council meeting, the mayor's advisory committed selected United Water to take over the city's water department. Grassroots activists set in motion the "Hands off Our Water" campaign which defeated the initiative. Stockton, Calif. — Citizens campaign for a public vote when the City Council moves to outsource the city's water system, long considered one of the best-run utilities in the nation, to a German-led multinational. Citizens were not so lucky in this case. Their initiative failed. Atlanta, Georgia — United Water/Suez took over Atlanta's water/sewer system in 1998 under a 20-year contract. Promising cost savings for the city, United Water instead delivered dirty water, poor maintenance and non-functioning water hydrants. After residents were hit with five "boil water" alerts, the mayor gave United Water 90 days to turn things around. In January 2003, the mayor terminated the contract. Cochabamba, Bolivia — When the World Bank required Bolivia to privatize the water system in Cochabamba in order to receive a loan for a new dam, the city signed a 40-year contract with a subsidiary of Bechtel Corp. Within weeks, the corporation imposed a 35 percent rate hike on local water users, up to 25 percent of a family's income. Thousands took to the streets. Bechtel fled the country, but is using a bilateral trade agreement to demand $25 million from Bolivia in lost potential profits. These five examples are from only a small, small percentage of communities which found themselves threatened with losing public control of their water resources to multinational corporations. And they each fought long odds in resisting the juggernaut of globalization, which is driving the worldwide privatization of public resources, utilities and services. Join UUSC as we fight to defend the human right to water! Posted March 29, 2005 |
