The Fourth World Water Forum
22 Mar 2006 01:08 GMT
The Fourth World Water Forum occurs March 16-22 in Mexico City. Under the auspices of dialogue for better water stewardship amongst government agencies, government friendly NGOs, private companies and other institutions, forum participants will be discussing the increasingly scarce future of potable water and who has access to it. Essentially, 320 corporations, government agencies and international financial institutions like the World Bank will be negotiating the privatization of public water markets to open them up for lucrative business ventures.
Currently, one billion people do not have access to potable water and estimates suggest that by 2025, two thirds of the world's population will be gravely impacted by water scarcity. In response to the forum, Mexican civil society is organizing a boycott against the forum and instead engaging in a week of resistance and education. The Coalition of Mexican Organizations for Water Rights formed in 2005 to demand the access of water as a guaranteed human right and its management in a democratic, sustainable, just and equal manner.
A large mobilization of tens of thousands of people on March 16 was met by provocationand violence from the police. Twenty seven people were unjustly arrested and released while dozens of others were beaten and harassed. The International Forum in Defense of Water has involved testimonies from people all over the globe, indigenous peoples forums and workshops for better grassroots organization to protect water as a human right. The Latin American Water Tribunal has also been addressing cases of people struggling for access to water from latin countries the past week.
Listen to audio reports from:Radio Zapote | Centro de Medios Libres | Radio Indymedia
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