[mobglob-discuss] Action to oppose water privatization

[Tom_Childs at Douglas.BC.CA]

  ----- Forwarded message: -----From childst Tue Sep 24 04:49:31 2002
Subject: Re; Bolivia water conflict
To: dick at wuurld.org

Hello in New Zealand,  Here's some immediate action that you and your
Unitarian group might want to consider to oppose the thrust of the IMF/World
Bank in regard to their push to privatize water around the world.
Regards,
Tom
---------Original message--------- 
Date: Mon, 23 Sep 2002 16:36:10 -0700
From: Lyle Fenton <lfenton at mountain-inter.net>
Subject: Sept 25, stop corp control of water

**Please circulate widely**

Mark the date: Wednesday, September 25
Call in Day to Stop the Corporate Control of Water!

Flood the World Bank with calls to demand a water secure future - say no 
to privatization and increased cost recovery (see background below).

Sample Message:

Water is a human right, not a source of profits for investors. No more 
loans requiring water privatization and increased cost recovery!

Please call any or all of these individuals who work to privatize our 
water on September 25

World Bank Water Resource Management:

Senior Water advisor, John Briscoe: ph 202-473-5557, fax 202.522.3306 or 
e-mail <mailto:jbriscoe at worldbank.org>jbriscoe at worldbank.org

Senior water resource specialist, Karin Kemper: 202-473-1995, fax 
202.522.3306 or e-mail <mailto:kkemper at worldbank.org>kkemper at worldbank.org

World Bank Energy and Water Development Program
Director, Jamal Saghir: 202.473.2789, fax 202.522.7462 or e-mail 
<mailto:jsaghir at worldbank.org>jsaghir at worldbank.org

Lead Economist, Jonathan Halpern: 202.458.4442, fax 202.522.7462 or e-mail 
<mailto:jhalpern at worldbank.org>jhalpern at worldbank.org

Background

Instead of protecting the global environment and ensuring that everyone 
has access to clean water, the World Bank is promoting corporate control 
of essential services. Financially strapped countries are being 
blackmailed by the World Bank into selling their water systems to giant 
water corporations in exchange for loans and debt relief.

Despite the World Bank's hype, privatization will NOT improve access to 
the poor. To pave the way for privatization, countries are often forced to 
raise rates so that corporations can recover costs, plus earn profit.

In May 2001, for example, the World Bank and IMF required Ghana - a West 
African country where 60% of the population lives on less than $1 day 
--  to double the price of water. People in Ghana have called this "cost 
recovery scheme" a prescription for death of the poor.

Women and children suffer the most when water costs soar. They are forced 
to sacrifice food, clothing or school fees in order to make water payments 
or drink unsafe water, which has led to cholera outbreaks and other illness.

Governments have the responsibility to provide clean water for all and 
should not cater to profit-hungry corporations.  Privatization of water 
will increase consumer fees, pollute and squander our scarce water 
resources, and increase divisions between those who can afford access to 
clean water and those who cannot.

For more information:
Public Citizen (202) 546-4996
<mailto:Cmep at citizen.org>Cmep at citizen.org
www.citizen.org/cmep/water
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To learn more about international and domestic aspects of the campaign to 
stop the world's water from corporate takeover, visit our website at 
<http://www.citizen.org/cmep>www.citizen.org/cmep .

Questions about the Water For All list can be directed to 
<mailto:npetrie at citizen.org>npetrie at citizen.org .


--
Tom Childs - Audio/Visual Resources
Douglas College Library
New Westminster, B.C. Canada
T: 604 527-5713 - library
T: 604 524-9316 - home
E: childst at douglas.bc.ca
U: BCGEU Local 703
W: http://www.globaljustice.ca
       "There's no way to delay, that trouble comin' everyday."
  					--Frank Zappa