Newsletter of the Ecumenical Water Network, Number 2 / 2008 (July 2008)

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Dear colleagues and friends,

From 27 July to 5 August, 22 young people will meet at the Ecumenical Institute of Bossey for the Ecumenical Water Network (EWN) Summer School on Water. To share in the Summer School experience you can visit our website where we will be posting participants' impressions, interviews and much more.

This newsletter also includes an important invitation to all participants and supporters of the Ecumenical Water Network to come together in October in order to learn, share experiences and shape the future strategy of the network. The first Ecumenical Water Network participants' meeting will take place 22 - 24 October 2008 in Bossey, Switzerland.

If you are not yet formally a participant in the network there's still time to get involved, find out more below!

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Maike Gorsboth

Coordinator of the EWN Secretariat

Contents:
    1) Where rivers meet: EWN participants come together in October 2008

    You are invited to attend the first "Ecumenical Water Network participants' meeting" taking place 22 - 24 October 2008 in Bossey, Switzerland.

    The Ecumenical Water Network was created in May 2005 by different ecumenical partners who agreed that the preservation, responsible management and equitable distribution of water for all was one of the most urgent practical and ethical challenges of our times.

    One and a half years ago the Secretariat of the Ecumenical Water Network was established at the World Council of Churches. Over that time it has been involved in numerous joint activities and events like at the World Social Forum in Kenya, or at conferences in Uganda and Lesotho, as well as at the United Nations in Geneva.

    We now invite you to join us for the first EWN participants' meeting to critically reflect on what we have accomplished so far, and to discuss the next steps and future strategies of the Ecumenical Water Network.

    Please note that if you would like to attend this meeting you need to be a participant (organizations) or supporter (individuals) of the Ecumenical Water Network. You'll find the draft program as well as more information about how to join the network and on how to register for the participants' meeting at our website at http://water.oikoumene.org.

    More information:

    -        Draft programme and registration form

    2) Summer School on Water

    "I am really looking forward to the summer school on water.  I've been doing some background research and becoming more passionate by the minute." Kelly from the US is one of the 22 young participants from all over the world who are currently packing their suitcases to participate in the first EWN Summer School on Water.

    In the course of the programme, Kelly and her fellow participants will share their own experiences and work on water issues in their respective countries, discuss challenges and possible solutions with experts, engage in common prayer, and more. The programme and timetable are now available on the EWN website.

    The Summer School on Water will take place from 27 July to 5 August 2008 at the Ecumenical Institute in Bossey, Switzerland. You can keep up with what is happening at the Summer school via the EWN website where participants will share their impressions and short video messages will be made available. For more information:

    -        EWN Summer School on Water

    -        Summer School Blog

    3) New mandate for independent expert

    An important milestone in the development of the human right to water came  in March when the United Nations Human Rights Council unanimously adopted a resolution creating a 3-year mandate for an independent expert on water and sanitation.

    "The essence of the human right to water is that citizens can hold their governments accountable", commented Danuta Sacher, Bread for the World (Germany) and member of the Steering Group of the Ecumenical Water Network. However, "many states are afraid of the legal obligations. If the Human Rights Council adopts the resolution this is an important step into the right direction".

    The resolution, initiated by Germany and Spain, was co-sponsored by another 40 countries. The independent expert's task will be to collect examples of best practices in implementing the right to water and sanitation, and to contribute to a better understanding of the scope and content of human rights obligations in this area.

    More information:

    -        Text of the resolution: HRC Resolution A/HRC/7/L.16 (pdf)

    4) Upcoming Events

    http://water.oikoumene.org/

    • 14 June - 14 September 2008: EXPO Zaragoza 2008
      International Expo "Water and Sustainable Development"
      www.expozaragoza2008.es
    • 27 July - 5 August 2008: EWN Summer School on Water, Bossey, Switzerland

      http://water.oikoumene.org

    • 17-23 August 2008: World Water Week in Stockholm, Sweden
      The theme of the 2008 World Water Week in Stockholm "Progress and Prospects on Water: For a Clean and Healthy World with Special Focus on Sanitation."
      http://www.worldwaterweek.org/

    • 22 - 24 October 2008: EWN participants' meeting, Bossey, Switzerland

      http://water.oikoumene.org

    5) New Resources

    This newsletter has been sent to you by the Secretariat of the Ecumenical Water Network (EWN). If you do not wish to receive the newsletter from the Ecumenical Water Network any more, just send a short message to water@wcc-coe.org.

    If you want to stay informed about the EWN, just stay on our list. The EWN Newsletter will reach you about four times a year with information on the EWN itself, new developments concerning the human right to water, international water politics, and local water initiatives. We might also provide additional information by e-mail on special occasions.

    The Ecumenical Water Network is a network of churches and church-related organizations that promotes the preservation, responsible management and equitable distribution of water for all, based on the understanding that water is a gift of God and a fundamental human right. The Secretariat of the Ecumenical Water Network is located at the World Council of Churches in Geneva.

    You can contact us via e-mail at: water@wcc-coe.org

    For more information, please also visit our website at water.oikoumene.org

     

     

    For previous newsletters and to learn more about the EWN visit our website at
    http://water.oikoumene.org