The World Council of Churches (WCC) will receive the visit of the renowned water activist Dr Maude Barlow at the Ecumenical Centre to welcome the WCC into the “blue community”.

Dr Barlow is the recipient of several prestigious awards, including the Right Livelihood Award, and is the national chairperson of the Council of Canadians and also chairs the board of the Washington-based Food and Water Watch and has awarded “blue community” certificates to institutions, universities, churches and cities.

Maude Barlow will deliver a keynote address, award the WCC a “blue community certificate” and inaugurate tap water-based public water fountains at the Ecumenical Centre. On this special occasion, the “water man of India” and Stockholm Water Prize laureate for 2015, Dr Rajendra Singh, will address the gathering through a Skype call.

The event will be live streamed from 14:30 to 17:00.

Highlights of the programme / speakers:

• Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, general secretary of the WCC and moderator of the event
• Dr Maude Barlow,  chairperson of the Council of Canadians, chair of  the Washington-based Food and Water Watch
• Ms Karin Lexen, director, World Water Week, SIWI, Stockholm
• Dr Rajendra Singh, "Water Man of India"
• Voices from Middle East: directors of  Eco Peace (Israel, Palestine and Jordan)
• Voices from Swiss Reformed churches
• A special song on water with children’s enactment
• Declaring WCC as a Blue Community
• Inauguration of water fountains at Ecumenical Center