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“Today we are gathering here for the last Pilgrim Team Visit on Water Justice in Switzerland,” said WCC deputy general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Isabel Apawo Phiri. “In our journey of the Pilgrimage of Justice and Peace, water justice has been a key component since 2016, when, led by the WCC Ecumenical Water Network, we launched the Lenten campaign, Seven Weeks for Water, in Jerusalem.”
Rt. Rev. Arnold C. Temple, bishop emeritus, Methodist Church Sierra Leone, reiterated that the pilgrimage is of great importance because the issue of access to water is high in the priority list of the justice discussion. “In many parts of the world, billions of people do not have access to clean, safe and affordable water—this is an injustice,” said Temple.
Commenting on the Blue Communities, he said that the advocacy role of Blue Communities is essential as it guides us to the mitigation and promotion of water justice.
Blue Communities comprise cities, universities, church congregations, schools, non-governmental organizations, and other civil organisations advocating for water as a human right and public good. Furthermore, they foster – where possible – the consumption of tap instead of bottled water. The 40 Swiss Blue Communities—which include the WCC—promote international partnerships and advocate for the right to water at the international level.
“This pilgrimage provides us an integral platform to raise our voices again on this very important issue of water justice. ‘Water for Life’—that’s not a mere slogan but a blatant reality,” said Temple.
Swiss Blue Communities coordinator Lisa Kerbs shared that we live in a climate and water crisis, which can only be tackled through joint efforts worldwide.
“Its core principles coincide with a basic church mission, namely that water is key to peace, justice and integrity of creation. The Reformed Churches of Bern-Jura-Solothurn, which had already been working on the topic of water for more than ten years, therefore launched the initiative in Switzerland in 2013. Today, around half of the Swiss Blue Communities have a church character and we hope to get more allies in our in our commitment to water as a human right,” shared Kerbs.
She further commented: “This exchange is only a drop in the ocean, but the guests are leading church persons in their home countries and therefore I hope they will carry the discussions further and be heard.”
