By Suzanne Maxx
Water, Water, Water… Water! Can WE all be joyously singing those words? Will we be able to celebrate Water & what we can all do together by 2030, or 2050?
The United Nations World Water Conference is happening now beginning today, World Water Day 2023, and going three days, March 22nd – 24th,
You can join Virtually and Watch the LIVE UN Events Here: https://media.un.org/en/webtv/schedule
The UN Media Zone (An entertaining/educational talk show format of UN Events);
https://media.un.org/en/asset/k10/k10lcobd8g
United Nations Headquarter Photo Courtesy of Albert Boulanger
The Water Conference is co-hosted by the Governments of Tajikistan and the Netherlands with an overflowing schedule of events coming in with the rising tide for collective action. As the increase in water-related disasters, not just drought and flood continue make the case for urgent immediate action, by us all. To learn, “Every $1 invested in making infrastructure disaster-resilient saves $4 in reconstruction. (UNDRR, 2021) “ was one of the many surprising facts and figures, or read the latest UN report.
Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Maxx
Water not just to place a greater value and understanding on Water (yes, intentionally capitalized), but also, to ensure all have equal access to Water. Water and Air and the way they live through us changing states, solid, liquid and gas, not easily seen as a vapor, gas—yet like love, Water is more than a most precious resource; of ineffable value. To have love of the other, oneself, and the Divine within and throughout, love as a commodity that is immeasurable like the value of Water. Now to prioritize Water given for all, being within and making up a large percentage of our bodies, and our common home, on planet earth, and raising consciousness.
Water is not only a resource, but also, a human right. International human rights law obliges States to work to achieve universal access to water and sanitation for all, without any discrimination, while prioritizing those who need water most. If we can mind the Water gap working together across borders for our common home and not merely for profit, but for public benefit is that not a higher good for all?
There we many seeds planted, that bloomed with ideas brought forth to the collective World Water Day, the Biodiversity Treaty, Law of the Sea, that are now finally getting some movement after being introduced in 1992 during the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro. The UN Earth Summit/Global Forum, was where I came to better interact with the United Nations.
It’s a watershed moment today with World Water Day, UN Water Conference, Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6) to “Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.” Goal #6 is one of 17 Sustainable Development Goals created officially inside the Paris Accord established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015. Although we are way behind the Global Goals being achieved, Clean water and sanitation for all, may have a better chance to flow as a reality with coordinated watershed moments with the Decade of Water” 2018-2028, plus the Decade of the Ocean 2021-2030. Hopefully, this “Rip Tide” of trajectories with both Decades related to Water also overlapping, with World Water Day, will pull us out of this mess, and into the deeper Water of collective consciousness.
Albert Boulanger United Nations, New York Photo Courtesy of Brigid Tucker
We have a team registered at The United Nations Water Conference representing World Team Now at United Nations in New York. World Team Now is being represented for this Water Conference at UN Headquarters by VP and Director of Technical Strategy, Albert Boulanger and Youth Leader Advocate, Brigid Tucker, in her junior year attending my Alma Mater, Sarah Lawrence College. Her voice, regarding the Water Conference, is something we can all look forward to hearing with her first UN experience…Walter Andrews, WTN Director of Water, Energy and the Environment for WTN, along with others are grateful to have the choice to participate virtually.
Ha’ena where the fresh Water meets the Ocean’s salt Water-Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Maxx
I’m learning again and again, the clichéd, the change starts within– getting that glass water thermos, filling it with fresh water that came down from the mountains and up through lava. I haven’t been able to test the water yet, but legend Aunties, Elders, Nature, and Science say, it is as good as I may get in the USA, now. I’m committed to kicking the plastic bottled water habit, when I’m not in Fiji, and can get Water from a reliable natural source. “Be the change you want to see in the world” Mahatma Gandhi.
I have remained on the small Island where we have been working on resiliency with small scale systems solutions, and Ocean projects locally on the island of Kauai, Hawaii, (it’s still World Water Day here, HST). The projects we are working on are in a flood zone which often is cut off from power, with also unique Ocean conditions. The Sports and play aspect build on physical movement: that might better build collective MOVEMENT! One by one, hearts are opened, minds are inspired to learn more, and bodies move in action!
World Team Now is organizing an educational approach to socialize and demonstrate cutting-edge solutions. Our goals include advocating to meet Water challenges on a small local scale, on islands. We are beginning with one section of an island community. We plan to address challenges related to drought, flooding Water as a resource related to policy, purification, mitigation, energy, catchment, and wastewater up-cycling and best practice of sustained use. The ineffable mysterious territory, the consciousness of Water, will be explored through World Team Now’s upcoming Open Ocean Educational Curricula. The Tide is coming in for transforming our future, and that means the chance for each of us to choose to prioritize rising!
Water, Water, Water… Water! Again, can WE all joyously sing those words? Instead of the “mean green” lyrics of the song Money? “Money, Money, Money… Money!” May we be singing; “Let them Come to the Water”.
