Water Advocates Newsletter - Special Summer 2010 Edition

For the full edition of the Water Advocates newsletter, please email me. Here are the most salient items:

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Water Advocates eNewsletter, Special End of Summer 2010 Edition

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Dear Friends of Water Advocates,

As you must know by now Water Advocates will sunset on December 17, 2010. As of today there are 107 days until the doors close of the first full-time advocacy organization focused soley on global safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene. If you want to keep track of the time remaining you can visit the Water Advocates countdown site ( http://bit.ly/aRn3Tz).

Because our time is so short, we want to take the opportunity to send out a special summer edition of the Water Advocates eNewsletter. Please read through as there are a number of important news items and activities happening in the WASH sector.

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Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) in Schools Update

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A series of events is being organized in October to launch the WASH in Schools call-to-action document and campaign called Raising Clean Hands. The initiative will be launched in the morning on October 13. An additional event raising awareness and creating action among youth will be held in coordination with Global Handwashing Day on October 15. Please save the dates.

More details will be available soon.

If you have questions please contact Elynn Walter, ewalter@wateradvocates.org.
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Government News
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++State’s 2010 Water for the Poor Act Report

The State Department’s Annual Report to Congress on the Senator Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act has been released. It is available on the State Department's website.

http://www.state.gov/g/oes/water/index.htm
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Special Section on WASH Disasters
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++Pakistan Flood Relief

Pakistan has been hit by massive floods that have been ongoing since the beginning of August. Current estimates are that over 15 million people have been directly affected. Humanitarian organizations are providing basics including clean water, medicine and shelter to those that can be reached.

http://bit.ly/dmVf7n

++Cholera in Nigeria and Cameroon

A cholera outbreak has erupted this summer in Africa, killing more than 600 people in the neighboring countries of Nigeria and Cameroon.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/africa/08/27/africa.cholera/

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Funding News
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++El Salvador gets $44 Million for Water Program

In August the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) approved a $44 million program to improve water and sanitation services in El Salvador. The program is backed by a $20 million IDB loan and a $24 million grant from the Spanish government's cooperation fund for water and sanitation in Latin America and the Caribbean.

http://www.waterworld.com/index/display/news_display/1236809297.html

++Malawi to Benefit from $40 Million Water and Sanitation Project

In August it was announced that Malawi will benefit from a $40 million peri-urban water and sanitation project. The project will be funded through a European Union (EU) water facility grant and a subsidized loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB) and support from the Malawian government.

http://bit.ly/bVaShL

++Mexican Municipality Invests $39 Million in Water and Sewerage

In August Sideapa, the public water and sewerage utility serving Gomez Palacio city in Mexico's Durango state, announced that it has invested $39.9 million over the past three years in building and repairing potable water and sanitation infrastructure.

http://www.waterworld.com/index/display/news_display/1245045303.html

++Honduras to Invest $16 Million in Water and Sanitation

In August the Honduran national water authority announced that it will invest $16.7 million to repair and build potable water and sanitation infrastructure throughout the country.

http://www.waterworld.com/index/display/news_display/1248317029.html

++Gates Foundation Awards $5.6 Million to Water For People

In August Water For People announced that it was awarded a $5.6 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to support their Sanitation as a Business program.

http://www.waterforpeople.org/media-center/press-release/sanitation-as-a-business-funding.html

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More News
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++State Department Seeks Partnership with India on Water

In an editorial published by Voice of America, the US Department of State suggested that partnerships with Indian and US businesses and NGOs could result in new ways to contribute to India’s efforts to meet the United Nations Millennium Development Goals for safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene.

http://www.voanews.com/policy/editorials/Partnering-With-India-On-Water-100144524.html

++World Water Day 2011

A coalition of organizations has started to brainstorm about what the WASH sector should do for World Water Day in 2011. The idea is to make it even better than World Water Day 2010, which featured a first-ever address by a US Secretary of State about the global WASH crisis. In order to continue to grow momentum for the sector and ensure that advocacy work achieves real and sustainable results, this coalition is making plans to grow and garner resources and support for its efforts. We encourage you and/or your organization to participate in this coalition. For more information please contact John Sauer, jsauer@wateradvocates.org.

++Melinda Gates Calls for More Efforts to Stop Diarrhea

In an August Huffington Post blog Melinda Gates suggests that we talk about diarrhea because, as she says, by "doing just that because we have the opportunity to save 4,000 children's lives every day by preventing diarrhea-related illnesses."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/melinda-gates/saving-children-stopping_b_673956.html



++Jeffrey Sachs Calls Water and Sanitation "Major Gap"



Ahead of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Summit in September, Professor Jeffrey Sachs has outlined eight "major gaps" which need to be overcome if the MDGs are to be achieved. Water and sanitation were among the eight and he called on world leaders to arrive at the New York meeting next month "with the agreed plans, partnerships, and financing to accelerate our progress."

http://allafrica.com/stories/201008250896.html





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Information Resources

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EVENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES

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++WaterAid Job Opening in Washington DC



WaterAid America is recruiting for the position of Head of Policy and Advocacy. To see the job description and instructions on how to apply for this position, please visit WaterAid America website. No phone calls please.

http://www.wateraidamerica.org/get_involved/jobs/default.aspx





++First Ever World Toilet Summit in the US



Hosted by the American Society of Plumbing Engineers, the first ever US International Code Council World Toilet Summit will take place October 30-November 3. Registration information is available on the International Code Council website.

http://www.iccsafe.org/Communities/PMG/Pages/WTS.aspx?r=ICCWTS



++Film Contest: Win $20,000



We encourage you to submit a five-minute WASH film that tells the story of progress in developing countries and that shows the progress being made towards achieving the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Grand prize is $20,000 and the deadline has been extended to September 3.

http://www.linktv.org/viewchangefilmcontest



++MDG Summit Taking Place September 20-22



Water Advocates and many other organizations see the MDG Summit as a key opportunity to push for progress on sanitation and water for all. End Water Poverty's site has an array of useful advocacy documents pertaining to the MDG Summit.

http://www.endwaterpoverty.org/take_action/215.asp





++WSSCC Request for Proposals: Global Sanitation Fund



The Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC) seeks proposals from qualified firms, consultants or organizations to be the “Country Programme Monitor (CPM)” for the Global Sanitation Fund (GSF) in Burkina Faso and Ethiopia. The CPM verifies GSF program implementation in country and reports to WSSCC. Deadline for Ethiopia is September 10; more information is available here: http://bit.ly/dr6pwy. Deadline for Burkina Faso is September 13; more information is available here: http://bit.ly/cUX9jR.