US Government Joins Global Partnership Aimed at Universal Coverage of Safe Drinking Water and Sanitation

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US Government Joins Global Partnership Aimed at Universal Coverage of Safe Drinking Water and Sanitation

April 25, 2012

PRESS CONTACT:

John Oldfield

WASH Advocates

1.202.293.4049

joldfield (at) WASHadvocates (dot) org

Washington DC - “Forty years ago today, Apollo 16 landed on the moon . . . by anyone's standards it was a triumph of science, technology and political will. I remember so many of us thinking that if humankind can do this, what could humankind NOT accomplish?” UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake continued at last Friday’s Sanitation and Water for All High Level Meeting: “ . . . and yet today, over 1.1 billion people still practice open defecation because they don't have access to the most basic sanitation facilities . . . If two generations ago we could land men on the moon, we can and must also afford people here on earth two of their most basic human rights - safe water and basic sanitation - because until we do, development progress will falter."

On Friday, April 20, 2012, in Washington DC, the United States formally joined the Sanitation and Water for All Partnership (SWA) during its biennial High Level Meeting. WASH Advocates applauds this important step toward 100 percent coverage of safe drinking water and sanitation throughout the developing world.

"The United States Government considers sanitation and water and our related partnering activities to be a critical component of our overall international development assistance effort," US Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Raj Shah said in making the announcement. "We look forward to maximizing the potential of this partnership, which brings together such a range of tools, experience, and approaches. Working together, we can not only reach full coverage, but we can also do it in the most effective, efficient, and collaborative way."

This announcement comes on the heels of World Water Day, March 22, 2012, when US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton launched the US Water Partnership to “help answer [the] call for leadership and to expand the impact of America’s work on water.” The US Water Partnership “brings together a diverse range of partners from the private sector, the philanthropic community, the NGOs, academics, experts, and government. This approach will help catalyze new opportunities for cooperation.”

“Sustainable development is about much more than water and sanitation, but never about less. By joining the Sanitation and Water for All Partnership, USAID sends two strong signals: the US will enhance its leadership in the global safe drinking water and sanitation sector, and US assistance toward such efforts around the world will be more catalytic, sustainable, and closely aligned with the priorities of both developing countries and other donor countries,” says John Oldfield, CEO of WASH Advocates.

Most importantly, the Sanitation and Water for All High Level Meeting on April 20 featured developing country governments making stronger commitments to solve the safe drinking water challenge in their own countries, including Kenya, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, and Benin.

Notable participants at the April 20 Sanitation and Water for All meeting included former President of Ghana John Kufuor, USAID Administrator Raj Shah, Executive Director of UNICEF Anthony Lake, and His Royal Highness Willem-Alexander, The Prince of Orange.

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About WASH Advocates

WASH Advocates is a nonprofit advocacy effort in Washington DC entirely dedicated to helping solve the global safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) challenge. Our mission is to increase awareness of the global WASH challenge and solutions, and to increase the amount and effectiveness of resources devoted to solving the problem around the developing world. Please visit our website at www.WASHadvocates.org.

About SWA

Sanitation and Water for All is a global partnership aimed at achieving universal and sustainable access to sanitation and drinking-water for all, by firmly placing sanitation and water on the global agenda with an immediate focus on achieving the Millennium Development Goals in the most off-track countries. More information is available at www.sanitationandwaterforall.org.

WASH Advocates is hiring: Global Partnerships Director

 Please let folks know - this is a really good opportunity for the right person! 

Position description:  Global Partnerships Director, WASH Advocates

WASH Advocates is the successor organization to Water Advocates, the first independent, full-time advocacy organization within the United States dedicated to increasing the amount and effectiveness of funding for safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) in developing countries. WASH Advocates (WA) seeks to substantially increase awareness of the global WASH challenge and the amount and effectiveness of US public and private funding directed to this crisis.

Advocacy for WASH still pales in comparison to other international development causes. WA supports the US WASH community in moving the US Government and US citizens into a stronger global leadership position on safe drinking water and sanitation on several fronts, including the level of international development assistance; general awareness of the global water and sanitation crisis; sustainability of WASH programming; private and corporate philanthropic efforts; prioritization of WASH within the US Department of State and USAID; and the integration of WASH and other global development activities.

Description:  The Global Partnerships Director reports to the CEO and is a peer to the four other directors. The primary duties of the Global Partnerships Director include engaging corporate, foundation, civic, faith, academic, nonprofit, the US public sector, and other stakeholders to increase:

a)      awareness of the global WASH challenge,

b)      the amount and effectiveness of investments (predominantly philanthropic) for WASH efforts in developing countries, and

c)       the number of partnerships dedicated to pursuing global WASH objectives.

The Director will be creative, selective, and results-focused in establishing and maintaining relationships with current and potential WASH donors, and in catalyzing new partnerships focused on programs which see communities in developing countries achieve sustainable access to WASH.

The Director will work in the WASH Advocates office in Washington, DC. At the outset of the engagement, he/she will develop a work plan in cooperation with colleagues. This work plan will outline key milestones and deliverables on an annual and quarterly basis, and will focus on catalyzing partnership activity that generates a measurable increase in funding for the WASH sector. Activities will include, but not be limited to:

-          conduct outreach to current and potential supporters of global WASH in the philanthropic, corporate, civic and faith sectors;

-          maintain and expand the network of WASH stakeholders through participation in conferences regarding participation or philanthropic investment in the WASH sector;

-          work with the WASH Sustainability Director at WA to educate donors on WASH sustainability, monitoring and evaluation, and partnership models.

On a case by case basis, the Director will:

-          Serve as a pro bono philanthropy advisor and corporate social responsibility consultant;

-          Work with WA’s Communications Director and others to help create and support campaigns that lead WA in a direction that is most useful for the issue and the sector;

-          Work with the CEO and colleagues to launch a peer-to-peer networking group for private foundations and other philanthropists interested in WASH grantmaking;

-          Strengthen relationships with the public/private partnership offices of the US State Department, USAID, and potentially other US Government agencies;

-          Work with colleagues at WA and beyond to ensure a successful World Water Day each year and leverage other annual events/days;

-          Create tools and guidelines to streamline the partnering process;

-          Engage US citizen sector in grassroots and grasstops advocacy on behalf of the WASH issue and relevant federal legislation;

-          Perform other tasks as required.

Desired Skills

The ideal Global Partnerships Director will have attributes and demonstrated abilities as below:

-          Commitment to values, mission and vision of WASH Advocates; engagement in global health and/or environmental issues, preferably with a particular focus on WASH;

-          Minimum ten years of experience working with diverse constituencies including private foundations, corporations, the federal government, and civic and religious organizations;

-          Degree (Masters preferred) in a relevant field;

-          Strong ability to develop and foster alliances;

-          Ability and desire to support and motivate colleagues, and to work in a consensus-oriented environment with different work styles and to facilitate staff communication;

-          Excellent oral and written communication skills;

-          High-energy, love of challenge, and ability to be effective in a constantly changing environment;

-          Excellent research skills, and the ability to deliver compelling arguments to new and existing funders (strong written and oral communication);

-          Able to travel occasionally and to work independently and creatively.

Successful completion of a writing test will be required. 

This is a full-time exempt position located in Washington, DC. Salary range is commensurate with experience.  Minimum travel, primarily domestic, will be required. WASH Advocates is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Affirmative Action employer that is committed to diversity in the workplace. Please send résumé and cover letter to John Oldfield at joldfield@WASHadvocates.org. No phone calls please.

USAID joins Sanitation and Water for All Partnership - great news

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 20, 2012
Public Information: 202-712-4810

www.usaid.gov

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah announced that the U.S. Agency for International Development has joined the Sanitation and Water for All (SWA) Partnership. The SWA Partnership brings together governments, donors, civil society organizations, and development partners to achieve sustainable sanitation and drinking water.

USAID and the U.S. Department of State are committing a total of $1 million to the World Bank's Water and Sanitation Program. The investment will support the SWA-led National Planning for Results Initiative, which promotes national planning efforts related to sanitation and water. The economic gains from investing in sanitation and water are estimated at $170 billion per year.

"The United States Government considers sanitation and water and our related partnering activities to be a critical component of our overall international development assistance effort," Administrator Shah said during remarks at the SWA High Level Meeting. "We look forward to maximizing the potential of this partnership, which brings together such a range of tools, experience, and approaches. Working together, we can not only reach full coverage, but we can also do it in the most effective, efficient, and collaborative way."

Established in 2010, SWA's biennial High Level Meeting brings together Ministers of Finance from developing countries, Ministers of Development Cooperation from donor countries, and high-level representatives from development banks and other donor institutions.

Last month, the United Nations announced that the Millennium Development Goal for a 50 percent reduction in the number of people living without access to safe drinking water had been achieved in 2010 - five years ahead of schedule. Even with that target met, more than 780 million people, particularly those in fragile states and poor communities, still live without access to safe water.

Progress in sanitation has been slower. Today, 2.5 billion people still lack access to improved sanitation and it is unlikely that the Millennium Development Goal target for sanitation will be met by 2015.

Aspen Institute: "A Long Walk to Water: Women, Population, & Access to Safe Water"

Please join me at this event organized by our friends at the Aspen Institute:

7 BILLION: CONVERSATIONS THAT MATTER
"A Long Walk to Water:
Women, Population, & Access to Safe Water"

Wednesday, April 18, 2012 12:00-2:00pm The Aspen Institute One Dupont Circle NW, Suite 700, Washington, DC

Aspen Global Health and Development invites you to join us
for this 7 BILLION series event, featuring:

Salva Dut, Founder and President, Water for South Sudan. A former "Lost Boy" of Sudan, Salva is the subject of the recent book A Long Walk to Water. Water for South Sudan Inc. drills borehole wells which bring safe drinking water to the people in South Sudan's remote villages, transforming lives in the process.

Shewaye Deribe, Project Coordinator, Ethio-Wetlands and Natural Resource Association (EWNRA). EWNRA seeks to integrate socio-economic and environmental/biodiversity issues at watershed level, using an integrated, community-centered approach to restore the watershed, create alternative livelihoods, strengthen health systems, and improve reproductive health.

Jaehyang So, Manager of the Water and Sanitation Program (WSP). WSP is a a multi-donor partnership administered by the World Bank to support poor people in obtaining affordable, safe, and sustainable access to water and sanitation services. Ms. So has a background in urban service delivery, utilities and corporate restructuring, and public-private partnerships.

Moderated by Peggy Clark, Executive Director, Aspen Global Health and Development, and Vice President, Policy Programs at The Aspen Institute. Peggy provides strategic oversight and guidance to the Institute’s 26 policy programs and leads programs promoting breakthrough approaches to global development.

A buffet lunch will be served.
Please RSVP at www.aspeninstitute.org/GHD/7Billion

Media: For more information or to RSVP, please contact Carol Miller at +1-202-306-0130 or carolmiller100 (at) gmail (dot) com