For Immediate Release
Contact: John Oldfield
(202) 293-4049
joldfield (at) washinitiative.org
http://www.washinitiative.org/
http://www.waterday.org/
WASH Advocacy Initiative Is Launched, and Celebrates International Women’s Day with a Call for Safe Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for All
March 8, 2011 (Washington, D.C.) – On International Women’s Day, the WASH Advocacy Initiative calls on U.S. policy makers, corporate and philanthropic leaders, and civic and faith communities to make the investments and create the policies necessary to end the global water and sanitation crisis, one that disproportionally affects the health, education, productivity and livelihoods of billions of women and girls around the world.
Launched in early 2011 and made possible by the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation and the Wallace Genetic Foundation, the WASH Advocacy Initiative is led by Water.org, CARE, Global Water Challenge, and Water For People. It supports a coalition of more than a dozen partner organizations all dedicated to the common goal of ending the global water and sanitation crisis. The Initiative raises awareness of the global WASH challenge, increases financial resources for proven, sustainable solutions, and gives everyone the opportunity to learn more and get engaged through www.washinitiative.org and http://www.waterday.org/.
“The water and sanitation crisis claims more lives through disease than any war claims through guns. This reality impacts the daily lives of billions and the economic productivity of countless countries around the world,” says Gary White, Chair of the WASH Advocacy Initiative and co-founder of Water.org. “I can think of no other investment in international development that is as strategic to our nation or as morally imperative as this.”
Today, every 20 seconds a child dies from a preventable waterborne disease. Access to safe water, basic sanitation, and hygiene is the foundation for providing sustainable health, education, poverty alleviation, environment and security for families and communities around the world. Each dollar invested in safe drinking water and sanitation provides an eight dollar (8:1) return on that investment in reduced healthcare costs and time savings. With improved access to safe water and sanitation, not only do families thrive with improved health, but women and girls who traditionally spend hours every day fetching unsafe water are able to devote their time to more productive, often income-producing, activities. In Kenya, girls are absent less in schools where handwashing is more prevalent and there is increased single gender toilet use. Water and sanitation facilities were built at a school in Nigeria, growing school attendance from 320 to 538 pupils.
“On International Women’s Day, there must be a clarion call to action to provide WASH to women and their families across the world and a global commitment to tackle today’s most grave and most solvable global health challenge,” says Kathy Baczko, Director of Global Partnerships at the WASH Advocacy Initiative. “Women in the United States and around the world need to mobilize their voices, votes, and financial resources for WASH on behalf of women and families in need.”
__
About the WASH Advocacy Initiative:
The WASH Advocacy Initiative (WAI) 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. WAI is supported by the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, the Wallace Genetic Foundation, and four organizations who have detailed staff persons to WAI: Water.org, CARE, Water For People, and Global Water Challenge.
http://www.washinitiative.org/
http://www.waterday.org/
About the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation:
The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation was created in 1944 by international business pioneer Conrad N. Hilton, who founded Hilton Hotels and left his fortune to help the world’s disadvantaged and vulnerable people. The Foundation currently conducts strategic initiatives in five priority areas: providing safe water, ending chronic homelessness, preventing substance abuse, caring for vulnerable children, and extending Conrad Hilton’s support for the work of Catholic Sisters. Following selection by an independent international jury, the Foundation annually awards the $1.5 million Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize to a nonprofit organization doing extraordinary work to reduce human suffering. From its inception, the Foundation has awarded nearly $940 million in grants, distributing more than $100 million in 2010. The Foundation’s current assets are approximately $2 billion. For more information, please visit http://www.hiltonfoundation.org/.
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Showing posts with label Global Water Challenge. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Global Water Challenge. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Monday, March 8, 2010
Happy International Women's Day!
Great post on International Women's Day from GWC's Tanvi Nagpal:
At this very moment, millions of women are carrying 40 pounds of water on the return leg of their average 3.5-mile daily trek.
So today, on International Women's Day, I want to pay tribute to the resiliency of these women, and highlight the collective possibility they embody -- if freed from the back-breaking and time-consuming burden of collecting water.
Clean water programs supported by GWC member organizations are helping women, like Nakwetikya in Tanzania, regain their sense of self-worth. Once Nakwetikya joined the committee overseeing the local well supported by GWC member WaterAid, she noticed a drastic shift in attitude toward women:
"Before we formed a [water] committee and prepared ourselves as a community, men just saw women as animals. I think they thought of us as bats flapping around them. They had no respect for us and no one would allow you to speak or listen to what you had to say. When I stand up now in a group I am not an animal. I am a woman with a valid opinion."
Read more success stories like Nakwetikya's and learn about the impact of water and sanitation programs on women in developing countries.
Providing women with access to a nearby source of clean water frees up their days to earn an income -- which can help significantly elevate their status in the community. And when women are employed, they are more likely to spend their money on medical care and education for their children, thus opening up new opportunities for even more people.
You can help bring clean water to women around the world by participating in the Dow Live Earth Run for Water on April 18th. The Dow Live Earth Run for Water is a series of six-kilometer run/walks with concerts afterwards in cities around the world over the course of 24 hours. GWC will receive funds raised in the United States and invest these funds so that women and girls can have a better shot at fulfilling their potential.
Register to run now in the Dow Live Earth Run for Water. I hope you are able to participate in what will be the largest event ever to raise awareness and funds about the critical issue of clean water.
Thanks for your support,
Tanvi Nagpal
Director of Water and Sanitation Initiatives
Global Water Challenge
http://www.globalwaterchallenge.org/
At this very moment, millions of women are carrying 40 pounds of water on the return leg of their average 3.5-mile daily trek.
So today, on International Women's Day, I want to pay tribute to the resiliency of these women, and highlight the collective possibility they embody -- if freed from the back-breaking and time-consuming burden of collecting water.
Clean water programs supported by GWC member organizations are helping women, like Nakwetikya in Tanzania, regain their sense of self-worth. Once Nakwetikya joined the committee overseeing the local well supported by GWC member WaterAid, she noticed a drastic shift in attitude toward women:
"Before we formed a [water] committee and prepared ourselves as a community, men just saw women as animals. I think they thought of us as bats flapping around them. They had no respect for us and no one would allow you to speak or listen to what you had to say. When I stand up now in a group I am not an animal. I am a woman with a valid opinion."
Read more success stories like Nakwetikya's and learn about the impact of water and sanitation programs on women in developing countries.
Providing women with access to a nearby source of clean water frees up their days to earn an income -- which can help significantly elevate their status in the community. And when women are employed, they are more likely to spend their money on medical care and education for their children, thus opening up new opportunities for even more people.
You can help bring clean water to women around the world by participating in the Dow Live Earth Run for Water on April 18th. The Dow Live Earth Run for Water is a series of six-kilometer run/walks with concerts afterwards in cities around the world over the course of 24 hours. GWC will receive funds raised in the United States and invest these funds so that women and girls can have a better shot at fulfilling their potential.
Register to run now in the Dow Live Earth Run for Water. I hope you are able to participate in what will be the largest event ever to raise awareness and funds about the critical issue of clean water.
Thanks for your support,
Tanvi Nagpal
Director of Water and Sanitation Initiatives
Global Water Challenge
http://www.globalwaterchallenge.org/
Thursday, February 25, 2010
The Global Water Challenge: A Discussion of Solutions
Last week the Chamber of Commerce held a forum in Washington DC on water and corporate social responsibility. Good attendance, good speakers, good focus on 'best practices" in corporate/nonprofit partnerships. Encouragingly the event focused not just on the gravity of the problem, but on the solutions, and particularly the corporate sector's small but meaningful role (if done right) in those solutions.
Corporations aren't the end game when it comes to solving the global water and sanitation challenge, but they can be part of the game if partnerships are designed well.
Here is the Chamber's write-up of the event.
The Global Water Challenge: A Discussion of Solutions
February 25th, 2010
On Friday, Feb. 19th BCLC launched its 2010 Global Corporate Citizenship Issue Series with a forum dedicated to water and sanitation challenges (audio recording and photos available online).
Water scarcity, lack of clean water, and sanitation problems plague communities all over world, even in the United States. Take a look at these statistics (source: ONE Campaign):
- 2.5 billion people do not have access to adequate sanitation; 884 million people do not have access to clean water.
- Every $1 spent on water and sanitation generates $8 worth of saved time, increased productivity and reduced health care costs.
- 4,100 children die each day from severe diarrhea, which is spread through poor sanitation and hygiene.
Featured during the forum were global water partnerships between Dow Chemical and Global Water Challenge; ITT Corporation and Mercy Corps; and Diageo and CHF International.
The following suggestions for how to create and implement water programs resulted from panelists and audience members sharing their experiences and practices:
Corporations aren't the end game when it comes to solving the global water and sanitation challenge, but they can be part of the game if partnerships are designed well.
Here is the Chamber's write-up of the event.
The Global Water Challenge: A Discussion of Solutions
February 25th, 2010
On Friday, Feb. 19th BCLC launched its 2010 Global Corporate Citizenship Issue Series with a forum dedicated to water and sanitation challenges (audio recording and photos available online).
Water scarcity, lack of clean water, and sanitation problems plague communities all over world, even in the United States. Take a look at these statistics (source: ONE Campaign):
- 2.5 billion people do not have access to adequate sanitation; 884 million people do not have access to clean water.
- Every $1 spent on water and sanitation generates $8 worth of saved time, increased productivity and reduced health care costs.
- 4,100 children die each day from severe diarrhea, which is spread through poor sanitation and hygiene.
Forum keynote speaker Ambassador Hattie Babbitt emphasized that long-term partnership solutions are critical to the water challenges we face today. She also discussed how water plays such a vital role in addressing food security, economic development, and health (topics the GCC series will cover later in 2010).
Featured during the forum were global water partnerships between Dow Chemical and Global Water Challenge; ITT Corporation and Mercy Corps; and Diageo and CHF International.
The following suggestions for how to create and implement water programs resulted from panelists and audience members sharing their experiences and practices:
- Programs should be demand driven and meet the local needs
- Programs should cater to the local culture, especially as it pertains to girls and women.
- Programs should create an enabling environment for local residents
- Scalability is essential to program design
- Partnership programs should have a systems approach
It’s important to recognize that many people simply don’t know about the challenges faced in the water sector, so raising awareness is just as critical. Two campaigns aimed at raising awareness are the DOW Live Earth Run on April 18 and World Water Day March 22.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Happy Universal Children's Day!
On Universal Children's Day - November 20 - the Global Water Challenge's Tanvi Nagpal has released an exposé on water, children, and health:
Clean Start: Focusing on School Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene: A Reflection From GWC
My summary: water, sanitation and hygiene in schools is one of the world's most pressing global public health challenges, and likely its most solvable. Get involved.
Key points from Tanvi's summary:
THE ISSUE: Half the schools in the world that open their doors every day have no clean water or latrines.
THE IMPACT ON CHILDREN'S HEALTH: When there is no water in the school, children cannot wash their hands and disease travels rapidly through crowded classrooms. One-third of children worldwide get intestinal parasites form dirty water and unclean hands.
THE IMPACT ON CHILDREN'S WELL-BEING: Clean water and sanitation are as essential to learning as good books and solid teachers. Without these necessities, children have trouble paying attention in school, and many fall ill and have to miss class. In the long term, educational achievement is one of the most important determinants of health, life expectancy, economic productivity, and the wellbeing of future generations.
THE SOLUTIONS: If the schools lacks access to water, rainwater harvesting and shallow wells can be good, low-cost options. If the school has access to dirty water, then water filters and chlorine tablets are often best. Basic hygiene education (particularly about handwashing) and soap helps reduce the spread of disease.
WHAT YOU CAN DO: Spread the word to your friends using GWC's tools.
You're on it.
Clean Start: Focusing on School Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene: A Reflection From GWC
My summary: water, sanitation and hygiene in schools is one of the world's most pressing global public health challenges, and likely its most solvable. Get involved.
Key points from Tanvi's summary:
THE ISSUE: Half the schools in the world that open their doors every day have no clean water or latrines.
THE IMPACT ON CHILDREN'S HEALTH: When there is no water in the school, children cannot wash their hands and disease travels rapidly through crowded classrooms. One-third of children worldwide get intestinal parasites form dirty water and unclean hands.
THE IMPACT ON CHILDREN'S WELL-BEING: Clean water and sanitation are as essential to learning as good books and solid teachers. Without these necessities, children have trouble paying attention in school, and many fall ill and have to miss class. In the long term, educational achievement is one of the most important determinants of health, life expectancy, economic productivity, and the wellbeing of future generations.
THE SOLUTIONS: If the schools lacks access to water, rainwater harvesting and shallow wells can be good, low-cost options. If the school has access to dirty water, then water filters and chlorine tablets are often best. Basic hygiene education (particularly about handwashing) and soap helps reduce the spread of disease.
WHAT YOU CAN DO: Spread the word to your friends using GWC's tools.
You're on it.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy: Global Water Crisis
I think you might be interested in the most recent issue of The Corporate Philanthropist published by the Center Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy (founded by the late Paul Newman).
The Corporate Philanthropist
Spring/Summer 2009 issue: The Global Water Crisis
· The Water Crisis: A New Way Forward
· The Senator Paul Simon Water for the World Act of 2009
· Engagement with Multilateral Organizations
· Innovative Financing of Water Projects
· Water Needs Public-Private Partnerships
· Resources for Water Partnerships
Kudos to the many companies highlighted who are part of the solution. To the others: chop chop. This global water issue isn't going to solve itself. Some encouragement regarding the potential upside of water and corporate social responsibility initiatives:
Topline impact: business opportunities and market positioning, especially in the fastest-growing markets in the developing world.
Bottom line impact: save money and time, and minimize risk. Business decisions will be better if the water issue is incorporated early in decision-making processes, e.g. where to locate a new factory, how and from whom to source raw materials, how to establish and maintain relationships with local communities.
Prouder employees in rich countries, and prouder and healthier employees in poor countries.
Enhanced corporate reputation and image in the developed as well as in the developing world:
- Better relations with governments and local communities throughout thedeveloping world: water projects are an effective way of minimizing the risk of being seen as ‘just taking, not giving.’
- Better relations with financial and other stakeholders in the developed world – water is increasingly being highlighted in annual reports, and annual citizenship reports. Some companies are even publishing reports dedicated entirely to their management of water resources, for example Nestlé’s 2006 Water Management Report
Saves lives of children, and improves livelihoods - of poor women in particular -throughout the developing world.
The Corporate Philanthropist
Spring/Summer 2009 issue: The Global Water Crisis
“The shortage of clean drinking water and lack of access to sanitation in areas of the developing world requires the involvement of all sectors of society, including business. This edition of The Corporate Philanthropist focuses on the global water crisis, exploring how companies can partner and collaborate with multilateral organizations, governments, local enterprises, and nonprofit organizations in order to work towards innovative, sustainable solutions, while reinforcing business strategies. Articles highlight the philanthropic strategies at Coca-Cola, Dow Chemical, GlaxoSmithKline, ITT, and Pepsi, among many other companies.”Articles include:
· The Water Crisis: A New Way Forward
· The Senator Paul Simon Water for the World Act of 2009
· Engagement with Multilateral Organizations
· Innovative Financing of Water Projects
· Water Needs Public-Private Partnerships
· Resources for Water Partnerships
Kudos to the many companies highlighted who are part of the solution. To the others: chop chop. This global water issue isn't going to solve itself. Some encouragement regarding the potential upside of water and corporate social responsibility initiatives:
Topline impact: business opportunities and market positioning, especially in the fastest-growing markets in the developing world.
Bottom line impact: save money and time, and minimize risk. Business decisions will be better if the water issue is incorporated early in decision-making processes, e.g. where to locate a new factory, how and from whom to source raw materials, how to establish and maintain relationships with local communities.
Prouder employees in rich countries, and prouder and healthier employees in poor countries.
Enhanced corporate reputation and image in the developed as well as in the developing world:
- Better relations with governments and local communities throughout thedeveloping world: water projects are an effective way of minimizing the risk of being seen as ‘just taking, not giving.’
- Better relations with financial and other stakeholders in the developed world – water is increasingly being highlighted in annual reports, and annual citizenship reports. Some companies are even publishing reports dedicated entirely to their management of water resources, for example Nestlé’s 2006 Water Management Report
Saves lives of children, and improves livelihoods - of poor women in particular -throughout the developing world.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Jobs! The water sector is growing...
The global water sector is growing... and staffing up. Some interesting positions (see below) opening up at the Global Water Challenge, launched by the UN Foundation several years ago and now expanding rapidly.
One should also be aware of IWA Publishing's Catherine Fitzpatrick's somewhat more technical water jobs highlighted here.
GWC News
March 19, 2009 Job Opening: Director of Development and Strategic Partnerships
The role of the Director of Development and Strategic Partnerships is to support GWC's programs through fundraising and the development and stewardship of partnerships in the corporate, government, and civil society sectors.
March 19, 2009 Job Opening: Water & Sanitation Program Associate
The role of the Program Associate is to support the development and implementation of new initiatives and programs funded by GWC. The Associate will report directly to the Director of Programs and Initiatives and work closely with the entire GWC team.
March 19, 2009 Job Opening: Online Communications Manager
The Online Communications Manager will work with the Director of Communications to develop and oversee implementation of all the components of Global Water Challenge's online strategy. The Online Communications Manager is responsible for managing the comprehensive online strategy including content creation, design development, and on-line partnership building.
One should also be aware of IWA Publishing's Catherine Fitzpatrick's somewhat more technical water jobs highlighted here.
GWC News
March 19, 2009 Job Opening: Director of Development and Strategic Partnerships
The role of the Director of Development and Strategic Partnerships is to support GWC's programs through fundraising and the development and stewardship of partnerships in the corporate, government, and civil society sectors.
March 19, 2009 Job Opening: Water & Sanitation Program Associate
The role of the Program Associate is to support the development and implementation of new initiatives and programs funded by GWC. The Associate will report directly to the Director of Programs and Initiatives and work closely with the entire GWC team.
March 19, 2009 Job Opening: Online Communications Manager
The Online Communications Manager will work with the Director of Communications to develop and oversee implementation of all the components of Global Water Challenge's online strategy. The Online Communications Manager is responsible for managing the comprehensive online strategy including content creation, design development, and on-line partnership building.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Social Entrepreneurs and Sanitation - huge potential
Great piece today on OneWorld:
Entrepreneurs Tackle Sanitation in Africa
African social entrepreneurs making money by selling toilets. Great idea. The Global Water Challenge and Ashoka rock. Think about it: 2.5 billion people don't have toilets - that's a global market of at least 500m toilets, plus nice recurring revenue streams because they all need servicing. Someone is going to a) get wealthy and b) win the Nobel Peace Prize for eliminating fatal diarrhea.
Also check out the World Toilet Organization. Sneak preview: plans are afoot to make November 19, World Toilet Day, an official United Nations Day. More soon.
Entrepreneurs Tackle Sanitation in Africa
African social entrepreneurs making money by selling toilets. Great idea. The Global Water Challenge and Ashoka rock. Think about it: 2.5 billion people don't have toilets - that's a global market of at least 500m toilets, plus nice recurring revenue streams because they all need servicing. Someone is going to a) get wealthy and b) win the Nobel Peace Prize for eliminating fatal diarrhea.
Also check out the World Toilet Organization. Sneak preview: plans are afoot to make November 19, World Toilet Day, an official United Nations Day. More soon.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
India sweeps Changemakers.net
Congratulations to the winners and finalists of the Ashoka / Changemakers.net / Global Water Challenge competition!
Typically winners in Changemakers.net competitions receive a lot of great advice and $5,000. As an example of the growing momentum in the water and sanitation sector, the pot this time 'round has been sweetened by a $1m grant from Coca-Cola.
For more updates on the momentum in the sector, see:
Water Advocates' latest eNewsletter.
A segment on this morning's Today Show about H2O for Life School to School.
Typically winners in Changemakers.net competitions receive a lot of great advice and $5,000. As an example of the growing momentum in the water and sanitation sector, the pot this time 'round has been sweetened by a $1m grant from Coca-Cola.
For more updates on the momentum in the sector, see:
Water Advocates' latest eNewsletter.
A segment on this morning's Today Show about H2O for Life School to School.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Open Source Water and Sanitation
The Global Water Challenge, an initiative of the United Nations Foundation, has partnered with Ashoka, one of the most impressive idea generation factories (and social-entrepreneur-finders) on the planet. They are today launching Tapping Local Innovation: Unclogging the Water and Sanitation Crisis.
http://changemakers.net/en-us/node/1828/mosaic
[If you want several hundred pages - several hundred GOOD pages - of landscaping, go here:
http://www.irc.nl/page/35947 ]
Ashoka is very good at identifying entrepreneurs tackling major social issues - read How to Change the World if you have time - or make the time - it's that inspiring. This competition will give water and sanitation entrepreneurs an opportunity to get an open source review from their peers and others. Winners get plenty of exposure. Then it's up to the growing funding community to support their efforts. And that funding community is growing.
"Ashoka’s Changemakers and Global Water Challenge have partnered to open a worldwide search for ideas and projects that, when scaled-up, have the potential to transform the provision of sanitation and water. We hope you will join us. Between January 9 and March 16, 2008, we invite you to submit your proposals."To get folks thinking they have pulled together a good initial landscaping of the sector here:
http://changemakers.net/en-us/node/1828/mosaic
[If you want several hundred pages - several hundred GOOD pages - of landscaping, go here:
http://www.irc.nl/page/35947 ]
Ashoka is very good at identifying entrepreneurs tackling major social issues - read How to Change the World if you have time - or make the time - it's that inspiring. This competition will give water and sanitation entrepreneurs an opportunity to get an open source review from their peers and others. Winners get plenty of exposure. Then it's up to the growing funding community to support their efforts. And that funding community is growing.
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