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Barlow, former UN water advisor, states:
"Last week, the UN General Assembly declared that everyone, everywhere, has the right to water. But now the world witnesses one of Africa's most prosperous countries denying its first inhabitants the right to sink a well, while promoting mining and safari camps just a few miles away."
Join the protest against the Bushmen's cruel treatment, write a letter to the Botswana government. Survival International (GB, RLA 1989) has prepared one. You find it here.
The UN General Assembly has declared for the first time that water and sanitation is a fundamental human right. 122 countries supported the resolution, while over forty countries abstained from voting, including the United States, Canada and several European and other industrialized countries.
Amy Goodman interviewed Maude Barlow on the significance of this declaration that has taken her and fellow activists years and years to get to the UN.
A court ruling denies Botswana's bushmen access to a water well in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve.
The struggle for water has been going on for eight years and has been part of an eviction campaign, which was declared illegal by the Botswana High Court in 2006.
In 2005, Roy Sesana and his organisation First People of the Kalahari received a Right Livelihood Award.
An historic vote is coming up at the UN on July 28: the right to water as a basic universal human right.
A draft, initiated by Bolivia, which recognises "the human right to water and sanitation," will be presented to the UN General Assembly at the end of July.
Opposition to the proposal is coming mostly from Western nations, says Maude Barlow (Canada, RLA 2005).
"Poetry is the house of the soul" - The Poetry Festival of Medellín (Colombia, RLA 2006) will celebrate its 20th Anniversary from July 8–17!
Celebrate together with about 100 international poets and discover for yourself: "Poetry is a song that humanizes the conscience of all"!
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