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Water Is A Right Not Priviledge
About this event: 4th World Youth Congress - Quebec City 2008
Related to country: Liberia

Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

Dear All,

Let us go straight to the point. Reduce by half the proportion of people with out access to safe drinking water. That is Goal 7 Target 10 of the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Lack of access to clean water is a major problem that is causing diseases , sicknesses, and Death in post conflict Countries. Developing Countries are losing more than 50,000 a day due to Water related diseases.

The Right to Water is implicit in the right to Food and Health. This Right Should not be taken away by any government or International Financial Institutions . In Protecting this right governments and the international community must ensure that Water facilities /services be accessible to everyone regardless of their status or location. State must never interfere directly or indirectly with the enjoyment of the Right to Water.

In Africa were weaker governments especially those that heavily indebted surrender the Right To Water through Privatization initiative. Water Privatization are conditions used by World Bank and IMF in order for poor countries to get Debt Relief or Loan.

In Liberia only 4.1% of the rural household has access to safe drinking water. In rural Liberia women and girls are responsible to get water . Women and Girls continue to walked hours searching for clean water. Hundreds of these women and girls are attacked and rap while in search of Water. Majority of them refused to report these rap cases while other live in silent pain among their rapist. Let us look at the Home of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, which is Bomi County .

A private Company is producing Safe Drinking Water in Bomi County. Safe Water that is produced by this private company in Bomi County are not for the citizen of Bomi . Majority of the Citizen and ordinary people in Bomi are locked up in Chronic Poverty making it clear that they can not afford the cost of the Water that is Produced in their County.

Clean Water that is produced by private companies in Liberia are for the handful of Elite. The proliferation of private water company in Liberia have prevented millions of Liberian from enjoying the Right to Water. With nearly 80% of the Liberia population living in poverty water born diseases remain Pervasive in poverty stricken Communities.

Excluded and Marginalized Groups in Liberia can not afford the high cost of clean water that is been push down the on helpless Liberian causing them to turned to unsanitary sources to fulfill their needs leading to water born diseases.


Our Government claimed to represent the interest of the People . According to LWSC each o f the 15 counties with the exception of Montserrado will need just a little of 2 Millions to revamp Water Facilities/Services in these Counties. I was shocked to note that LWSC received less than one Million in the proposed Draft Budget. This is a SLAP in the FACE of the Millennium Development Goals(MDGs). A government that came from the belly of the United Nations should give priorities to Key MDGs Sectors in the Draft Budget.

Access to clean Water will achieve goal 123456 and 7 of the MDGs.

We must reject Privatization when it is proposed and ensure that Water remain accessible and safe for ALL MEMBER OF SOCIETY.


Zolu Gobah
+2316539342

July 28, 2008 | 10:58 PM Comments  3 comments

Tags:


WATER IS A RIGHT NOT A PRIVILEDGE
About this event: 4th World Youth Congress - Quebec City 2008

Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

Dear All,

Let us go straight to the point. Reduce by half the proportion of people with out access to safe drinking water. That is Goal 7 Target 10 of the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Lack of access to clean water is a major problem that is causing diseases , sicknesses, and Death in post conflict Countries. Developing Countries are losing more than 50,000 a day due to Water related diseases.

The Right to Water is implicit in the right to Food and Health. This Right Should not be taken away by any government or International Financial Institutions . In Protecting this right governments and the international community must ensure that Water facilities /services be accessible to everyone regardless of their status or location. State must never interfere directly or indirectly with the enjoyment of the Right to Water.

In Africa were weaker governments especially those that heavily indebted surrender the Right To Water through Privatization initiative. Water Privatization are conditions used by World Bank and IMF in order for poor countries to get Debt Relief or Loan.

In Liberia only 4.1% of the rural household has access to safe drinking water. In rural Liberia women and girls are responsible to get water . Women and Girls continue to walked hours searching for clean water. Hundreds of these women and girls are attacked and rap while in search of Water. Majority of them refused to report these rap cases while other live in silent pain among their rapist. Let us look at the Home of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, which is Bomi County .

A private Company is producing Safe Drinking Water in Bomi County. Safe Water that is produced by this private company in Bomi County are not for the citizen of Bomi . Majority of the Citizen and ordinary people in Bomi are locked up in Chronic Poverty making it clear that they can not afford the cost of the Water that is Produced in their County.

Clean Water that is produced by private companies in Liberia are for the handful of Elite. The proliferation of private water company in Liberia have prevented millions of Liberian from enjoying the Right to Water. With nearly 80% of the Liberia population living in poverty water born diseases remain Pervasive in poverty stricken Communities.

Excluded and Marginalized Groups in Liberia can not afford the high cost of clean water that is been push down the on helpless Liberian causing them to turned to unsanitary sources to fulfill their needs leading to water born diseases.


Our Government claimed to represent the interest of the People . According to LWSC each o f the 15 counties with the exception of Montserrado will need just a little of 2 Millions to revamp Water Facilities/Services in these Counties. I was shocked to note that LWSC received less than one Million in the proposed Draft Budget. This is a SLAP in the FACE of the Millennium Development Goals(MDGs). A government that came from the belly of the United Nations should give priorities to Key MDGs Sectors in the Draft Budget.

Access to clean Water will achieve goal 123456 and 7 of the MDGs.

We must reject Privatization when it is proposed and ensure that Water remain accessible and safe for ALL MEMBER OF SOCIETY.


Zolu Gobah
+2316539342

July 28, 2008 | 10:41 AM Comments  1 comments

Tags:


Hello From Liberia
About this event: 4th World Youth Congress - Quebec City 2008

Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

Hi All,

This is Zolu Gobah From Liberia. I am a Youth Activist and a former Delegate to the 3rd World Youth Congress that was held in Scotland United Kingdo. I also serve as member of the Thimun Youth Network Delegation to the UN World Summit On Information and Society that was held in Geneva , Switzerland.

With the knowledge gained from the 3rd World Youth Congress that was held Scoutland , We were able to expand our activities in liberia on the MDGs. Today in Liberia , I am serving as coordinator for the Millennium Campaign(www.millenniumcampaign.org).
we are engaging policy makers on the proposal budget, lobbying to ensure that our budget reflect the achievement of the MDGs.

As a former Delegate I did not receive travel support for the organizers of the 4th World Youth Congress but was able to lobby to with relevant stake holder and other organizations in liberia to get my round trip ticket to Canada.

As experienced as shown me , Please we need to ensure that there are logistice from the organizers of 4th World youth congress in promoting the policy document that will be signed by more than 400 activists.

I remembered , during my returned from scoutland. I walked hours to institutions offices giving the policy to them.

Thing were very difficult for me to reach all policy makers about the Policy document from UK.

I hope this will not be the same.

King Zolu