This Monday in Chicago, ONE held a rally at The Field Museum’s Water Exhibit to celebrate the Paul Simon Water for the World Act. The event featured US Senator Richard Durbin, an original cosponsor of the Water for the World Act, and we were joined by many ONE members, local guests and partner organizations.

Before the event started, I caught up with Shayne Moore, a ONE member since inception. Shayne and I talked about the power of “Moms” in the world and the important role that women play both in ONE and in global development. Shayne even told me some of her work with partner groups and how as a mother of three, she felt strongly about supporting the life saving work of the Global Fund.

Sheila Nix, ONE’s executive director, opened up the event by talking about the lack of clean water in many parts of the developing world and just how crucial clean water is to global health issues. She went on to highlight the importance of the Water for the World Act and the potential it has to help usher in clean water to millions of lives around the world. Sheila also highlighted the prominent role that many of ONE’s partner groups play both on the ground in Africa, and in advocacy here in the US. Before she introduced Senator Durbin, she highlighted his efforts on the Water for the World Act, and his greater role in many other essential programs and for being one of the earliest and strongest backers of the Global Fund.

Senator Durbin then spoke about how ONE’s petition around Water for All put a growing bi-partisan force behind the legislation, saying that when it was first introduced, only a few other senators had signed on, but after ONE members across the country weighed in, alongside many other individuals and organizations, the list of co-sponsors is growing and Senator Durbin even noted Senator Isakson’s support from across the political aisle. Senator Durbin even singled out Water Advocates and noted Matt Damon’s special taped message to ONE members.

After the event, we took a quick tour of the water exhibit and after a few ONE members and guests were able to speak with Senator Durbin and thank him for his participation in the event, and for his actions in the Congress to help bring clean water to the world’s poorest people. I even had the chance to thank him for the chance meeting back in New Hampshire when I spotted him in a ONE shirt.

No matter where you live, clean water is one of the most crucial tenants to a healthy life. And no matter where you live in the US, your voice can help bring clean water to millions around the world when you take action with ONE.

-Matthew Bartlett

This week (August 17-23) is World Water Week. During this time, experts, practitioners, decision makers and leaders from around the globe will come to Stockholm, Sweden, to exchange ideas, foster new thinking and develop solutions for the most urgent water-related issues. While the experts are meeting in Stockholm, we want to use this opportunity to bring the issues they are discussing into homes across America. World Water Week presents a great opportunity to raise awareness and galvanize support for water and sanitation measures.

A few weeks ago, Global Water Challenge launched Water Warriors, a program to help ignite a worldwide movement that will make universal access to clean water and safe sanitation a reality. As grassroots leaders, they’ll be active in their local communities and online, raising awareness and funds in creative ways; encouraging Congress to increase funding for the issue; and helping turn other people into Water Warriors to build to a crescendo of support. Let us know what you’re doing—we’ll post it on our site and spread the word on the good work!

What is a Water Warrior?

wa•ter war•rior: a person who has committed to tackling the global water and sanitation crisis by going out into their community and:

1. Educating friends, family and neighbors about the magnitude of the problem and proven solutions.
2. Raising funds for simple, proven solutions, such as water filtration systems, soap and toilets.
3. Encouraging elected officials to increase water and sanitation funding.
4. Turning friends and family into Water Warriors to create a ripple effect.

Click here and here to find out ways that you can participate.

-Sweta Daga, Director of Communications for Global Water Challenge

“If you’re coming to help me, you’re wasting your time. But if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together.” Anonymous

Photo from Partners in Health

The size of Maryland. Nine million people. A history of political instability. Natural disasters. Health crises. A ravaged environment. Severe need for clean water and respectable sanitation. The poorest country in the Western hemisphere and one of the poorest in the world. Billions have been invested and yet the cycle of despair continues.

What hope can Haiti rest on?

As the United Nations Special Envoy to Haiti, President Bill Clinton has urged the thousands of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) working in Haiti to better coordinate to make a greater impact. One of President Clinton’s areas of focus is their water crisis, as safe water is a prerequisite for human life and the foundation of all human development efforts.

Haiti is water-stressed, meaning that less than one percent of its available water resources are in use. While the potential for groundwater exists in some of the coastal and mountainous areas, the challenge is accessing it. Even today, no Haitian city has a centralized sewage system and there are virtually no water treatment facilities for the general public. According to the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Program report, piped water coverage in urban areas is only 21 percent.

Water mafias have sprung up in several Haitian cities, creating an informal water vending market that takes advantage of citizens. This practice is common in places with no infrastructure, and often people pay five to 10 times more money for vended water than they would for piped water.

Despite these conditions, work continues with grant-based initiatives on the ground. We also continue to explore new financing and use-rating models that could bring even longer-term sustainability to the water sector in counties like Haiti.

In light of World Water Week this week, August 17-23, water.org encourages you to look to Haiti and ask what you can do now. Learn. Advocate. Research. Find and support your favorite NGO that is making a difference there. Donate your time and talents to spread the word. We are in this thing together as we share a common need for safe water and proper sanitation. We can ignore it, or we can take steps towards lasting change.

-Erin Swanson, Water.org

Recently, as we wrote about on the ONE blog, Senator Joe Lieberman signed on to become a cosponsor of the Water for the World Act (S.624) which so many ONE members across the US have enthusiastically supported and encouraged their senators to do the same.

In addition to signing on this important piece of legislation introduced by Senator Richard Durbin, Senator Lieberman has a special message for ONE members which I’ve included below. We’ll continue to keep you posted on mounting momentum and new developments for the Water for the World Act, which you can ask your senators to support here.

Below is the message from Senator Lieberman and a list of current Water for the World cosponsors. Thanks for all your hard work!

Ask your senator to sign on as a cosponsor for the bipartisan Water for the World Act, and don’t forget to share the petition with your friends.

And the list of 18 current cosponsors (2 more to go to reach our goal of 20!):

Sen. Richard Durbin (D-IL)
Sen. Bob Corker, Bob (R-TN)
Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA)
Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME)
Sen. Roland Burris (D-IL)
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH)
Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-GA)
Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA)
Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI)
Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH)
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI)
Sen. Byron Dorgan D-ND)
Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA)
Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-CT)
Sen. Kit Bond (R-MO)
Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT)
Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD)
Sen. Bernard Sanders (I-VT)

-Chris Scott

World Water Week 2009 kicks off in Stockholm today with an opening session from top water experts who will set the stage for a week focused on “Responding to Global Changes: Accessing Water for the Common Good.” This meeting, organized annually by the Stockholm International Water Institute, brings together experts, practitioners, and global leaders to share information and develop solutions for the most urgent water-related issues.

This year’s theme, “Accessing Water for the Common Good,” seeks to address the dual problems of the growing demand for water and its increasingly erratic availability. Participants have their work cut out for them: there are currently 884 million people living without access to clean water, and 2.5 billion living without access to adequate sanitation.

We hope to hear from partners that are attending on the week’s progress.

To learn more about this year’s program, check out the full list of sessions here.

-Rena Pacheco-Theard

Unsafe drinking water and inadequate sanitation are deadly forces undermining efforts to alleviate extreme poverty around the world. In June, we began a campaign to bring attention to the problem of shortages of clean water and proper sanitation amongst the world’s poorest people. We issued a petition asking senators to sign on as cosponsors to the Durbin-Corker Water for the World Act of 2009, with the goal of reaching 150,000 ONE member signatures and 20 cosponsors in order to move the bill along in the legislative process.

So far, we’ve had a strong response from our membership, with over 107,000 signatures. Our voices are definitely being heard. Since our last update, Senators Kit Bond (R-MO), Chris Dodd (D-CT), and Ben Cardin (D-MD) have all signed on, bringing the total to 17 cosponsors:

Sen. Richard Durbin (D-IL)
Sen. Bob Corker, Bob (R-TN)
Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA)
Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME)
Sen. Roland Burris (D-IL)
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH)
Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-GA)
Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA)
Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI)
Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH)
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI)
Sen. Byron Dorgan D-ND)
Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA)
Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-CT)
Sen. Kit Bond (R-MO)
Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT)
Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD)

We’re almost there! With 17 co-sponsors to date, we only need 3 more to reach our goal of 20 senators. In order to meet this goal, we will keep the petition open, hoping to get 150,000 signatures, so if you haven’t signed yet, you can sign it here. If you have signed it, please send the petition along to family and friends, and post it on your favorite social network site. This piece of legislation will be essential in the survival of millions of people, particularly women and children, and in the fight against extreme poverty. We need your continued support.

-Darren Nowels

John Sauer of Water Advocates yesterday filmed this short interview with Jae So, the manager of the Water and Sanitation Program with the World Bank. They filmed this iReport at a briefing at the Capitol Building called “Water is Medicine: Why Water and Sanitation Matter to Global Public Health.”

Check it out!

-Chris Scott

Global Water Challenge was one of the lead NGO’s at this year’s Bonnaroo, the largest music festival in the United States. Thousands of concertgoers stopped by our tent exhibit to learn about water and sanitation issues. In three days, 1,500 people signed a petition to support the human right to water as mandated by the United Nations and 600 people wrote personal, hand-written letters to their representatives to call for support on critical water issues.

It’s no joke that women and children around the world have to carry 40-pound jerrycans an average of 6km every day to get water – that may or may not even be clean. We drove the point home with our jerrycan races, which educated people about the burden in a fun, but effective way.

I was amazed to see how willing people were to help—once they realized the scale of the problem.
Many just said: We had no idea. But now that we know, how can we help, what can we do?

Inspired by the energy and passion we saw at Bonnaroo, GWC is launching a new grassroots team called Water Warriors. A wa•ter war•rior is: a person who has committed to tackling the global water and sanitation crisis by going out into their community and:

1. Educating friends, family and neighbors about the magnitude of the problem and proven solutions.
2. Raising funds for simple, proven solutions, such as water filtration systems, soap and toilets.
3. Encouraging elected officials to increase water and sanitation funding.
4. Turning friends and family into Water Warriors to create a ripple effect.

To celebrate, we are hosting a launch party on July 27th, in Washington D.C. If you can’t make it or don’t live in DC, we’re hosting a conference call on July 28th. If you’re interested in becoming a Water Warrior, or learning more, we’d love for you to join us! For more information click, go to: http://globalwaterchallenge.org/warriors/warriors-home.php.

-Sweta Daga, Director of Communications, Global Water Challenge

As part of his advocacy work on behalf of clean water and sanitation around the world, actor and advocate Matt Damon recently visited new water projects in India. While there, he took the opportunity to thank the more than 100,000 ONE members who signed our petition to senators asking them to cosponsor the Durbin-Corker Water for the World Act, and showed us an example of the kind of projects this bill will support. Senators Durbin (D-IL) and Corker (R-TN) have led the charge so these types of project can reach over 100 million people globally.

Check out the video:

Thanks in part to the efforts of ONE members and our partners, support for the Water for the World Act is growing in the Senate. Since we began our campaign in early June, 8 senators have signed on as cosponsors. And just since our last update, Senator Joseph Lieberman (I-CT) has signed on, bringing the total count to 14 cosponsors:

Sen. Richard Durbin (D-IL)
Sen. Bob Corker, Bob (R-TN)
Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA)
Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME)
Sen. Roland Burris (D-IL)
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH)
Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-GA)
Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA)
Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI)
Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH)
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI)
Sen. Byron Dorgan D-ND)
Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA)
Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-CT)

Our legislative experts estimate we need 20 cosponsors to get the bill a hearing and move it through the Senate, so we’re going to keep our campaign open in the hope of accumulating even more grassroots support — hoping to meet our goal of 150,000 petition signers — for the Water for the World Act. If you haven’t already, you can sign the petition here. And be sure to share it with your friends, here:

In addition to his thanks to ONE members, Matt Damon invites us all to check out the website of his new organization, water.org.

Water.org is a non-profit organization that has transformed hundreds of communities in Africa, South Asia, and Latin America by providing access to safe water and sanitation. Founded by Matt Damon and Gary White, water.org works with local partners to deliver innovative solutions for long-term success. Their microfinance-based WaterCredit Initiative is pioneering sustainable giving in the sector. You can learn more at water.org.

And thanks to everyone who took action on behalf of the Water for the World Act. Slowly but quite surely, our voices are making a difference.

-Emily Stivers

At the beginning of this month, the voices of over 100,000 ONE members from across the country echoed through the halls of the U.S. Senate. Your voices in support of the Durbin-Corker Water for the World Act made their way into every single Senate office. Since July 1, the day the petitions were delivered, four more members of the Senate have signaled their support and signed on as cosponsors of this important piece of legislation. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) cosponsored on July 6; Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Byron Dorgan (D-ND) cosponsored on July 8; and Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) just cosponsored on July 15. This puts on record a total of 13 senators supporting the bill.

We are leaving our Water for the World campaign open until the bill passes in the hope of reaching our goal of 150,000 signatures, so please sign if you haven’t already and share it with your friends. Meanwhile, we are continuing to work with our NGO partners and the U.S. Senate in moving this bipartisan legislation forward. Our goal still remains 20 senators on the record as cosponsors.

Every voice matters.

-Arjun Mody