The line to get access to water was also a message to the Norwegian government that water in all of its forms is a common good and access to water is a fundamental human right.
“Water is not a commodity. For these reasons we should reject all forms of privatization. Management and control of water should be public, social, cooperative, participatory, equitable, and not for profit. It is the obligation of all local, national and international public institutions to guarantee these conditions from the planning stages through the delivery of water services”, – said the campaign activists.
Blue October is an international month of action to challenge corporate control of water and to protect water as a shared natural resource available to all.
21 NGOs organize extensive program for Blue October in Norway, including Health and Human Rights Info and FoodFirst Information and Action Network.
Petition against water privatization
In 2009, the Blue October campaigners invite everybody to sign a petition (on 13 October the latest) that asks the UN to do two things: to convene the next Global Water Forum, and to refrain from joining the World Water Council’s Board of Governors.
„Despite the World Water Council’s claim of being a multi-stakeholder platform, the Council is a body created and controlled by the global private water industry. According to the Council’s 2004-2005 Biennial Report, 41% of the Council’s membership is made up of the business industry, a significant proportion compared to professional and academic institutions (27%), governments (17%), civil society (10%) and intergovernmental organizations (5%)“, – the petition states.
The initiators claim that „water is a shared global commons. Crucial decisions about its management and governance should be made by a legitimate representation of global civil society. The World Water Council is not a credible convener of an objective discussion on world water policy. The UN should not legitimate the World Water Council by joining its Board of Governors. Instead, it should convene the next Global Water Forum”.
This petition also rejects the privatization and commoditization of water and reaffirms that water is a commons; “all human beings and the entire natural world should be able enjoy rights to this life-giving resource”, campaigners say.
According to the Blue October website, today, one in 6 people lack access to safe, affordable water, and 2 in 5 lack access to adequate sanitation.
