World Water Day 2010 from water.org on Vimeo.
On World Water Day, March 22, events in the US, India, and around the world kicked off to celebrate clean water. Watch the above one-minute video of the celebration in India.
oneWEEKforWATER
More than 200 million people have gained access to safe water over the past 10 years. To celebrate this progress and to call for continued action, Water.org partnered with the ONE Campaign to launch oneWEEKforWATER.org. Between March 22 and March 26, 14,648 people donated their Twitter or Facebook status to join the celebration and raise awareness of this most critical issue.
Events in India
More than 21,000 women gathered to celebrate World Water Day on March 22 in Kolakkudipatti village, India. People from hundreds of villages and slums joined elected officials, international organizations, and community leaders to recognize the importance of water, sanitation and hygiene. They gathered to celebrate the improvements made in their villages and rally support for future efforts. The event was organized by Water.org’s local partner, Gramalaya, and sponsored by Water.org and PepsiCo Foundation.
Events in Washington, D.C.
A collaborative of US-based organizations, including Water.org, joined together this World Water Day to raise awareness and call for stronger commitments from governments, the private sector, and US citizens for water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) initiatives in low-income countries. Events took place on March 22 and 23 in Washington, D.C. (Full details at: www.waterday.org.)
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton headlined the kickoff event at National Geographic on March 22 to spotlight America’s expanding commitments to help the people around the world who lack access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation. A few of the other speakers included Water.org’s Gary White, Executive Director and Co-Founder, Water.org; Gil Grosvenor, Chairman, National Geographic Society; and the musician Kenna. Watch speeches by Clinton, White, and others at the event, and read news coverage.
On March 22, a series of advocacy events took place on Capitol Hill, including “the world’s longest toilet queue” demonstration. Actress Mandy Moore and Alexandra Cousteau, granddaughter of French explorer Jacques-Yves Cousteau, joined Water.org, students, and many others in the demonstration. (See picture.)
About World Water Day
March 22 was first deemed World Water Day in 1993 by the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) as an international day of observance and action to draw attention to the role that freshwater plays in our world and lives. Today’s reality is that one in eight people in the world don’t have access to safe water, millions of women and children must still spend several hours a day collecting water from distant, often polluted sources, and 2.5 billion people live without a toilet.
