International Day of Action Against Dams
and for Rivers, Water and Life
MARCH 14th, 2009
"A river, like a sunset, does not discriminate between
gender, ethnicity or class." Rivers provide freshwater and support life. A dam,
however, does discriminate, and creates winners and losers in the process. When
dams go up and a river's water is turned into a commodity, the losers include
those whose communities and farmlands are flooded, and the even greater number
impacted by the loss of their natural resources downstream. Because dams are so
costly and, in this changing climate, unreliable, those who ultimately pay for
the dam through their water or electricity bills are also on the losing end.
But every year, resistance to dams increases around the
globe. As alliances are made and individuals and organizations, lend their
support, dam-affected people have gained more power to stop dams and influence
decisions that affect their lives and livelihoods. The international anti-dam
movement is more than just a struggle for rivers; it is a step toward a larger
battle for more sustainable and just development practices, for transparency
and political accountability.
In
March 1997, representatives from organizations and communities around the world
gathered in Curitiba, Brazil, to participate in the
First International Meeting of People Affected by Dams. This gathering ended
with a pact to dedicate March 14 as an International Day of Action for Rivers,
to not only celebrate rivers and resist destructive river development, but to
inspire the growing movement and strengthen the global network in the struggle
against the dam industry's power-grab of the world's rivers. Since then, the
movement has expanded to include participants in over 50 countries and hundreds
of local groups. But our struggle is not yet over - indeed, more dams are being
promoted than ever before, as a misguided solution for addressing climate
change. As March 14th approaches, we at International Rivers invite you to join
us in celebrating the 12th annual International Day of Action Against Dams and
for Rivers, Water and Life.
As in previous years, International Rivers will serve
to unify the events of the day through our website, as well as hold our own
event in California. Past
events around the globe have included protests, celebrations, seminars and
conferences. For instance, last year, there was a canoe race in Belize, and in Bangladesh, a
riverside meeting and kite flying drew attention to the endangered Shitalakshya
of Narayangonj River near Dhaka. In India, over
twelve thousand dam affected people marched in protest.
Many communities have already started planning their events
for this year's International Day of Action for Rivers. We encourage you to do
the same and organize your own event. Please feel free to contact us. We are
here to help!
A FEW OF LAST YEAR’S ACTIONS
Brazil: Many
events and protests were organized to protest the politics of privatization. In
one of the more dramatic actions, women from Via Campesina blocked the rail
line of Companhia Vale do Rio Doce in Minas Gerais, in support of families
seeking compensation from the company for their being displaced for Aimorés
Dam.
South Africa: The
Green Network (GN) of Kwazulu-Natal, South
Africa held a conference to address issues
related to e. coli as the result of poor sanitation for riverside residents.
Attendees discussed how to put pressure on the municipal government to improve
water quality and delivery in the region.
Germany: German
activists took action against the controversial Ilisu Dam in Turkey, asking
the government to cancel its plans and instead, to develop a "truly
participatory sustainable development plan for the region." Also, a
"dam wall" was constructed as a visual protest.
Bangladesh: Sylhet
Poribesh Andolon (SYPA) organized a human chain at the bank of the Surma River in
protest of the Tipaimukh Dam. A similar human chain was formed at the Gollamari Bridge on the Moyur River.
El Savador: The National Movement Against Dams and Mining
blocked a national road to warn passersby about the detrimental impacts of the Cimarron and
Chaparral dams and of regional mining projects.
WHAT YOU CAN DO (AND HOW WE CAN HELP)!
Plan an Event
We are thrilled to hear about any prospective events. If you
are planning an event, please send us any information you have about your event
so we can send you resources, information and contacts we may have in order to
help you. Specifically, tell us about your event, including: (1) title, (2)
location, (3) date and time, (4) contact person, and (5) a brief description
(especially be sure to let us know if we should keep your event confidential).
We will then post this information, with your permission, on our website,
generate a master list and distribute it to others who are interested. Lastly,
once your event is over, we encourage you to send us feedback, pictures and
summaries of the event. You can email this information to dayofaction@internationalrivers.org.
Need Brochures?
We have a full color one-page brochure, as well as a fact
sheet on past Day of Action activities, available to you for inspiration and
assistance. These can be downloaded from our website and we encourage you to do
so if possible. However, if you need printed copies of any of our materials -
brochures, fact sheets, background information, and materials to help promote
your event - we will send them to you. Please let us know how many you will
need and include your address. You can also download the materials at http://internationalrivers.org/day-of-action.
Want
to attend an event?
Keep checking our website (http://internationalrivers.org/day-of-action) as the Day of
Action approaches to find events in your area. Be sure to contact us to
double-check information. And please help spread the word!
We look forward to hearing exciting news from you!
For the rivers,
International Rivers
1847 Berkeley Way
Berkeley, CA 94703 USA
Phone: +1.510.848.1155
Fax: +1.510.848.1008
E-mail: dayofaction@internationalrivers.org
Web: http://internationalrivers.org/day-of-action
