Starting this fall, a Steering Committee was formed (and is open to more participants now) and has begun meeting every two weeks to narrow down the shape and content for two days of events to draw attention to the need for effective global WASH intervention. While the title is “World Water Day,” it is actually a week of technical and policy discussions, public events, and community outreach around the world. This year as in previous years, organizations will be hosting events in Europe, Asia, Africa, Latin America, and North America.

The national organizations based in Washington DC are concentrating on the programs to be held in that city, but advocates in other cities can create their own local observances. One thing they all should encourage is for advocates to reach out to their members of Congress, whether through face-to face meetings in their home districts or by joining us in Washington for Advocacy Day on March 22.

In Washington, the two days will feature these major events, with a great many details to be developed over the next several weeks (January and February):

Wednesday, March 21: A set of learning sessions (topics and team leaders being considered now), in the morning and early afternoon, and a large public event with high-level Administration figures and others, most likely at a downtown venue that evening.

Thursday, March 22: Advocacy Day, starting with a 10:00 AM participant briefing on Capitol Hill, a 12 noon luncheon for participants to meet with their visit teams, followed by a full afternoon of office visits in the House and Senate, and a wrap-up event and reception at day’s end. This year, the House and Senate are scheduled to be in session that day, so while meetings with key staffers are expected (and extremely important), there is a good chance that many participants will meet face-to-face with their Members of Congress as well.

The main ways your organization can help are as follows:

Cash contributions: Most of our WWD activities are very low- or no-cost, but we still have to pay for some things, and those financial commitments, of whatever size, should be considered now. Contact akolodzinski@washintiative.org for information on how to do this. However, to be sponsoring organization, one need not make a cash contribution – your involvement in the planning is just as important, and the Steering Committee welcomes all organizations with an interest in WASH to join us at the table.

Staff time in planning, starting in January, in these areas:
• communications/media,
• Congressional relations,
• overall logistical planning,
• grassroots outreach,
• Website assistance.

Basically, we have to provide web content, field public inquires, push out materials to allied organizations around the country, coordinate Hill visits, coordinate work with USAID and others for the major events, coordinate panels, draft concepts for panels, and if you can, instigate some WWD actions locally, where you have offices/grassroots.

The website, waterday.org, will be the main conduit for information of these events. Right now, although the site address is live, no 2012 content has yet been posted, but that will change soon. This site will provide information on all events, how to register, and how to arrange to meet directly with Congressional offices if you join us for Advocacy Day. All participating organizations will be asked to include this logo on their own websites and link to the main World Water Day (Washington DC) site:

Nearly 900 million people around the world don’t have clean drinking water and 2.6 billion lack access to improved sanitation. The absence of these resources poses a significant challenge for development and security around the world, reinforcing a cycle of poverty and instability that represents both a humanitarian disaster and a national security threat.

“We can improve access to clean water by improving leadership and accountability,” said Blumenauer. “We don’t have to spend millions searching for a cure, because something as simple as teaching the value of washing hands or providing access to basic technology we already have is all it takes to save millions of lives. Without asking for any increase in funding, the Water for the World Act puts in place a new set of priorities for our foreign assistance programs that will make them more effective at delivering the help that many so desperately need.”

“Water is key to just about every kind of development,” said Poe. “If we don’t get water right, it doesn’t matter how many schools we build or vaccines we pass out- we might as well throw our money down the drain. This bill is about using taxpayer dollars more effectively by making water a priority in any development discussion- like it should be.”

Children are most vulnerable to water-related diseases: 90% of all deaths caused by diarrheal diseases are among children under 5 years of age, mostly in developing countries. In all, 1.8 million children under the age of 5 die every year, more than from AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria combined. The economic impacts are devastating: in India alone, inadequate sanitation costs $53.8 billion every year, or 6.4 percent of the country’s GDP.

This legislation drives our development assistance programs to provide a greater, more effective role in providing access to clean water and sanitation. Building upon the success of the 2005 Water for the Poor Act, this bill enhances the capacity of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the State Department to play a greater, more effective role in development assistance as well as mitigate cross-border conflict. The bill:

• Elevates the existing position of the Global Water Coordinator within USAID to integrate and implement water strategies, and deliver aid more effectively;

• Elevates the existing position of the Special Advisor for Water Resources within the State Department to coordinate the diplomatic policy of the U.S. with respect to global freshwater issues;

• Increases the sustainability of water, sanitation and hygiene projects to ensure that our investments continue to provide benefits over the long-term;

• Increases country-ownership of water, sanitation and hygiene projects to ensure that our foreign assistance dollars meet the needs of poor local communities, rather than officials in Washington; and

• Increase transparency of aid and creating monitoring and evaluation standards that focus on impact to ensure USAID and the State Department can identify and utilize best-practices.