Welcome

Compañeros y compañeras:

In the year 2000, the population of Cochabamba – convened by the Committee in Defense of Water and Life – wrote a very important chapter in history on the path of the search for greater liberty, justice, and dignity for ALL, in harmony with Mother Earth. The Water War placed Cochabamba in a privileged position on the map of struggles against globalization. The Coordinadora knew to send a clear and widespread call to the impoverished population and, as well, to the middle social layers.

All were bravely engaged in the resistance to the commercialization of water (expressed in the law that was designed to promote the concession of water to private enterprises), confronting the dark and humiliating process of the privatization of water and sewer services. The dignity of all the people was run over when the government of Bolivia subscribed to a contract that knew nothing of the human right of access to water, turning life itself into merchandise. “Water belongs to everyone and water belongs to no one, is a common good, a generous gift from La Pachamama.”

In April of 2000 the men and women of Cochabamba, organized into massive town hall meetings, neighborhood gatherings, and popular assemblies, recovered the right to decide upon the destiny of collective goods such as water. During many days we were participants in a new way of practicing democracy, based upon the collective formation of public opinion, in the expansion of the structures of participation, in mutual confidence and the remembrance that at play within solidarity with the other is our own individual well-being. The virtue of this collective action was to show that history does not have a fatal destiny based upon privatization, social depoliticization, and resignation.

This consciousness put into march the search for and the construction of new models of management of water that – in accordance with the ideas and practices defended in the year 2000 – shall be equitable, transparent, with social control and high levels of participation.

Now, it is 10 years since the Water War and we want to invite you to be part of a series of events to commemorate these occurrences, to share the organizing experiences, of management, technologies, wisdom and information, and strengthen us all at the local, regional, national, and international level as movements in defense of water – A call to retake the actions that still must be completed in order to cross the section in the road still unfinished: to affirm the right of water against all forms of privatization, rooting us deeply in the ancient human responsibility towards water.

On behalf of the assembly of social organizers of this gathering,

Oscar Olivera F. Abraham Grandydier F.

Coordinadora del Agua ASICA-SUR