Activist Alert, Rally For Local Ownership of Water Lexington Ky

[alfredo]

If you live in the Lexington Ky or a nearby community, please join us on November 8th at 5PM on the corner of North Limestone and Main for a rally in support of local ownership of water.

We have been fighting against the corporate giant RWE, over conntrol of our most precious resource, or basic right to own what nature has given us.

We were supposed to vote on this issue on November 8, but RWE and 4 pro business supreme court justices stopped the election. They then turned around and accused us of trying to suppress the vote.

Help us, stand up with us. Your community could be next. So please come to Lexington Ky on November 8 and stand with us.

Thank you.

[mia]

1. Very Important! Welcome to the 3rd World, America.

I wish I could be there, but live in South FL.

I hope some of the information below helps.



Vendana Shiva is an international activist and expert on corpoate control of water. She was in Miami in late 1991 and I saw her at an environmental conference. She wrote a book called "Water Wars" more recently.

Here's an exerpt {in her words) of what happened in Bolivia:


Bechtel in Bolivia

The most famous tale of Bechtel's corporate greed over water is the story of Cochabamba, Bolivia. In the semi-desert region, water is scarce and precious. In 1999, the World Bank recommended privatisation of Cochabamba's municipal water supply company (SEMAPA) through a concession to International water, a subsidiary of Bechtel. On October 1999, the Drinking Water and Sanitation Law was passed, ending government subsidies and allowing privatization.

In a city where the minimum wage is less than $100] a month water bills reached $20 a month, nearly the cost of feeding a family of five for two weeks. In January 2000, a citizen's alliance called "La Coordinara" de Defense del Aqua y de la Vida (The Coalition in Defense of Water and Life) was formed and it shut down the city for 4 days through mass mobilisation. Between Jan and Feb 2000, millions of Bolivians marched to Cochabamba, had a general strike and stopped all transportation].

The government promised to reverse the price hike but never did. In February 2000, La Coordinara organised a peaceful march demanding the repeal of the Drinking Water and Sanitation Law, the annulment of ordinances allowing privatization, the termination of the water contract, and the participation of citizens in drafting a water resource law. The citizens' demands, which drove a stake at corporate interests, were violently repressed. Coordinora's fundamental critique was directed at the negation of water as a community property. Protesters used slogans like "Water is God's gift and not a merchandise" and "Water is life".

In April, 2000 the government tried to silence the water protests through market law. Activists were arrested, protestors were killed, and media was censored. Finally on April 10, 2000, the people won. Aquas del Tunari and Bechtel left Bolivia. The government was forced to revoke its hated water privatisation legislation. The water company Servico Municipal del Aqua Potable y Alcantarillado (SEMAPO) was handed over to the workers and the people, along with the debts. In summer 2000, La Coordinadora organised public hearings to establish democratic planning and management. The people have taken on the challenge to establish a water democracy, but the water dictators are trying their best to subvert the process. Bechtel is suing Bolivians and the Bolivian government, is harassing and threatening activists of La Coordinadora.

http://www.zmag.org/sustainers/content/2003-05/12shiva.cfm



Here's a PBS interview with Bill Moyers:

http://www.pbs.org/now/transcript/transcript_shiva.html

[alfredo]

2. thanks for the links and words of support.

I had just gotten back from leafleting when I posted this. The support for our efforts is strong. Very few people were for RWE.

A few weeks ago, Maude Barlow came here to speak at our meeting. RWE thugs showed up and tried to block access to the meeting. They came in the meeting and filmed the meeting. They were very obtrusive with the camera, shoving in our faces, and eavesdropping on our conversations. They have done the same at other public meetings. It sure has scared off water company employees who are sympathetic to our cause.

Their attempts at intimidation only made us made and has strengthened our resolve.

We will win because we tell truth to power.

[alfredo]

3. Just in: RWE is seeling off Kentucky American.

It is not clear if they will allow us to buy our water.