Water is essential in the process of societies building. We teach our children that water is life but we forget to put it into daily practice. Danielle Mitterrand understood the importance to give an access to water in order for everyone to live with dignity. That is why she decided to fight to make water considered as a common. The water’s sharing must be the norm and the water’s private sellers have to hand over to the public service.
This starting point involved the Foundation in many fights. In July 2010 the United Nations decided to recognize the right for everyone to have a water access and a sewerage system. However there is a big difference between a UN resolution and the real establishment of this resolution. That is why the Foundation is working to really implement this resolution in France and worldwide.
Different kinds of actions were used. The launch of the water public service’s transparency operation explained the reality of this service through the study of the price, the quality and the water networks. In 2012 we organized the first meeting “Water, Planet and Peoples” in order to build a shared vision of water as a common with various organizations worldwide. We also want France to pass a law to guarantee the right to water for everyone. If we want to ask to every States to guarantee this right, we have to start by our own State.
All these actions made us alerted to illegal water cuts in France. After the theoretical struggle to make water a common, the Foundation decided to be involved alongside the poorest people to make them able to live with dignity. This concrete action clearly made the right to water moving forward.
The diversity of actions shows how central water is in our life and in our societies and why this is crucial to give it back its status of common of humanity. Even with the opposition of the economic system, the idea of sharing water for all is making its way.
Building on these successes, France Libertés is charting its way with its partners so that tomorrow water will regain its obvious place as a common for humanity.
