Life is awhole. Increasingly,

we realize that every-thing is interconnected,

including those forces that“destroy the circle.” In this

issue of Perspectives, we focus onlinks — ways in which marginalizedpeoples are particularly affected bythe structures of the global economyand environmental degradation. Andwe address solutions — from globalefforts like the MillenniumDevelopment Goals to local, grassrootsactions aimed at social change. Webegin by exploring how women andgirls, especially those in the develop-ing world, are especially touched bygrowing water scarcity and insecurity.

WATER: WOMEN’S WORK,WOMEN’SWORRYby Mary Turgi, CSC

The right to water . . . is the veryessence of the right to life

— U.N. Special Rapporteur on the Right to Water

Water degradation and scarcityincreasingly affect everyone.

& Nearly one out of every five peo-ple on Earth lacks access topotable water.

& Over 40 percent of the world’speople lack adequate sanitationservices.

& By 2025, roughly two-thirds ofthe world’s population will expe-rience moderate to severe waterstress.

Water shortages hit the poor andmost vulnerable first and obviouslytouch both men and women. Butwomen have unique connections towater; whenever water is scarce orunsafe, women are affected different-ly and usually more severely.

Walking to the moonWomen conduct 80 percent of

water-related work in the world. Inmost societies, women and girls stillcollect every liter of water used forcooking, bathing, cleaning, maintain-ing health and hygiene, raising smallanimals and growing food. Mostwalk great distances in search ofclean water, burdened with heavycontainers.

On average, in developing soci-eties, women and girls spend eight ormore hours per day fetching water,traveling 10 to 15 kilometers, carrying

continued on page 12 WWW

)PERSPECTIVES IN THIS ISSUE: Reaping the Rains (p. 2) & DefendingAncestral Lands: Khasis, Garos and Holy Cross Resist Eco-Parks (p. 4) & ColégioStudents “See-Judge-Act” (p. 6) & The Millennium Development Goals: A GlobalCompact to End Poverty (p. 8) & CECOIA: “Social Education” for At-Risk Youth (p. 10)& Crossing Borders (p. 11) & What Can We Do? (p. 14) & Resources (p. 14)

Life is a whole, it is a circle. That which destroys the circleshould be stopped. That which maintains the circle should bestrengthened and nurtured.

— Julekha Begum, Bangladeshi peasant woman

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Many women’s groups have takenthe lead in initiating ecologicallyfriendly projects to ensure potablewater supplies. Sisters of the HolyCross in Ghana have begun arainwater-harvesting project to makeclean water more accessible andprovide a model for others in thearea. Sister Helene Sharp, one ofthe initiators, describes the projectin the following interview.

REAPING THE RAINSAn interview with Helene Sharp, CSC

Perspectives: What prompted you to thinkabout doing a water collection project?

Helene: Water in Ghana is a real challenge! In some locations, potable water is not accessiblenaturally and people have to rely on water tankersfor their supply. When the rainy season comes, it’snearly impossible for tankers to get through muddyroads. Once they get stuck, they’re reluctant toservice the area. This happens to us in here in Kasoa.

As we were preparing to build at NyameN’Adom, we realized that getting water therewould be even more difficult. Driving distances fortankers would be greater and the roads were poor.We also knew that connecting to piped waterwouldn’t be possible for some time. All of thisprompted us to look for natural alternatives.

P: What gave you the idea of doing rainwaterharvesting — and how did you get started?

H: As we spent time on our new property andsaw how rain was eroding the soil, we began talk-ing about how we could conserve water and stopthe erosion. Through a Rotary Club contact in theUnited States, a hydrology professor from theUniversity of Nevada and two Notre Dame studentscame to Ghana to help us decide what to do. Aftersurveying the land, testing soil and water samples,researching both geologic and meteorological sta-tistics for our area, they suggested rainwater har-vesting and designed a system that would work forus. Based on the average rainfalls of the last 10years, we should be able to harvest about 190,000gallons of water annually!

We hope that this project will serve as a model for neighbors. drilled wells in the area and despite the danger of disease, people still use water frw i l l d emons t r a t e t ha t t h e r e a r e o t he r op t i on s .

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P: How will the system work?

H: Rainwater will be harvested from the roof of our convent. After filtering through a pipe system, it will flow into a large undergroundtank for storage. Eventually, it will be pumped up to an overhead tank so it can flow naturally into the house. We are investigating both windand solar power — both of which are abundant — for pumping.

There will also be a second tank for overflowduring the rainy season so we can save as much as possible. After settling, that water will bepumped into the overhead tank too.

P: How will you and others benefit when the system is up and running?

H: One obvious benefit for us will be buying fewer tankers of water! However, there are others too. First of all, we hope that this project will serve as a model for neighbors. There are no successful drilled wells in the area and despite the danger of disease, people still use water from two nearby ponds.

This project will demonstrate that there are other options.

The additional water will also help with our erosion reduction projects. The practice of sand winning in Ghana has led to extensiveland degradation. To curb further erosion on our property, we’ve begun planting fruit trees on one section of the land. This is a very labor-intensive project since every tree and plant has to be hand watered. We’ve purchased a poly-tank and I am currently working on a drip irrigation system that will help, once we have sufficient water.

We also have a small farm with hot peppers,corn, plantain and other vegetables. These plants help anchor the soil too. If we can get the water systems going and care for the soil well, the land will produce good crops — provingthat farming is still a very viable alternative in this part of Ghana.

Helene Sharp, a Sister of the Holy Cross, served as aneducator and pastoralassociate in the UnitedStates until 1998 whenshe was missioned toGhana. Currently sheteaches at the HolyCross Family Centerand Institute forContinuing Formationand is project managerfor the new construc-tion at Nyame N’Adomnear Kasoa.

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s a model for neighbors. There are no successfule, people still use water from two nearby ponds. This project.

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We are the children of the forest.We were born here and grew uphere. We have been living here forhundreds of years. . . . We will notleave this forest. We cannot surviveif we are evicted from the forest inthe name of this Eco-Park.

— Anil Young Eyung, Khasi Headman

DEFENDING ANCESTRAL LANDS:KHASIS, GAROS AND HOLY CROSSRESIST ECO-PARKSby Minoti Rozario, CSC

Eco-parks on indigenous lands are a “hotissue” in Bangladesh. Allegedly recreational areasthat protect biodiversity and natural habitats andpromote conservation, Bangladesh eco-parks arevery controversial because of their impact on thelives of tribal peoples.

The Bangladesh government has plans toestablish eco-parks in several areas, including theMuraichara and Madhabkundo areas of MoulviBazar District where Khasi and Garo peoples live.In 2000, even after strong tribal resistance, thegovernment established an eco-park in theMadhabkundo punjee (village) area. Now everyday, 50 tribal families have to contend with loss ofprivacy and disruption of their way of life. Touristslitter the land and pollute the waterfalls with plas-tic bottles and bags and pick the pan leaves fortheir own use, destroying the tribal gardens.Picnickers with loudspeakers disrupt the quiet ofthe forest. The constant incursion of outsiders pre-vents tribals from using the waterfalls for bathing,washing clothes, and other household purposes.And with no guides in the park, the tourists them-selves are unsafe. Many accidents, even deaths,have occurred on the waterfalls.

In spite of these problems, the Ministry of Environment and Forests began working onanother eco-park in nearby Muraichara in April2001. Due to intense resistance, development was suspended in November 2001, but has yet to be cancelled. The indigenous peoples live withterrible insecurity, not knowing if or when thegovernment might resume the project. They are in constant fear of being evicted from their ances-tral lands.

The Khasis and Garos make their living bycultivating betel nuts and pan leaves as well asvaluable, seasonable fruits. They especiallydepend on large trees that support the pan leafvines. In the Muraichara area, even without the eco-park intrusion, people’s livelihood isendangered by tree thieves. According to theBangladesh Indigenous Peoples Forum (BIPF),when indigenous complain to the police and other local authorities, they are ignored or theirrights otherwise denied.

Throughout Bangladesh, government eco-park plans are being resisted. The BIPF and otherindigenous organizations, university professors and students, clergy, journalists, politicians, and

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cultural activists, are all protesting eco-parks byrallies, press conferences, hunger strikes and fasts,marches and prayer services. Brothers, priests,and sisters of the Holy Cross Congregations arealso involved — educating and animating the peo-ple, developing leadership and providing support.

At one eco-park protest, two other Sisters of the Holy Cross and I stood chanting with thepeople, “Stop the Eco-Park on Khasi and Garoancestral land!”

A Khasi woman asked me, “Sister, why do you come with us?” (I am a Bengali). “You may die in this rally.” I answered her, “We loveyou and we know you are protesting for your own land.”

Some indigenous peoples in Bangladesh arenot opposed to the notion of eco-parks in princi-ple. What they protest is giving up their ownancestral lands for the parks when other land isreadily available. Currently, the government hasthousands of acres of reserve forestland in the hillsof Patharia and Longla next to the Khasi-Garolands where the eco-park is planned.

So why pursue Khasi-Garo forestlands? Astatement of the Bangladesh Landless Associationraises deeper questions about the rationale foreco-parks and the connections between true envi-ronmental protection and human rights.

The real objectives of the misnamed ‘eco-parks’ are to evict minority ethnic groups— which goes hand in hand with environ-mental destruction. . . . The latest policyof establishing ‘eco-parks’ flies in the faceof the most basic tenets of human rights,ecological protection, and sustainabledevelopment. . . . The already marginal-ized inhabitants of the land earmarked for‘development’ and ‘preservation’ will bearthe cost of this pointless exercise. . . . Thefight to save the forests is also the fight forthe rights of the minority inhabitants.

Minoti Rozario, a Sister of theHoly Cross, has worked withtribal peoples and Bengaliwomen in cooperatives inJalchatra parish. Afterreceiving an MA in philoso-phy in 1999, she served asaspirant director for fiveyears while administering/supervising schools inKulaura. Currently, she is alecturer at Holy CrossCollege in Dhaka.

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On the outskirts of the city ofSão Paulo, Brazil, sits SaintJohn the Baptist parish. Thepopulation of this area hasgrown exponentially over thelast decade and there arelarge sections of the parishwhere only precariousshelters house the poor.

COLÉGIO STUDENTS “SEE-

JUDGE-ACT”

by Catherine O’Brien, CSC and Diane Cundiff, CSC

Sister Anne Veronica Horner Hoe, vice principalof Colégio Santa Maria, has been active in theparish for years, training and animating lay minis-ters and involving Colégio students in tutoring andrecreational programs for neighborhood children.Recently she formed a team of Colégio teachers andstudents to investigate environmental conditions inthe area. Together, they interviewed families livingon the banks of a narrow stream flowing throughthe area to determine its impact on people’s lives.

Here are a few examples of what the teamheard — a sampling of how polluted water systemsaffect the lives of the urban poor.

“This stream is little more than an open sewer carrying trashand garbage. There isno sewage system outhere or any kind ofwaste removal. Thisis what we must use,but we know it ispolluted and unhealthyfor our children.”

“There are frequentheavy rains and thestream constantlyoverflows. A lot ofdebris blocks the flowand our house andland are often flooded.Conditions are worsethen. I know of manypeople who are illbecause of the ratsthat infest the areaafter the rain.”

“We know of manycases of people whohave suffered fromsevere diarrhea orvomiting. Wesuspect that thesesymptoms arecaused by thedrinking water.”

“My son and otherchildren in the areahave skin rashes thatare alike. The doctorsays the rashes arecaused by the water.And children oftencomplain of stomachpain. We think it’sbecause of parasites inthe water they drink.”

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But the Colégio team was not interested in sim-ply gathering information. After taking samples ofthe stream for chemical analysis, they engaged thecommunity. First they held meetings to shareresults of the chemical tests and promote the healthbenefits of cleaning the stream. Next they helpedresidents make and post signs reminding everyonenot to throw trash in the water. Then the teamcontacted the district mayor to call attention tocommunity efforts and request help from city servic-es. In June 2005, the district mayor and sanitationand public health officials and employees came tothe area to drag the stream and collect trash itemstoo large for ordinary pickup. Vegetation along thestream was cut, rat traps set and the entire areasprayed for dengue mosquitoes, all of which wascarried by local television stations and newspapers.

The immediate result was a cleaner, healthierenvironment for people living in the slum. But theproject’s impact went beyond this. Residentslearned they are not powerless — they can instigatechange. Students realized that keeping water saferequires concerted, coordinated efforts of ordinarypeople, health professionals, teachers and educa-tional institutions and public officials. It alsodemands behavioral change for everyone and con-stant vigilance to make sure the government pro-vides the services people deserve.

Catherine O’Brien, a Sister of the Holy Cross, hasserved as an educator and religious leader in Braziland the United States. As president of theCongregation (1989–1999) she actively promoted theestablishment of the Holy Cross International JusticeOffice. Currently Catherine ministers in formation andretreat work in São Paulo.

Diane Cundiff, also a Sister of the Holy Cross, has min-istered in São Paulo, Brazil, for 30 years. She ispresently the principal of Colégio Santa Maria, whichserves 2,700 students — children and adults frompreschool through secondary levels.

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We recognize that we have acollective responsibility to upholdthe principles of human dignity,equality, and equity at the globallevel. As leaders we have a duty to all the world’s people, especiallythe most vulnerable and, inparticular, the children of the world,to whom the future belongs.

United Nations Millennium Declaration

THE MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS: A GLOBALCOMPACT TOEND POVERTY

In September 2000, leaders of 189 countries –gathered at the United Nations Millennium Summit— made extraordinary commitments to eradicateextreme poverty and ensure the most basic humanrights for all people. Their pledges — articulated inthe Millennium Declaration — gave rise to theMillennium Development Goals: eight goals togeth-er with 18 measurable, time-bound targets and 48indicators designed to direct the world’s collectiveefforts toward greater security and peace.

Among U.N. documents, the MillenniumDevelopment Goals (MDGs) are unique in theirambition, specificity, and scope. They are alsounusual in their explicit recognition that eradicat-ing poverty and guaranteeing the most fundamen-tal human rights can only be achieved throughstrong, effective partnerships and increased actionby rich countries — including debt relief, fairertrade rules, technology transfer, and increased aid.

In September 2005, world leaders cametogether again in summit to review implementationof the Millennium Declaration. They found that, insome respects, the world has made significantprogress toward meeting many of the MDGs. For example, between 1990 and 2002:

& the number of people in extreme povertydeclined by 130 million;

Eradicate Extreme Poverty andHunger

& Halve the proportion of peopleliving on less than a dollar aday by 2015.

& Halve the proportion of peoplewho suffer from hunger by2015.

Achieve Universal PrimaryEducation

& By 2015, ensure that all boysand girls complete a fullcourse of primary schooling.

Promote Gender Equality andEmpower Women

& Eliminate gender disparities inprimary and secondary educa-tion preferably by 2005, andat all levels by 2015.

Reduce Child Mortality& By 2015, reduce by two-thirds

the mortality rate among chil-dren under 5.

Improve Maternal Health& By 2015, reduce by three-

quarters the maternal mortali-ty rate.

Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria andOther Diseases

& By 2015, halt and begin toreverse the spread ofHIV/AIDS and the incidenceof malaria and other majordiseases.

More than a billion people still live on less than a dollar a day3 million people die from HIV/AIDS and 11 million

MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS AND TMILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS AND T

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& child mortality rates fell from 103 deaths per 1,000 live births a year to 88;

& an additional 8 percent of the developingworld’s people received access to clean water, and

& an additional 15 percent acquired access to improved sanitation.

But progress has been far from uniform acrossthe world — or across the goals. More than a bil-lion people still live on less than a dollar a day.Each year, 3 million people die from HIV/AIDS and11 million children die before reaching their fifthbirthday.

There are also huge disparities within andamong countries/regions.

& Sub-Saharan Africa has a widespread shortfallfor most of the MDGs: continuing food insecu-rity, increases in extreme poverty, dramaticallyhigh child and maternal mortality rates, andlarge numbers of people living in slums.

& Asia is the region progressing most rapidly, but even there hundreds of millions of peopleremain in extreme poverty and even fast-growing countries are failing to meet some of the non-income goals.

& Other regions — Latin America, the transitioneconomies, the Middle East and North Africa —have mixed records: slow or no progress onsome of the goals and persistent inequalitiesundermining progress on others.

In his report to the September 2005 WorldSummit In Larger Freedom, U.N. Secretary GeneralKofi Annan notes that today’s generation is the firstwith the resources and technology to free thewhole human race from want. The MDGs can bemet by 2015, he asserts, but only if all involvedbreak with business as usual and dramaticallyaccelerate and scale up action now:

Now is the time to act. Enough words andgood intentions…. The business of theSummit must be to ensure that, from nowon, promises made are promises kept.

To make the right choice, leaders willneed…the courage to fulfill their responsi-bilities…and the wisdom to transcend theirdifferences. I am confident that they can. I am also certain that they must. What iscalled for is possible. It is within reach.That is our opportunity and our challenge.

Ensure EnvironmentalSustainability

& Ensure the principles of sus-tainable development intocountry policies and programsand reverse the loss of envi-ronmental resources.

& By 2015, reduce by half theproportion of people withoutaccess to safe drinking water

& By 2020, achieve significantimprovement in the lives of atleast 100 million slumdwellers.

Develop a Global Partnership forDevelopment

& Develop an open trading andfinancial system that is rule-based, predictable andnondiscriminatory, andincludes a commitment togood governance, developmentand poverty reduction —nationally and internationally.

& Address the special needs ofleast-developed countries andof landlocked and small-islanddeveloping states.

& Deal comprehensively withdeveloping countries’ debtproblems.

& Develop decent and produc-tive work for youth.

& In cooperation with pharma-ceutical companies, provideaccess to affordable essentialdrugs in developing countries.

& In cooperation with the privatesector, make available thebenefits of new technologies— especially information andcommunications technologies. -

on less than a dollar a day. Each year, n chi ldren die before reaching their f i f th bir thday.

MENT GOALS AND TARGETST GOALS AND TARGETS

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Sousas, a town of 15,000, is a sub-district of the city of Campinas,a large metropolis with more than a million inhabitants in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. As in otherdensely populated areas in ourcountry, many residents live inextreme poverty surrounded bywealth and sophistication.

CECOIA: “SOCIALEDUCATION” FOR AT-RISKYOUTHby Robert Weinmann, CSC

All the families we serve are large with verylow incomes and extremely poor quality of life.They are deprived of the most fundamentalrequirements to be fully human — decent housing,education, clean water and adequate sanitation,not to mention cultural and political participation.

Hygiene among them is especially tenuousbecause sanitation facilities are poor, showers areinadequate and there are not enough beds.Families sleep together on mattresses on the floorof tiny rooms. A nine-person family might befound living in a house of two two-by-three-meterrooms. Some tenant farmers in the region actuallylive in houses built when Brazil was a colony!

Some of our children live in wood huts on thebanks of the Atibaia River. Every year, their fami-lies endure floods, lose what little they haveacquired, and are forced to start over again. Thecontaminated river water spreads diseases like lep-tospirosis and dengue throughout the community.

Obviously, children raised in such circum-stances are at very high-risk. Daily they areexposed to violence and other abuse, drugs,hunger, and lack of nurturing or any type of familysupport. Recognizing this, in 1985 a group of par-ents from the Association of Parents and Teachersof Colégio Notre Dame established CECOIA (CentroComunitário Irmão André) to complement the for-mal education of youth in the area. Today CECOIA

works with at-risk children 7 to 17 years of age —meeting basic needs, but also building self-esteem,teaching skills for responsible citizenship, andhelping students discover and express themselvesthrough the arts.

The CECOIA program provides children withwhat we call a social education: educationgrounded in the educational philosophy of HolyCross and organized around four key learnings:learning to be, to live together, to acquire knowl-edge, and to act on that knowledge so as to impactsocial reality. At the core of the curriculum is thedevelopment and assimilation of ethical values notpart of children’s home life or other experience.

In its 20-year history, CECOIA has grown from asmall center serving 40 children to a comprehensiveprogram assisting 150 children and their families.At present, our biggest challenge is construction of asecond unit to serve the hundreds of at-risk childrenstill desperately in need of our help.

Robert Weinmann, a Brother of Holy Cross, is an artistand one of the founders of CECOIA. Missioned inBrazil since 1966, he currently works full-time atCECOIA, which he helps support through sale of hispaintings in the United States.

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As mission educator for theArchdiocese of New Orleans, I amconstantly challenged to crossborders — and draw others with me.In an effort to sensitize diocesanresidents to poverty and socialexclusion in nearby countries, our office frequently

sponsors “immersions” for young adults, seminarians,

medical personnel, families, catechists and youth

ministers. I’ve noticed that whether individuals

participate in a border experience in Mexico, a

catechetical “Vacation Bible School” in Belize, or a

medical outreach in Nicaragua, the dynamics of these

immersions are remarkably the same.

CROSSINGBORDERSby Judith Gomila, MSC

Typically, our “missionaries” arrive on-site and are overwhelmed by poverty and people’s stories — the chasm between their lives and oursas U.S. citizens. Gradually, as they come to knowthe people they came to “help,” they find they arethe ones being evangelized. Struck by the deepfaith and spirit of community among the indige-nous people, they realize the locals are rich inways far more valuable than material wealth.Distances between the “missionaries” and the “others” diminish as friendships develop and theyrecognize similarities. The groundwork for realsolidarity is laid.

These short-term mission experiences abroad are certainly important because they bridge gaps. They teach U.S. citizens to care genuinely about countries and peoples other thanourselves. But recently, I’ve been pushed beyondthis in prayer.

Lately, I’ve begun to realize that borders ofnations are not the only boundaries to be crossed.In many ways it’s much easier to feel solidaritywith those at a distance. It’s not quite so simplewith excluded peoples close at hand. In my“hometown” I sometimes find myself fearful,

confused, angry and — yes — prejudiced whenconfronted with the needs and demands of themarginalized. In response to “third-world peoples”on my own turf, I resort to the old “pull-yourself-up-by-your-boot-strap” adage.

The Gospel call to communion and solidarity isneither easy nor simple. We are challenged toaddress complex issues and situations — globallyand in our own backyards. Everywhere there arenetworks of privilege, prejudice and power soenmeshed in our systems and structures they arealmost impossible to grasp.

Father Moreau espoused an inclusive, globalvision long before most had a sense of the “global.”Today Moreau’s vision calls us in Holy Cross to aglobal spirituality — one based in universal com-munion and solidarity. This global spiritualityrequires us to

& embrace our interconnectedness with margin-alized peoples, wherever they are;

& defend the human rights of all our sisters andbrothers;

& uncover common ground with peoples of allcultures and faiths; and

& revere all of creation.

In this “Year of the Eucharist,” sacrament ofsolidarity, I am challenged — and perhaps you aretoo — to keep crossing borders of all sorts, to rec-ognize and receive the Holy in people and placeslikely and unlikely.

This is the call to be catholic — to be univer-sally inclusive, to enflesh our belief that all of usform one body and are truly part of one another(Romans 12:5). This is the challenge to open ourdoors and make everyone welcome — at the tableof Eucharist and the multiple public and privatetables of our lives.

Judith Gomila, a Marianite of Holy Cross, is missioneducator with the PontificalMission Societies in theArchdiocese of NewOrleans. In this position,Judith coordinates short-term mission experiences in Mexico and CentralAmerica to promote “con-version, communion andsolidarity” in the spirit ofEcclesia in America andRedemptoris Missio.

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I am challenged — and perhaps you are too — to keepcrossing borders of all sorts, to recognize and receive theHo ly in peop le and p laces l i ke l y and un l ike l y.

20 kilos/15 liters per trip. Kenyan women collec-tively spend 9 million hours each day in search ofwater. In South Africa alone, women collectivelywalk the equivalent of 16 times to the moon andback per day to find clean water. Even in urbanareas, women and girls spend hours fetching water— waiting in line to collect intermittent supplies atstandpipes.

The inordinate amount of time and energyspent obtaining water has serious repercussions forwomen and girls. So much time is invested inwater retrieval that little, if any, is left for otheractivities, such as education, income generation, orcultural and political involvement, not to mentionrest and recreation.

Women, water and healthFor many women, both rural and urban, the

only alternative to spending most of the day insearch of water is using contaminated water unfitfor consumption. This is a frightening option sincethe World Health Organization estimates that 80percent of all sickness in the world is attributableto unsafe water and sanitation. Water-borne dis-eases kill 3.4 million people annually — most ofthem children. Millions more are sickened withdiseases that could be prevented by access toclean water and health-care information.

Since women are more likely to be in contactwith poor-quality water, they face a higher expo-sure to water-borne diseases and pollution, as isthe case with arsenic-infused well water inBangladesh. Even when water-borne illnesses do not affect women personally, they remain theprimary caretakers of those who are ill. This again restricts other activities, such as educationand income-generation. In addition, medical costsfrom family illness increase household debt anddeepen poverty.

In most societies, the maintenance of familyhealth is still viewed as a female responsibility. Asa result, women may determine the domestic useof water, but they are rarely involved in publicdecision-making on issues related to sanitation andhygiene. In many communities, women must walklong distances to use sanitation facilities, oftenrisking their personal safety. Increased incidenceof sexual and physical assault when toilets are inremote locations is well documented. In ruralareas, where toilets may not be available, defor-estation and loss of vegetation have forced womenand girls to rise earlier and walk further in search

of privacy. Adequate sanitation facilities are alsonot available for vast numbers of poor women wholive or work in urban centers. Ten percent ofschool-age African girls do not attend school dur-ing menstruation or drop out at puberty becauseschools lack clean, private sanitation facilities.

Women, water, and the global economyDegradation of ecosystems, freshwater pollu-

tion, contamination of aquifers, salinization, wasteand misuse — all are contributing to an impendingenvironmental catastrophe in the world’s watersupply. In their roles as caretakers and naturalresource managers, women are profoundly affectedby this global water crisis. But environmental fac-tors are not the only forces undermining watersecurity for women and their families. The free-market push for privatization of public goods andservices also undercuts women’s access to water.

“Privatization” is a process in which state-owned/operated enterprises like water and sanitation services are sold/leased to multi-national corporations, based on the assumptionthat private management will be more efficient and cost effective. Privatization policies are partand parcel of free-market economics, which pro-mote deregulation and liberalization of trade andinvestment. They are also a key component ofWorld Bank/International Monetary Fund structuraladjustment programs. In at least eight Africancountries, opening the water sector to privatizationhas been a condition for receiving an IMF loan.

Worldwide, women — especially poor women— have been the first to signal problems with

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“It’s the

women who know

how important it is to have clean water.

Men have no idea of how safe water should be.”

Kakuban Village woman from Barara, India

water privatization: astronomical price hikes, watercut-offs due to unpaid bills, lack of corporateaccountability, deterioration of water quality, andhygiene problems. None of the supposed benefitsof corporate management have materialized up tonow, whether the privatization has occurred inBolivia, South Africa or the United States. On thecontrary, the same criticisms of public enterprisesapply, including lack of competition, inefficiencyand poor quality of service.

For poor women and their households, theresults of water privatization are frequently cata-strophic. Not only does privatization not improveaccess or quality, it often leads to women rejectingexpensive pipe water and returning to question-able water from unsafe sources.

Women and water: a driving force for change

The governments of the world have pledged to “halve the proportion of people without sustain-able access to safe drinking water and sanitation”by 2015 in the Millennium Development Goals.But, women are not sitting idly by waiting forauthorities to take action. Increasingly, they aretaking matters into their own hands. In theprocess, they are developing organizational skills,becoming more self-reliant, increasing opportuni-ties for education, and creating new livelihoods forthemselves and others. Women are moving frombare survival to active participation and contribu-tion to the community.

& In the past, most women of the Kirinyaga dis-trict in Kenya collected water three to fourkilometers away from their homes or paidhighly for it from water sellers. Determined toget better water access, local women formedthe Kugeria Women’s Group and began toresearch what would be needed to bringwater from a river 11 kilometers away.Together, they learned what was needed tobuild and maintain a water system, thenobtained funding and technical assistance fromAfrica 2000 Network. Today the KugeriaWomen’s Group has successfully brought clean,reliable water to 300 families. Sanitation hasimproved and the time previously spent fetch-ing water is now used for agricultural purpos-es. The community also uses the new watersupply for irrigation so people no longer haveto depend on food handouts during drought.(Common Ground, Women’s Environment andDevelopment Organization [WEDO], 2003)

& United by their need for reliable, affordablewater and the burden of high water prices,women in low-income urban neighborhoods inHonduras began operating their own licensedwater vending points. The results have beenlower and stable water prices, part-timeemployment for poor, single women with chil-dren, and funds for additional neighborhoodprojects. Women have also used their ownlocal water supply for income generationthrough beer brewing, teashops and a laun-derette. (Excerpted from UntappedConnections, WEDO 2003).

& Luznivka, Ukraine, housed a railway oil-tankcleaning facility that polluted the local watersupply and the city’s inadequate sewage

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Madam Atuko lives in Mamobi East in Accra.

Asked why she continues to drink water from a polluted well located

close to an open sewer, she said the water from

that well is free so taking the water from there allows her tosave the 2000 cedis she would

have spent on buying water for foodfor her baby. Madame Atuko knowsthe water from the well is unsafe so

to protect herself and the family, she filters the water with her

mayafi (head-gear) before drinking it.

Water Privatization in Ghana: Women’s Rights Under Siege

Rudolph Amenga-Etego

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WHAT CAN WE DO?

& Promote the Millennium Development Goals(MDGs) as means to ensure basic humanrights.

• Find out what your country is doing torespond to the MDGs. What is your govern-ment doing? What is civil society doing?

• Write to your political representatives tellingthem you support the MDGs; engage othersin your community by organizing letter-writing campaigns and writing letters tolocal newspapers.

• United States citizens: Visit the HCIJO website and send a message to your senators insupport of the International Cooperation toMeet the Millennium Development Goals Act2005 calling for U.S. accountability on itsMDG commitments.

• Join international campaigns like the United Nations Millennium Campaign<www.millenniumcampaign.org> or theGlobal Call to Action Against Poverty<www.whiteband.org>.

& Develop a local version of the MDGs in areaswhere you minister; help communities createaction plans to achieve their local MDGs.

& Use the Perspectives resource section on theHCIJO web site to learn more about how theMDGs impact particular groups of marginalizedpersons, especially women, children andindigenous peoples.

RESOURCESON HUMAN RIGHTSAND THE MDGS

WEB SITES& The HCIJO site <www.holycrossjustice.org>

has a special section of resources related totopics covered in this issue of Perspectives.

& The Women’s Environment and DevelopmentOrganization site <www.wedo.org> is anexcellent site for resources on women, global-ization and sustainable development. The sitehighlights women’s critical contributions inpolitical, social and economic spheres.

& The UNIFEM site <www.unifem.org> containsresources on women, poverty and economics,violence against women, HIV/AIDS amongwomen and girls, and gender equality in democratic governance.

& The Tebtebba site <www.tebtebba.org> has extensive resources for research and advocacy regarding the world’s indigenouspeoples, their worldview, and their issues and concerns.

& The Millennium Development Project site<www.unmillenniumproject.org> containsInvesting in Development, a report presentinga practical operational framework that willallow even the poorest countries to achievethe Millennium Development Goals by 2015, as well as other facts and news about progresson the MDGs.

& The official U.N. Millennium DevelopmentGoals site <www.un.org/millenniumgoals/>contains basic information on the MillenniumDeclaration and MDGs as well as progressreports in English, French and Spanish.

www.socIalwaTch.org • www.holycrossjusTIce.org

Speak up for those who cannotspeak for themselves, for the rightsof those who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly, defendthe rights of the poor and the needy.

Proverbs 31:8-9

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VIDEOS/DVDs& Behind the Green (33

minutes), a documentaryproduced by theIndigenous PeoplesDevelopment Services,depicts the resistance ofKhasi and Garo indige-nous peoples to govern-ment-sponsored Eco-Parks and their struggleto maintain control over their ancestral home-lands in Bangladesh (VHS video and DVD).

& The MillenniumDevelopment Goals:Dream or Reality (27minutes) is the introduc-tory film to the BBCWorld Life 4 series on theMillennium DevelopmentGoals (MDGs).Sequences from China,Bangladesh, Jamaica,India, Sri Lanka, Zambia and Ethiopia, togetherwith comments from academics and activists,explore the ambition and scope of the MDGsand obstacles to their achievement (DVD).Distributed by Bullfrog Films.

& Walking for Water (22minutes), part of theseries Water Voices dis-tributed by the AsianDevelopment Bank,describes how women inrural areas of Gujaret,India, are bringing watercloser to home by con-structing and managingvillage water systems. The time saved fromwater-gathering enables the women to earn aliving through a handicraft cooperative (DVD).Available free for educational purposes from<www.adb.org>.

These videos and DVDs may be borrowed freeof charge from the HCIJO Resource Library [e-mail:ksmedley@cscsisters.org; fax: 574-284-5596].

BOOKS/REPORTS& Paradigm Wars:

Indigenous Peoples’Resistance to EconomicGlobalization, co-editedby Jerry Mander andVictoria Tauli-Corpuz,International Forum onGlobalization, SanFrancisco, California,2005. Order at theInternational Forum on Globalization web site<www.ifg.org>.

& Globalization and Social Exclusion: A TransformationalApproach, RonaldoMunck, Kumarian Press,Bloomfield, Connecticut,2005.

& The End of Poverty: Economic Possibilitiesfor Our Time, Jeffrey D. Sachs, The PenguinPress, New York, New York, 2005.

& Women and the Environment, United NationsEnvironment Programme, 2004, available in English and Spanish at <www.unep.org> in Publications.

& In Larger Freedom: Toward Development,Security, and Human Rights for All, U.N.Secretary General’s Report to the 2005 WorldSummit, available in English, French andSpanish at <www.un.org/largerfreedom/>.

& The Millennium Development Goals Report 2005, United Nations, available in English, French, and Spanish at<www.un.org/millenniumgoals/>.

& We the Peoples 2005: The U.N. MillenniumDeclaration and Beyond Mobilizing forChange: Message from Civil Society — a progress report on the MDGs from the per-spective of civil society, available in Englishand French at <www.wfuna.org>.

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system produced frequent overflows of sewageinto homes and streets. Authorities main-tained there were no funds to address theproblems. Then MAMA-86, an environmentalorganization formed after the Chernobylnuclear accident, stepped in. Local chaptermembers met with residents, launched a polit-ical campaign and filed suit against the city.As a result, the government “discovered” theresources necessary to complete constructionof a sewage pump and to fund several otherenvironmental initiatives, while also closingthe hazardous oil-tank cleaning facility.(Excerpted from Untapped Connections, WEDO 2003).

& The Self-Employed Women’s Association(SEWA), a trade union of poor rural and urbanwomen, has some 500,000 members in theIndian state of Gujarat. Since 1988, SEWA hasbeen organizing Gujarat women to addressboth water and livelihood issues. UnderSEWA’s tutelage, women have learned

management and leadership skills to tackletheir villages’ water problems. In Barara,women organized the construction of a water-shed, catching the rainwater so it would notdrain away. In nearby Bakutra, the women ofthe water committee had underground cementtanks constructed to hold drinking waterbrought in by trucks, creating the only reliablesource of clean water in the village. Freedfrom the burden of fetching water, manywomen have set up artisan groups joined in amarketing cooperative that distributes theircrafts to shops around the world. (From theAsian Development Bank)

As these stories show, women are in the frontlines of sustainable development, but usually theyhave been forced into back seat roles in decision-making realms. This is finally beginning to changeas women’s contributions and expertise areacknowledged in halls of power. Increasinglynational and international bodies charged withenvironmental protection concur with the insightvoiced at the SecondWorld Water Forum:“The best approach toprotecting the world’secosystems is ensuringthat women areinvolved. . . .”

Mary Turgi, a Sister of theHoly Cross, is the directorof the Holy CrossInternational Justice Officeand editor of Perspectives.

perspectives is a publication of the Holy CrossInternational Justice Office, a collaborative project of the women and men of Holy Cross who minister in 17 countries throughout the world. Please direct any questions, requests or ideas to: Mary Turgi, CSC /403 Bertrand Annex—Saint Mary’s / Notre Dame, IN46556-5018, USA / Telephone: (574) 284-5366 /E-mail: mturgi@igc.org / www.holycrossjustice.org

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