World Water Day 2008
WAGGGS calls all Girl Guides and Girl Scouts around the world to take action on World Water Day, 22 March. Safe access to clean water and sanitation is a growing concern that particularly affects the health of girls and young women. That’s why WAGGGS dedicated World Thinking Day 2008 to “think about water”.
Every 20 seconds, a child dies as a result of the abysmal sanitation conditions endured by some 2.6 billion people globally. Poor sanitation combines with a lack of safe drinking water and inadequate hygiene to contribute to a mounting global death toll resulting from water-related ill health.
Those who survive in those circumstances face diminished chances of leading a healthy and productive life. Children, especially girls, are forced to stay out of school, while hygiene-related diseases keep adults from being able to make a living.
What you can do
Check out the water activities
Have a look at the World Thinking Day website. You can download activities for your troop or patrol meeting related to three topics:
Join the VidéEau competition
The Festival VidéEau is an international competition for video clips organized by the International Secretariat for Water (ISW), in preparation for the International "Water and Film" Events that will take place in Istanbul in 2009, within the context of the 5th World Water Forum.The Festival VidéEau invites young people aged from 17 to 30, to submit 90 second or shorter video clips on the theme "Water, People and Sustainable Development". Deadline: 15 June 2008. For further information, go to www.sie-isw.org
Tell us about it
Use the comment section below to tell us about your Water Day activities. World Water Day offers a chance to spotlight these issues, but this year let us go beyond raising awareness – let us press for action to make a measurable difference in people’s lives.
Ban Ki-Moon, UN Secretary-General
Ban Ki-Moon, UN Secretary-General
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