Seminar
International Seminar 'Water, social movements, and struggles against privatisation'
We are pleased to invite you to the International Seminar 'Water, social movements, and struggles against privatization' organized by the Riverhood & River Commons projects (www.movingrivers.org). This event will take place on the 18th of September at Lumen 1 (Wageningen University campus), from 15.30 to 17.00.
“Liberalising the economy and treating water and water delivery services as economic goods has been a recurring recipe in numerous countries. The wave of privatisations of water utilities and takeovers by multinational corporations around the globe often increased inequalities, caused problems of affordability and deterioration of services, as companies tend to put their corporate interests over the public interest of achieving “water for all”. The water war in Cochabamba was an icon of how disastrous privatisation of water turned out for the local population and became a turning point in water services privatisations. Communities around the world stood up and claimed that “water is life, not for profit” and “water is a common good, not a commodity”. A global network of civil society organisations arose around the idea of “reclaiming public water".
Solidarity is the key element for social movements to arise, to maintain grounded and keep democratic legitimacy in combating societal injustices following from neoliberal water governance.”
These words from the PhD dissertation by Jerry van den Berge [entitled “Water is a public good, not a commodity!” Social movements’ struggles and strategies against privatisation of water services in Europe, to be defended at WUR-Omnia, 13.00, same day] form the backbone of a short seminar with public lectures and debate by two world-renowned scholars on the political ecology of water.
Guest speakers: Prof. Leila Harris (UBC Canada) and Prof. Erik Swyngedouw (University of Manchester)
For more details on the seminar content and program, please see the attached flyer.