TNI Activities at World Social Forum VII, Nairobi, Kenya, 20-25 January 2007

1. Reclaiming Public Water! Improving water supply through democratisation and Public-Public Partnerships
Date: Monday, 22 January
Time: First Period (8:30 to 11:00am)
Venue: Room 3IN (Lower access gate)

Co-organised by National Coalition Against the Privatization of Water (CAP), Ghana, Council of Canadians, World Development Movement, Public Services International, Corporate Europe Observatory, Transnational Institute, France Libertés, Engineers Withour Borders Cataluanya and others.

The seminar will present a range of experiences from Africa and
elsewhere with improving public water delivery through democratisation
and other progressive reforms. Another major focus will be how to unlock
the potential of Public-Public Partnerships in accelerating improvements
in access to clean water and sanitation.

Chair: Vicky Cann (World Development Movement, UK)

Speakers:

• Abu O. Alhassan (Savelugu Water Board, Ghana): the experiences with
  community controlled water management and public-community partnership
  in the town of Savelugu.
• Peter Werikhe (Public Employees Union, Uganda) on the reform
  experiences of the National Water and Sewerage Corporation.
• Mussa Billegeya (TANGO, Tanzania) about the failed privatisation in
  Dar es Salaam and options for improving the performance of public water
  operator DAWASCO.
• Carlos Pedro Bastos (Vice-President of ASSEMAE, Brazil):
  democratisation of water management in the municipality Santo Andre and
  elsewhere in Brazil.
• David Boys (Public Services International): Public-Utility
  Partnerships (PUPs) and the new UN Water Operator Partnerships (WOPs)
  initiative.

2. Rural water challenges
Date: Tuesday, 23 January
Time: Second Period (11:30am to 2:00pm)
Venue: Room 4IN (Upper access gate)

SEMINARCo-organised by Ghana CAP, Council of Canadians, Corporate Europe
Observatory, Transnational Institute, the Institute for Agriculture and
Trade Policy, Engineers Withour Borders Cataluanya and others.

Through presentations on community-managed water systems and other forms of public management in rural areas, the seminar will assess the challenges in rural drinking water supply and sanitation systems in Africa and elsewhere, and explore ways forward. The seminar aims to develop an action plan for advancing the democratisation of rural water management.

Chair: Olivier Hoedeman, Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO).

Speakers:

• Shiney Varghese (IATP): the challenge of securing water for all in
  rural areas.
• George Rubiik (CCFMC KISUMU, Kenya): improving water supply in rural
  areas through public-community partnerships.
• Mary-Ann Manaham (Focus on the Global South, The Philippines): rural
  water cooperatives in The Philippines.
• Cheikh Diop (president of the "Senegalese association for
  environment"): access to water in rural and peri-urban areas in Senegal.

3. Group name: African Water Network
Planned date: 24 January

Group Description: NCAP (Ghana), South African Coalition Against Water
Privatisation(South Africa), Council of Canadians, France Libertes, Food
and Water Watch (US), World Development Movement (UK), CEO and TNI

This workshop aims to launch an African Water Network of activist in
African countries and share experience in the struggle against water
privatisation and building people's alternatives. A series of sessions
are being organized through an international participatory process and
we ultimately aim to make a contribution to the development
and existence of the African Water Network.

Workshop will have a couple of speakers and will have a lot of time to
discuss among participants initial strategies and activities of African
Water Network.

Audience estimation:101-200 people

Participatory process:

The international committee (comprising representatives from Ghana,
South Africa, Canada, US and elsewhere) were formed to prepare water
activities in Nairobi collectively. Through organising series of
activities, we aim to launch African Water Network inviting as many as
African water activists to work together beyond Nairobi to fight against
corporate privatisation agendas and to promote people-centred alternatives.

Possible partners: Sustainable Development Institute(Liberia), APDC
(Association pour la De'fense des Consommateurs)(Cameroon), Friends of
the Earth Togo, Savelegu Water Board(Ghana), National Society for Human
Rights(Namibia), Bread of Life Development Foundation(Nigeria), Campaign
for Good Governance(Sierra Leone), Tanzania Water and Sanitation
NGO(Tanzania),Consumer First Network(Kenya), CCFMC KISUMU(Kenya)