Media Advisory - Council of Canadians to challenge 'Davos of water'

OTTAWA, March 12, 2012 /CNW/ - The Council of Canadians will be challenging the 6th World Water Forum that will take place March 12-17 in Marseille, France, just days before World Water Day. 

The Council will be participating in the organizing of the upcoming Alternative World Water Forum (in French, Forum Alternative Mondial de l'Eau, or FAME), which will take place on March 14-17. To coincide with the opening of the FAME, the Council of Canadians is launching a new series of reports on the right to water in nine countries in collaboration with social justice, environmental and labour groups from around the world.

What is the World Water Forum? Council of Canadians chairperson Maude Barlow explains, "The World Water Forum is convened by big business lobby organizations. The discussions focus on how companies can benefit from selling water to markets around the world. While governments are present, they are not in charge."

The Council of Canadians has been challenging the World Water Forum for a decade. The international water privatization conference is now in serious trouble, with its legitimacy in question and attendance is expected to be noticeably smaller than in past years. 

The Council of Canadians is also encouraging water justice advocates around the world to occupy the World Water Forum online through Twitter and Facebook. 

Background information is available at: http://canadians.org/wwf

Or to arrange interviews:

Dylan Penner, Media Officer, Council of Canadians, 613-795-8685, [email protected]
Twitter: @CouncilOfCDNs