Hello, friends.
I hope you are taking some reflective time with friends and family. The return of warm weather is always a blessing with its promise of renewal and hope. Certainly in this political climate, we can use more of both.
After the first months of a Stephen Harper government, there are many challenges before us. The social conservative movement is working with the federal government to help promote its daycare tax cut. The Harper administration is committed to dismantling environmental infrastructure, and we’ve seen galloping privatization of health care services in several major provinces. Canada has committed to a deepened and more dangerous military intervention in Afghanistan under American control, and we’ve seen an increased commitment at senior levels of both the Canadian and American governments to deeper continental economic, military and security integration. On these vital issues and others, we have been hard at work fighting to preserve the Canada we want.
As always, you will find information in these pages about our wonderful staff and their energetic, dynamic and committed work. You will see a renewed commitment at the Council to public health care, protection of our natural resources, a more just global economic system, and a Canada that refuses to capitulate to the Bush administration and charts its own progressive course in the world. While these goals may seem a little farther away with the election of a Harper government, we must never forget that the values behind them are deeply held by the vast majority of Canadians.
I have been busy since last writing to you, travelling across Canada and internationally, speaking and writing on these issues. It has also been a very important time in the international fight for the right to water. This issue has recently taken me to Oslo, Norway, as well as many U.S. cities, including Boston, Massachusetts; Portland, Oregon; Washington, D.C.; Burlington, Vermont; and New York City. And of course, I travelled to Mexico City in March for the fourth World Water Forum, hosted by the pro-privatization World Water Council.
The Council, an institution that tries to emulate a United Nations committee, holds this forum every three years. But it is really a powerful lobby group for the huge water transnationals and the World Bank that backs them in their bid to take corporate control of water services. For the first time, civil society held its own counter conference with activists, environmentalists and academics from all over the world, where we took a very clear stand against the privatization of water. We promoted public management of water systems, rather than the private/public model promoted around the world now. So fierce has been the fight back against the big water companies, that the United Nations issued a report at the forum saying the project has been a failure and called for governments to re-enter the arena and provide water services on a public basis. (See Taking Back the World Water Forum.)
It was a very sweet personal moment for me and reminded me once again that the fight for social justice is the most important life’s work that one can choose. While there are many setbacks and heartbreaks, they are nothing compared to the joy of being part of a larger struggle that literally affects peoples’ lives.
On a personal note, in February, Andrew and I welcomed our fourth grandchild. Max Barlow joins his sister Maddy and cousins Ellie and Angus at the centre of our hearts.
Maude Barlow is the National Chairperson of The Council of Canadians
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