I was in New Mexico last week for the Water Equity & Climate Resilience Caucus in-person gathering, conspiring with some of our closest partners on how to build a strong, sustained, and joyful water justice movement. The picture above is from the brilliant graphic note-taker (follow @joseph.stacey.5) who captured the meeting’s spirit. There are so many seeds of change to sow and water coming out of this week.
I was especially moved learning from Paula Garcia, Executive Director of the New Mexico Acequia Association, about the history, political, cultural, and spiritual traditions of acequias.
In defining acequias, Paula described not only the physical irrigation ditch systems that bring water to small family farms, but the true meaning of acequia as something one belongs to. These community water systems are not just something people have a right to, but also something members have a responsibility to and obligation to care for. I love this metaphor, and the interrelated feeling of belonging and stewardship for water movement building, too.
We’ve been working on water messages that unite people in politically divisive times. Everyone has an intimate relationship with water; water flows in our homes, our bodies, and often the special places we hold dear. That relationship provides a powerful opportunity to connect with people, as we talked about in a recent briefing on voter views on water. That said, this work requires a lot of deep listening and relationship building to bridge divides. One perfect talking point isn’t going to cut it. So, to get more nuanced, we are hosting a roundtable discussion on this topic on May 8 that will inform our public opinion research this year. We hope you’ll join us!
To growing gardens,
Sarah
🎬 New documentary: Water affordability for all
The people of Martin County, Kentucky have been fighting for safe, affordable water for decades. Families pay some of the highest water rates in the state, while crumbling pipes and frequent outages have become the norm. Residents aren’t waiting for change, they’re organizing, advocating, and demanding action.
The Water Hub team traveled to Martin County last year, in partnership with the Water Equity & Climate Resilience Caucus, Appalachian Citizens’ Law Center, Livelihoods Knowledge Exchange Network (LiKEN), and Martin County Concerned Citizens to produce a short documentary covering the challenges of water infrastructure, contamination, and affordability in Martin County.
Water We Reading
As folks traveled to Washington, D.C. for Water Week, we worked with ACLC’s Mary Cromer and PolicyLink’s Yasmin Zaerpoor to break down the causes of our national water affordability crisis, and what policymakers can do about it, in a new op-ed.
Current-ly
It is in our long-term interest to foster a water movement that shows up for each other and future generations. Read the joint statement from Color of Water members calls for ongoing equity focus in water work.
Now Streaming
Who says learning can’t be fun? For International Beaver Day, our digital team and Zakiyaa “Attenborough” created Planet Beaver, an homage to our favorite furry water engineers.
Making Waves
We are humbled to support and work closely with Bayou City Waterkeeper, sharing the voices of Houston residents harmed by sewer spills and backups on the 4th anniversary of the city’s sewer consent decree. Are communities any closer to finding justice in the sewers?
Water messaging roundtable
Safe drinking water and sanitation are issues voters care about, but that hasn’t stopped efforts to strip health and environmental protections, often dismissing them as woke or wasteful. In our May 8 roundtable, Water Messages that Bridge Divides, we will facilitate a discussion about how we message our issues in a way that taps into shared values. Join us! Register here.
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