Celebrate International Day of Action for Rivers
Tomorrow is the International Day of Action for Rivers! Many events have already taken place and many more will continue throughout the weekend! So far, you’ve told us about over 80 actions planned in 36 countries – four of which are participating for the first time.
This is my first year coordinating and chronicling global events for the International Day of Action for Rivers. While it’s been a busy month, I love connecting with our partners around the world who are deeply committed to protecting their rivers. I’m most proud of the Rivers Are in Our Hands project, which illustrates so clearly that rivers really do unite us. In addition, our Facebook page has become a living scrapbook of global actions planned around the world and proof that International Day of Action for Rivers is a global movement. Spanning continents, languages and cultures, rivers truly do unite us.
Here are a few exciting events planned:
Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum – which has consistently participated in Day of Action for Rivers for many years now – held it’s inaugural ceremony to kick off a week-long series of events under the theme Restoration and Freedom of Rivers. Different activities including rallies, ceremonies and the Fisherwomen Convention on Water Rights will take place throughout the week in all provinces throughout the country. The goal is to elevate the importance of natural river flows and uplift marginalized indigenous communities who depend on the protection and restoration of rivers.
For the inaugural ceremony, people carrying rose petals and garlands reached the Sujawal Bridge, popularly known as Makhdoom Bilawal Bridge.
The other activities have been planned along river banks and lakes in Kashmor, Sukkur, Kambar, Jamshoro, Manchhar, Sanghar, Umerkot and other districts, where members of the community will host colorful gatherings to show their love of rivers. PFF chairperson Mohammed Ali Shah said they celebrate the day with enthusiasm to encourage hundreds of community members to get involved and send a message to the Pakistan government and the world that the river Indus is not up for grabs.
The main gathering with hundreds of people, artists, communities, youth groups, civil society, environmentalists and academia will take place at the famous picnic resort Al-Manzar, Jamshoro on March 14th.
In South Africa, our staff organized an educational event at a secondary school in South Africa. The students learned about the importance of healthy rivers and participated in the Rivers are in Our Hands photo project. See their photos here.
In an effort to develop public awareness and help improve of the supervision of rivers, the Mountaineers Club of Qaemshahr in Mazandaran, Northern Iran, along with the Municipality and Board of Directors of the town of Shirgah, will hold an event titled, “Cleaning the riverbanks of the Rivers Tellar and Kasilian of Shirgah” on Friday March 14.
To see all the events planned - Check out our global map of actions.
Here are a few ways you can get involved tomorrow:
- Send a Tweet! - “Happy International Day of Action for Rivers! Join the movement to protect rivers and the people who depend on them. #RiversUniteUs”
- Post on Facebook - “Happy International Day of Action for Rivers! Check out all the exciting events happening around the world http://bit.ly/IDOAFR2014” (with the Day of Action for Rivers logo)
- Send us a photo - Submit a photo with a message on your palm with the hashtag #RiversUniteUs on Facebook or to dayofaction@internationalrivers.org.
- Like us on Facebook to engage with other events happening around the world
We’ll be collecting photos throughout the day - be sure to check them out here. Show us how you’re celebrating - send your photos to dayofaction@internationalrivers.org.
