Kayak activists in Spain, part of COAGRET’s weekend of actions on May 14, 2010.
We've always known that river activists are a dedicated lot, but even we were surprised by one group's actions on the International Day of Action for Rivers this year. Chile's devastating earthquake hit the nation's main dam-building area at the end of February, leaving the region in chaos. But that didn't stop local activists from speaking out for healthy rivers. Though they planned to hold their action on the designated day, March 14, the rattled advocates just postponed their actions a bit, allowing them to wrap up some ongoing work to support communities affected by the earthquake. Their perseverance in creating awareness about dam-affected people and threatened ecosystems added poignancy to this year's inspiring crop of global actions celebrating the annual Day of Action.
This year we learned of at least 136 actions in more than 27 countries, exceeding previous records. Even more inspiring were the individual actions behind the numbers. One of the most amazing was a 13-day march by some 25,000 people in Pakistan. The Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum, a key organizer of the march, said the journey's aim was to support the rehabilitation and restoration of the Indus River, which has been severely compromised by dams and diversions.
Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum held a very successful 2-day rally
Several groups made tangible connections with their rivers to commemorate the day. The No Tillegra Dam Group in the Hunter Valley of Australia arranged a "Walk for the Williams River." Participants carried a vessel of water from their starting point on the William's River to its mouth at Nobby's Head Beach, and released the water into the ocean, illustrating the connectivity of life between rivers, oceans and people. So too, the Trust for Conservation of Coastal Resources (TCCR) in Pakistan "paid a fresh water tribute to the sea." Participants transported two dozen clay pots filled with fresh water and poured them into the sea as a token of respect for the water that sustains them.
On the banks of the Salween River at the Thai-Burma border, 600 villagers gathered to bless the river’s fertility, and announce their opposition to large dams
Pianporn Deetes
Our own efforts here at Internationals Rivers included the creation of a
Wild River Dance video, which is intended to incite others to make their own "dance for the rivers" video and post them on YouTube. We also had a public screening of a film here at our Berkeley headquarters. Our guests watched the informative and touching movie
Amazonia: Voices of the Rainforest, and had a chance to talk with International Rivers staff members about out different campaign areas. The event's backdrop was a wall of photos of past Day of Action events from all over the world.
Though we can still feel the excitement from this year's March 14 actions, we also are beginning to look forward to next year's events. For us, the collective effort to bring public attention to healthy rivers and the rights of communities who depend on them is an annual highlight of our work, and a day in which we feel an even stronger connection to the world's river defenders. Thank you all for participating!
