Mexican Water Activist Speaks about Water Privatization November 6, 2006

Water Activist Claudia Campero & viewing of THIRST Water for Life/Agua por la Vida; En Defensa del Agua: A Mexican Voice Against Privatization

Across Canada and the world citizens are fighting back against private corporations taking control of public water and sewer services. In B.C., premier Gordon Campbell just announced a wholesale policy to privatize major infrastructure projects, including the new sewage treatment project in the greater Victoria region.

Hear first-hand about struggles to keep water public on Monday Nov. 6, 2006.A major event sponsored by the Canadian Union of Public Employees, the Council of Canadians, Oxfam Canada and Co-Development Canada features Claudia Campero Arena and a viewing of the film THIRST, about the success story of Cochabamba, Bolivia against water multinational Bechtel.

Claudia is an expert on water governance and has written her dissertation on water struggles in Mexico City. She is a founding member of COMDA (Coalición de Organizaciones Mexicanas por el Derecho al Agua/ Mexican Committee for the Defense of Water Rights) and was involved in events to raise awareness about water privatization during the March 2006 World Water Forum in Mexico City.

About Claudia Campero Arena ::

Claudia Campero Arena, age 27, citizen of Mexico and resident of Mexico City, studied Geography for her first degree at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). She started working in water related issues during an internship in the Mexico City Water Authority that lasted a year.

In 2003, she studied Urban Development Planning in a Master’s program in Science at University College, London. Her interest in water related issues grew as her dissertation project shows in its title: "Water Governance, Conflict and Social Justice – Mexico City".

Back in Mexico City, she started to work with NGOs directly in the subject. She is a founding member of COMDA (Coalición de Organizaciones Mexicanas por el Derecho al Agua) and was directly involved in the international committee to organize the Days in Defense of Water and particularly the International Forum in the Defense of Water, which took place this past spring in Mexico City. It occurred alongside the World Water Forum, as an alternative to the corporate agenda that dominated the ‘official’ event.

Since then, she has been directly involved in the preparation for Blue October. October 2006 was declared Blue October by the international water rights movement, and a series of actions and educational fora were organized to continue building the global movement for water justice.