Mother's Day - origins in struggle for right to water/sanita

[Oscar]

Mother's Day has its origins in the struggle for the right to water and sanitation

[ https://canadians.org/blog/mothers-day- ... sanitation ]

May 14, 2017 - 11:54 am

(PHOTO: Anna Reeves Jarvis)

Mother's Day has its historical roots in the struggle for the human right to water and sanitation.

Slate reports, "The women who originally celebrated Mother's Day conceived of it as an occasion to use their status as mothers to protest injustice and war. In 1858, Anna Reeves Jarvis organized Mother's Work Days in West Appalachian communities to protest the lack of sanitation that caused disease-bearing insects and polluted water to sicken or even kill poor workers."

The West Virginia Encyclopedia adds, "Jarvis organized Mothers’ Day Work Clubs, which raised money to buy medicine for needy families and cared for families stricken by tuberculosis. Club members worked with local physicians to obtain clean water supplies and safe sewage disposal."

A Huffington Post blog notes, "Jarvis also worked for universal access to medicine for the poor [and was] a pacifist who served both sides in the Civil War by working for camp sanitation and medical care for soldiers of the North and the South."

After her death in 1905, Jarvis' daughter campaigned to have a day commemorated in honour of her mother's work.

In 1914, U.S. President Woodrow Wilson signed a Congressional resolution recognizing the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day.

More than 100 years later, the right to water and sanitation has not been fulfilled.

Council of Canadians chairperson Maude Barlow notes, "Currently almost 2 billion people have no access to clean water and 2.5 billion have no access to adequate sanitation. Close to 3 million people – mostly children under 5 – die of waterborne disease every year and more than half the hospital beds on Earth are filled with people suffering from this condition. Lack of clean water kills more children than all forms of violence, including war."

She highlights, "The water crisis could affect as many as 7 billion people over the next half century."

Barlow has also emphasized that women are disproportionately affected when governments fail to provide adequate water and sanitation services. To listen to Barlow's speech 'Water: The Most Pressing Women's Issue', 51 min., please click here: [ https://www.mixcloud.com/bigideasaudio/ ... ens-issue/ ]. Lecture given at Carleton University, Ottawa on Oct. 20, 2008

This Mother's Day, let us recommit ourselves to achieving a progressive vision of global water justice.


Brent Patterson's blog
Political Director of the Council of Canadians
[ https://canadians.org/blogs/brent-patterson ]

[Oscar]

Guelph chapter joins with Wellington Water Watchers for 'Full Moon Water Blessing'

[ https://canadians.org/blog/guelph-chapt ... r-blessing ]

May 16, 2017 - 8:48 pm

The Council of Canadians Guelph chapter and Wellington Water Watchers partnered for a 'Full Moon Water Blessing' on Mother's Day, May 14.

The promotion for the gathering noted, "Full Moon Water Blessings provide opportunities for the public to gather to appreciate and celebrate the magic and majesty of water by joining together and reflecting upon the importance of water in our lives. Marianne’s Park, Guelph. Confluence of the Speed and Eramosa Rivers."

It adds, "Water is essential for all of life, more than just a “resource to be managed” but a precious gift we are entrusted with while we are here. We invite everyone to consider our sacred relationship with water as our birthright and our duty to protect it. Mothers, grandmothers, daughters, and granddaughters are invited to bring their families to celebrate water. Rain or Shine, let’s celebrate water protection together."

Wellington Water Watches notes, "The first of such Full Moon Water Blessings happened on November 13, 2016. A group gathered to honour the sacredness of water in accordance with Annishnabeg traditions. Amidst the lingering scent of burning sage, jars of water from area waterways that had been gathered over the past months were poured into two copper pots after a story about those waters had been shared. The two pots were then carried to each participant to see within, their own reflection and to pray into for the health of our waters. Each attendee was given a small vial of these waters to take home with them."

Our ally adds, "In calling on faith-based or traditional cultural groups to host a Full Moon Water Blessing, Wellington Water Watchers hopes to create lasting conversations about the deeper relationship we each have with water. A relationship we all share in regardless of age, gender, race, faith or ancestry."

For information on Wellington Water Watchers' upcoming Waterstock gathering, which Council of Canadians chapters are promoting, please click here: [ http://www.ourwaterstock.ca/ ]


Tags: chapters
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Brent Patterson's blog
Political Director of the Council of Canadians
[ https://canadians.org/blogs/brent-patterson ]