Global Interfaith WASH Alliance to Promote Safe Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Launched at the United Nations in Partnership with UNICEF.
Today a special alliance was launched at the UNICEF headquarters at the United Nations. Religious heads from around the world, joined by the Executive Director of UNICEF and representatives of many organizations officially launched the Global Interfaith WASH Alliance (GIWA), an alliance of leaders of faith working together to bring clean water, sanitation and hygiene to people of the world.
The aim of GIWA is to harness the great power and influence of the world’s interfaith leaders of faith in effecting significant and positive change in the areas of water, sanitation and hygiene and helping to achieve these crucial Millennium Development Goals.
The launch also included a sacred water ceremony in which the leaders offered water, gathered from 20 rivers across the world, to a beautiful crystal globe, representing the world. The ceremony was symbolic of the union of the leaders of many of the world’s religions in their commitment to bring clean water, sanitation and hygiene to the world.
Said Rabbi Awraham Soetendorp: “We are called to sanctify time and dedicate the next 7 years, every hour, every second to the provision of clean water and improved sanitation. Living water will be in reach of the whole community of life and thus hope will propel us to action. When I was a young child, people saved me and took care of me. Now, I have dedicated my life to making sure that every child is cared for, particularly that they have clean, safe water to drink.”
Said Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji: “The borders and boundaries that we think separate us only illusory. We are not separate. We are one. So when our brothers and sisters are suffering due to lack of water, sanitation and hygiene, it is our responsibility to help them. Water is life and everyone has the right to life. We have already lost too many precious lives due to lack of access to clean water and sanitation. It is time for us all to come forward together.”
Said Imam Ilyasiji: “The All India Imams Organization will spread the message to all of its 550,000 imams across India, the largest Imams Organization in the world, and they will then spread to their followers about the importance of water, sanitation and hygiene. We will train the Imams of India to spread this important message. We need to work also with the women because the women spread the message to the whole family so they are a very important part of our program.”
Each day 1600 children die from diarrhea. One of the best strategies to reduce child deaths is improving access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene. Yet today only 64 per cent of the global population has improved sanitation, and more than 768 million people still lack access to improved drinking water sources.
GIWA envisions a water-secure world in which safe and sustainable drinking water and improved sanitation will be accessible to all by the year 2020. An estimated 5 billion people across the world are members of religious communities, underscoring the critical role religious leaders can play in addressing seemingly intractable problems – such as access to safe water and sanitation.
