IN THIS ISSUE:

• Update & News
• "Water you saying?": words from you
• Reflection Pool: water prose
• Waterlution Learning Programs & Services

UPDATE & NEWS

Happy autumn! It has already been nearly a full year of activity for Waterlution: hosting workshops, creating new initiatives, hearing stories, being invited to speak, learning more ourselves... and we are finding the interest in our relationship to water overflowing into so many diverse places. Here’ s snapshot of the steps we’ve made the past 6 months and a wonderful story from a fellow waterlover in Hungary… we’ve been busy, so this is packed!

Hoping this finds you happy and healthy,
Karen & Tatiana

The Corporate Knights-Waterlution 3rd annual water magazine is out!
With the first annual water pollution ranking and loads of info to quench your thirst… Purchase a copy in your local Chapters bookstore in Canada or download a pdf version from our homepage.

In March, Waterlution partnered with various Oakville community groups to offer a Water Public Forum “Let Justice Rain”. The event included a talk on Global Water issues from Eduardo Souza from the Council of Canadians along with presentations on the local water ecosystem and current areas of concern within Halton Region. With over 100 people coming out, including several regional councilors, we were also treated by an excellence performance put on by the students from Holy Trinity in Oakville. After the speaking portion of the event, participants were invite to participate in a Water Café where they explored together topics such as: the value of water; local ecosystems; household (and garden) use; human rights; privatization. There was such enthusiasm and quality of conversation that there are discussions about holding another such forum in 2007. This is one of Waterlution’s favourite types of events – partnering within our local community and developing spaces for deeper dialogue.

The 4th World Water Forum was held in Mexico City this spring. Waterlution joined in to tap into our international network of water practitioners and gather ideas for innovating on our program offerings, from the wide array of sessions available from international development issues, to demand management, to stories of local initiatives, and more! One of the most inspirational parts of the Forum, aside from many interesting meetings we had, was the First International Water and Film Event. Waterlution is always building its film repertoire and found there to be many excellent, independent productions from around the world. If you are interested in water films on certain topics, please contact Karen.

Waterlution has continued to offer half and full day programs within schools in Ontario. Most of these programs involve an outdoor field trip to learn about the local watershed, yet we also always plan for a rainy day and have indoor water experiments and activities on offer to engage young minds in the complex world of water. We offer programs to junior and high schools – please e-mail Karen to learn more or book a school program.

June 2006 was a busy month! Waterlution was invited to the Water & Cities Dialogue in Vancouver – an international multistakeholder dialogue exploring a number of questions exploring the perspectives of different sectors. It was a rich opportunity to delve more deeply into the underlying issues as not all cities are dealing with the same problems – and solutions will vary according to availability of funding and biogeographical region (e.g coastal, mountain, desert, prone to flooding) in addition to predicted impacts of climate change. See the output on the Water & Cities website.

Also in June, Waterlution hosted its first youth water workshop in Banff, Alberta! Twenty enthusiastic Albertans between the ages of 18 and 30, engaged with academics, scientists and policy makers to learn about the conservation, preservation and appreciation of water. The participants were engineers, business professionals, community leaders and water management students at both the undergraduate and graduate level. The participants were guided by hosts Bob Sandford, chair of UN Water for Life Decade Initiative, and Karen Kun, director of Waterlution – A Water Learning Experience. (e-mail info@waterlution.org if you are interested in reading the output).

“The amazing minds that came to this conference and the way in which we were allowed to speak, listen, debate and laugh in a comfortable and open environment made for an unforgettable experience.” – participant

Are you interested in water issues in the Rocky Mountains watershed and across Canada? Are you between the ages of 18 and 30 and wanting to engage with your peers and experts in the field for a weekend in November?
On November 17-19 we are hosting the second workshop for 2006 in Kananaskis: Engaging Canadian Youth on Water issues from the Rocky Mountain headwaters to the City of Calgary: Reconciling Upland Water Supply with Growing Downstream Needs. The demand for these workshops - which combine innovative learning techniques with exciting content – is growing. We are working hard to bring together a strong and diverse group of supporters for a series of workshops in Alberta in 2007, to bring together youth participants with representatives from the public, private, academic and NGO sectors equally representing various viewpoints. If you would like to support this initiative, please contact us!

Waterlution is currently working on a water film that links Canadians and First Nations communities, and with indigenous groups in Central America, to investigate shared stories of water issues.

"WATER YOU SAYING?"

Some words of wisdom from leading women social innovators from around the world at a recent gathering… by the sea of course!

“We’re 75% water and all our creativity is in there… Everything we do affects the water in our bodies. We have to let it flow… physically… creativity must flow like the water needs to.” – Frances, artist and teacher, Australia

“It’s time to turn the tap on in our lives! To let us flow into our potential.” - Lynne, entrepreneur and women’s empowerment activist, UK

“Water is precious, it is what we are all made up of. Don’t waste it.” – Tip, consultant and entrepreneur, The Netherlands

“In my culture, water is sacred. It is full of spiritual meaning and is the basis of all festivals – whether it be spraying people or dancing for the rain. In October, the rain is supposed to come when we see a certain shape of the moon. If it doesn’t, the community decides to dance for its coming out.” - Nyasha, initiator of London’s first foster child placement agency, Zimbabwe/UK

“Water is a cleanser, cleaning your body outside and inside. I’ve always played with water… my mother used to give me bucket to keep me busy. I like the look of it, and it’s fun!” – Amanda, chef, Mallorca (Spain)

“I like the power of water, the deep sound of the sea. It reminds me of the power of life.” – Joanna, interior designer and grandmother, UK

REFLECTION POOL

“Danube Blues”

Kata tells me Johann Strauss must have been colour blind when he composed his piece "By the Beautiful Blue Danube." The river caresses the heart of Budapest with a quiet, but very present, sensuality. From our vantage point - standing on the Margit Bridge and looking into the city - we can appreciate the river's inevitable touch on the city. Along the left bank, the Parliament building, its arches, dome and spires show off its intricate beauty. Couples hold hands on the promenades, others sit on benches by the river, reading; the cafes, ever so romantic, are filled with a leisurely air. On the Buda side, the Castle, not to be outdone, commands with royal splendour from the top of the hill, the Fisherman’s Bastion in entourage; the Chain bridge has come alive, adorned with lamp jewels that trace its bodily curves above the gentle waters. It’s just another evening; a panorama of Budapest puts Disneyland postcards to shame.

Kata says it again, looking down at the river flowing under the bridge: "I don't see where the word ‘Blue’ in Strauss' waltz comes from.” I listen; I have a weak antenna for the intricacies of classical culture - let alone classical music. Instead, I tell her, "I can see where ‘beautiful’ fits."

Most beautiful city dwellings as we know them - Venice, Prague, Paris, Cairo, London, etc - were built around water. For that matter, several civilizations - think of the hallmarks of romantic ancient civilizations: Easter Island, Akkad, Maya, etc - disappeared with the disappearance of their water resources. I think of this as I follow Kata across the bridge.

Not unexpectedly, it's fume-pumping cars that have the greatest access to the Danube – asphalt roads are built immediately on both sides of the river, where you can imagine children playing or people relaxing. Ignoring the sounds of whooshing cars, we walk along the banks, greedy for a combination of the open air above the river and the last drops of the gold-tainted sunlight now creating silhouettes of the Buda hills. We find a table on the patio of the Angelica café and sit down. I watch the boats going up and down the river, tourists holding their cameras shyly, as if in awe of what they're about to capture in still frames of colour and pixels. I can understand in the flow of the river the majesty of the waltz - why succeeding generations of lovers for three centuries have turned up the volume and let it sweep them off their feet in ballrooms and music theatres. Yet while the volume of the music has grown louder, the quality of the water has fallen lower. Blue is now a mood, not a colour.

The Danube flows through, or forms a part of the borders of, nine countries; another ten countries are counted in by the drainage basin. The name of the river in various languages reads like poetry: Duna (In Hungarian), Danuvius (in Latin): Dunav (in Croatian, Serbian, Bulgarian), Donau (in German), Dunaj (in Slovak, Polish), Danubi (in Albanian), Dunare (in Romanian), Dunay (in Ukrainaian), Danudion (in Italian), Tuna (in Turkish), Donava (in Slovene).

The compositions of waltz inspired by the Danube, the poetry of names by which the river is called, and the longing stares of lovers in hypnosis, cannot dilute the reality of the acidity of the river, playing to the music of economic 'development'. As an informed observer put it, "the Danube now attracts raw sewage from cities, chemicals from agricultural run-off, waste from factories and bilge oil from ships. Much of this pollution is later washed up on coastal beaches, spreading disease and making them unsafe for residents and tourists alike. Chemicals in the water have killed much of the marine life and destroyed the Danube's fishing industry."

We order coffee from a waiter who tells us he is learning to repair watches. Time is broken, we need to fix it. While Kata takes out her recent acquisition, a novel by Peter Nadas, my mind lingers at large. My coffee arrives, with it water and fizzing carbon bubbles trapped in the bottle. Unlike Kata, I don't close my eyes when I bend to smell the flavour of my coffee. I don’t look at into the cup either. My gaze is on the shimmering reflections of light - of the Gresham Palace, the former customs house - in the water. I'm lured by the waves that fail to make it past the built banks. The sound of their splash is inviting, but industrial discharge has turned the Danube into a cocktail of chemicals. Even the reflection of the marble arches of the brilliantly renovated parliament building is shamed to a muddy brown. The river is a pool of dirt, hardly blue. Maybe that's what Kata means; we should sing the blues of the Danube.

The summer evening is very warm. "I could really do with a swim," I say. Kata picks up the longing in my mood. Hungary is a landlocked country, she reminds me. She pauses...and adds, "In the 19th century, when my great grand parents danced to the waltz of the Blue Danube, they must have been like floating over the wide ocean."

I look into my coffee mug for the first time. It's getting cold. I unscrew the Perrier bottle and let the escaping bubbles sigh for me.

- from Lewis Akenji, a Canadian in Hungary

WATERLUTION LEARNING PROGRAMS & SERVICES

Water Learning Programs Workshops and learning journeys can be customised to meet your needs around water learning - for communities, companies, NGOs, and schools. Waterlution can design a public or private program from one half day to 1 week, or a series over a given time period, to explore: local cultures of water, organisational relationships with water, contextual issues - linking water to the broader sustainability and health of our communities and our planet, CSR issues - how water is embedded in the sustainability debate, and more! Workshops and learning journeys are experiential in nature and draw on a wide variety of interactive methodologies including Open Space Technology and World Café. Extended learning experiences can include field trips, site visits with local water entrepreneurs, and opportunities for deeper conversation and reflection.

Water Learning Media We provide research and documentation services to share and communicate what people are feeling towards water and what relationships – and questions - people hold with water. In building a “knowledge ecology” about water, we reach diverse communities, include different perspectives, and raise questions to inspire critical thinking among water stakeholders. Water learning media includes the design of learning tools such as CD-roms, video and film, publications, intranet dialogue platforms, and creative documentation of learning. We draw on action inquiry (integrating cycles of action and reflection in our process) to deepen content.

Workshop/Event Facilitation & Learning Process Design Waterlution provides event design and hosting - for workshops, conferences, stakeholder dialogues, project planning meetings - in your water and sustainability work. Drawing on creative and participatory methodologies, our facilitation is available for coaching emerging projects and water entrepreneurs, encouraging networking within communities, and creating communities of practice relating to water. For more information on how these offerings can support you in exploring your or your organisation's relationship with water, contact Karen at karen@waterlution.org or Tatiana at tatiana@waterlution.org

CONTACT INFORMATION

Waterlution - A Water Learning Experience
50 Old Mill Road, Suite 401 - Oakville, Ontario - L6J 7W1 - Canada

Karen Kun, karen@waterlution.org, tel:+1 416 887 4709

Tatiana Glad, tatiana@waterlution.org, tel: +1 416 827 7811

“You ain't gonna miss water, until your well runs dry.” - Bob Marley

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