World Water Day (part 1 of 2)

In 1992theUnitedNationsGeneralAssemblydeclaredMarch22ndof?eachyearasWorldWaterDay.Countriesareinvitedtodevotethe?daytotheconservationanddevelopmentofwaterresources.Asa?result,conferences,roundtables,seminarsandexhibitionsareheld?worldwidetopromotepublicawarenessofthisglobalissue.?In2007,agrassrootsinitiativecalledtheTapProjectwascreated,?whichhelpsUNICEFprovidecleanwatertochildrenaroundtheworld.?InitiallylaunchedinNewYorkCity,theprogramwillbecomea?nationaleventthisyear.And,inyearstofollow,theTapProject?willbeaninternationalresourceofdonationsforUNICEFandWorld?WaterDay.?In2008,theUNWorldWaterDaythemeisthe”YearofSanitation”,?withanoverallgoaloffosteringeconomicandsocialdevelopmentby?acceleratingprogressofsanitationfacilities.38thANNUALUNPEACEBELLCEREMONY?ONEARTHDAYONTHEEQUINOX?THURSDAY,MARCH20,2008?1:48AMEDT?(Equinox)?CEREMONYBEGINSAT1:15AMEDT?Openingsong,?LetThereBePeaceonEarth:bysinger/songwriter?Shije?SollidofLosAlamos,NewMexico(English/Spanish).?OpeningremarksbyKevinSanders,MasterofCeremonies,includinga?SaluteTo??WomenforPeace?,aUnitedNationsDelegatesWomenClubProject,?andthe?womenwhostandupforpeace,justiceandthecareofearth?WelcomingremarksbyHelenGarland,Chair,EarthSocietyFoundation,?with?commentsonbellringingattheCathedral,Christchurch,New?Zealand.?ExcerptsontheUNInternationalYearofPlanetEarth(2007-2009),a?UNESCO?initiativebyMr.KoichiroMatsuura,Director-GeneralofUNESCOon?theoccasion?ceremonyforInternationalYearofPlanetEarth?12February2008..?ReadbyKevinSanders.?Song,?BridgeOverTroubledWaters?byGermansinger,songwriter,?andhuman?rightsactivist,WolfgangBaronVonHildebrandt.?MessagefromJohnMcConnell,thefounderofEarthDayontheEquinox?(March?20-21)andco-founderoftheEarthSocietyFoundation,supportedby?theworld?renownedanthropologist,MargaretMead.ReadbyKevinSanders.?StatementbyThomasC.Dowd,PresidentoftheEarthSociety?Foundation.?StatementbyAmbassadorAnwarulChowdhury(Bangladesh)onthe??Culture?ofPeace.??RemarksbyAyeAyeThant,daughter,UNSecretary-GeneralUThant.?Readby?KevinSanders.AyeAyeThant,PresidentoftheUThantInstitute?isplanninga?seriesofeventsduringtheyear2009tomarkthe100thanniversary?ofthebirthofher?father,UThant.?Note:?Culturalperformers,includingtheTarumiViolinists,willgather?aroundtheUNPeaceBelljustbeforethebellringing.Thebellwill?ringthreetimesfollowedbya?MinuteforPeace.?Thisisamoment?forsilentprayer,meditation,orreflection.Simultaneously,?bellswillringaroundtheworld.?TapProjectMissionStatement?It’soursinglemostbountifulresource.Yet,waterisadaily?privilegemillionstakeforgranted.Thelittleknowntruthisthat?lackofcleanandaccessibledrinkingwateristhesecondlargest?worldwidekillerofchildrenunderfive.?Toaddressthissituation,anationwideeffortislaunchingduring?WorldWaterWeekcalledtheTapProject,acampaignthatcelebrates?thecleanandaccessibletapwateravailableasaneveryday?privilegetomillions,whilehelpingUNICEFprovidesafedrinking?watertochildrenaroundtheworld.?TheTapProject.?BeginningSunday,March16throughSaturday,March22,restaurants?willinvitetheircustomerstodonateaminimumof$1forthetap?watertheywouldnormallygetforfree.Foreverydollarraised,a?childwillhavecleandrinkingwaterfor40days.?Astheworld’sleadingchildren’sorganization,UNICEFunderstands?thecriticalrolewaterplaysinachild’ssurvival.?Currently,UNICEFprovidesaccesstosafewaterandsanitation?facilitieswhilepromotingsafehygienepracticesinmorethan90?countries.By2015,UNICEF’sgoalistoreducethenumberofpeople?withoutsafewaterandbasicsanitationby50percent.?TapWaterFacts?TheSituation??Morethan5,000childrenaredyingeverydayasaresultof?water-bornediseases??Foreachdollarspentonwaterandsanitationprojects,the?projectedreturnoninvestmentisfrom$3to$34?HowUNICEFHelps??UNICEFworkstoimproveaccesstosafewaterandsanitation?facilitiesinschoolsandcommunities,whilepromotingsafehygiene?practicesinmorethan90countriesaroundtheworld??Morethan1.2billionpeoplegainedaccesstoimproveddrinking?waterbetween1990and2004throughUNICEF’sefforts,andabout1.2?billiongainedaccesstoimprovedsanitationfacilities??UNICEF’sgoalistocutthenumberofpeoplewithoutsustainable?accesstosafewaterandbasicsanitationinhalfby2015?WorldWaterRescueFoundation?GoodNewsBroadcast?&?”TheWaterHour”??present??PeteSeegersays:”WaterNotWeapons”??8:00-8:10-IntroductionbyJoelLandy??8:10-8:20-CECILIASt.King->”WaterNotWeapons”??8:20-8:30-NYC”RagingGrannies”-3SUPERsongs??8:30-8:40-EmmaGraves-1song->”Thirsty”??8:40-8:50-JayByrd&PeterPasco-1song:”Cool,ClearWater”??8:50-9:00-Speaker:KenGale->”WaterForGotham-Chapter2″??INTERMISSION-10minutes??9:10-9:20-ChrisLang-1song:”Clearwater”??9:20-9:30-JennyHurwitz&TalbotKatz-1song:”GottaDrinkThe?Water”??9:30-9:40-HarveyNewman-1song:”WaterIsForSharing”??9:40-9:50-EllenOsuma-Poem:”WhatElseDoesWaterKnow?”??9:50-10:00-RayKorona-2songs:”Water-TheSong”&”ToysFor?Peace”??10:00-10:10-CaitlinO’Heaney-1song:”Mother’sWater”??===->PremierofPeteSeeger’snewsong!!!??10:15-Speaker-ChrisMiller-KeynoteAnnouncement??GrandFinale->Cecilia->”WaterNotWeapons”??EVERYBODY==>>”ThisLandIsYourLand”??