Seems like such a simple thing

Going through the dial on the car radio recently, I happened upon an interview on NPR about water. It was intriguing, so I kept listening to this woman explain how critical the situation is in many parts of the world where communities have no clean water, and therefore no sanitation, which leads to all sorts of dire problems. Relief efforts range from digging wells to laying pipes and building irrigation systems and more, which several non-profit organizations are dedicated to doing. It’s easy to help, and hearing the stories makes you want to.

The bishops of Patagonia have made an appeal for that help. To the UN Secretary General, at the Copenhagen Summit on Climate Change.

“Conscious of the enormous responsibility of the decisions of political authorities of all countries in regards to social peace, the development of peoples, the present and the future of history, climate change, energy, environment, and in particular water,” the Bishops said they were “happy to live in Patagonia, a lush land blessed by God,” which they want to “protect, care for, and respect.” They then manifest their concern about the threats to Patagonia that could seriously and irreversibly damage the nature and human life of this “reserve life” of the planet.

So the bishops ask that summit adds the issue of fresh water to its agenda…

because fresh water is a vital element and source of life that can not be replaced.

They added… 

“it is a human right is the common heritage of mankind and can not be privatized nor commercialized.”

Therefore, they propose the establishment of a short-term World Water Plan; promotion in all countries of the management of water resources with the participation of the public sector, private sector, community and institutions. The UN must finally become the promoter of a culture of life, according to the theme proposed by Pope Benedict XVI for the upcoming World Day for Peace on 1 January 2010: “If you cultivate peace, keep creation.”

That says it all.