May 22, 2017.
United Religions Initiative at the UN leader Monica Willard writes, "the WATERSHED Conference will feature a line-up of inspirational speakers, scientists, youth, and business leaders. The event will be live-streamed from the Vatican for a globally connected audience that is invited to digitally share #MyWaterStory, stories of struggles, hopes, and fears about the world's water supplies. This audience will bring new voices, content, stories, art, media and workable solutions to light."
Papal Audience with Pope Francis Streamed Live on Facebook at 10:30am CET on March 22, International Day of Water
On Wednesday, 22 March - World Water Day 2017 - Pope Francis will inspire a global conversation that will help shift how the world values and understands its single most precious resource: WATER. Following the General Audience with Pope Francis, the #WATERSHED Conference will gather people from every walk of life and every corner of the globe to initiate an extraordinary exchange of ideas around the global water crisis. BARKA will be there, representing the rural population of Burkina Faso. The objective is to align global perception with the immediate reality that water is the trigger for unrest and instability, as well as an opportunity for resolution and collaboration. As longtime readers of BARKA's newsletter know, within the spiritual cosmology of Burkina Faso, the Spirit of Water is about grief, healing, reconciliation, forgiveness and ultimately, peace. Yet in today's world, water is increasingly becoming a source of conflict. Just last month at an international seminar on the "human right to water", Pope Francis warned of a "major world war for water". Social, political, environmental, economic, and ethical issues are all converging around the nexus of water. The WATERSHED Conference will feature a line-up of inspirational speakers, scientists, youth, and business leaders. The event will be live-streamed from the Vatican for a globally connected audience that is invited to digitally share #MyWaterStory, stories of struggles, hopes, and fears about the world's water supplies. This audience will bring new voices, content, stories, art, media and workable solutions to light.