"The Right to Water" by Eliza Roberts

“Access to safe water is a fundamental human need and therefore a basic human right.” ~Kofi Annan, United Nations Secretary General

Water may be regarded as a basic human right. Yet, today more than 1 in 6 people in the world don’t have access to safe drinking water. According to a recent World Health Organization Assessment, more than 5 million human beings die each year from illnesses linked to unsafe drinking water; one-third of these deaths are in India alone.

India currently has the second largest population in the world with 1,182,783,000 people. As the population continues to increase and as more Indians move into the middle class thus consuming more water on a day-to-day basis, water consumption is going to increase at an alarming rate.

Many arid regions of India depend heavily on groundwater for farming and basic survival. Some 85% of the population depends on groundwater for their water supply. Yet, between 1947 and 2000, access to groundwater per capita decreased from 5,150 cubic meters to 2,200 cubic meters. With increasing populations in India, it is expected that by 2017, there will be a further decline of per capita availability of groundwater to 1,600 cubic meters.

If that doesn’t sound alarming enough, try this.. Glaciers and snow in the Himalayas are a primary source of water for rivers throughout the country. Yet, with climate change this important source is melting quickly and is expected to decrease dramatically in the coming years. Climate change is also expected to alter the monsoon patterns, which may leave many farmers with arid non-farmable land.

In addition to concerns about the supply of water in India, there are a number of problems surrounding the quality and cleanliness of the water that is available. Many of the rivers have been mismanaged, overused, and polluted. The Ganges, for example, the holiest river in India is also the most polluted river in the world. Approximately 90 million liters of sewage are dumped in the river everyday.

In India, 70 to 80% of illnesses are related to water contamination or poor sanitation and cases of these illnesses are on the rise. Those afflicted face a number of challenges, including inability to work and high medical bills. These effects can be particularly debilitating and costly for those without the resources to afford medical bills and make up for lost days at work making it more of a challenge for them to escape from poverty.

Despite the daunting information and statistics that I have layed out, there are ways to address these problems and minimize their impacts in the future. Many development organizations, governments worldwide, NGOs and the Indian government are investing money into water and sanitation projects to try to deal with water issues throughout the country. Many of these projects have been successful, but there are still too many people throughout the country without access to safe water, toilets and sanitation.

There needs to be more of a focus throughout India and the world on the importance water. It is often not until resources become depleted that people begin to recognize their value. As water sources become more polluted and depleted, I can only hope that people will begin to recognize its importance and pool together greater resources to address the challenges that lay ahead.

As water challenges are addressed, it is important to recognize that solutions cannot simply come from one sector. Non-profits alone, for example, cannot address these challenges throughout the country. There needs to be a multi-pronged approach with funding and development from NGOs and governmental entities both in India and throughout the world; corporations that see the value in investing in innovative water technologies that reach both the elite, as well as the poor; Microfinance Institutions that provide loans for the purchase of health care, water filters and other technologies; government policies that work to conserve and protect water sources, as well as effective implementation of these policies at the state and local level; citizens throughout the world who conduct research and pilot projects to find innovative, cost-effective solutions to address the challenges ahead; and citizens on the ground who implement grassroots advocacy campaigns to conserve and protect their water.

Eliza Roberts Global MBA, 2011

*This is taken from Eliza's wordpress blog

"Football for Hope: Strategic CSR in Action" by Kristina Brzezinski

Fifa and streetfootballworld founded the Football for Hope Movement to use football (soccer in the States) as a tool to address issues such as health, education, gender equality, peace building, the environment, and HIV/AIDS.

My class had the privilege of visiting the first Football for Hope Centre in Khayelitsha Township outside of Cape Town (see photo below). The centre uses football as a tool to attract youth ages 10-16 to the centre, and then invites them to join educational programs as well. While the centre does have about seven staff, it is mostly run by volunteers from the township.

In addition to various educational programs run by different nonprofit partners, the youth are also taught leadership skills, so they can address and solve problems in their communities. Volunteers are also able to gain much needed skills and after so many volunteer hours they can also gain access to training opportunities; for example, a 42-year-old woman got her driver’s license for the first time.

There are a number of 2010 World Cup sponsors, but Yingli Solar stands out for providing solar panels to each of the 20 centers around Africa (including the five in South Africa) as this method of support helps the centers and the environment long-term, while also aligning with Yingli Solar’s business strategy.

Although the center only opened in January of this year, the staff and volunteers have already witnessed the youth developing new skills and learning how to protect themselves, their families, and their country from HIV/AIDS. Football for Hope and its grassroots efforts for social change is just one of the legacies the 2010 World Cup will leave South Africa and Africa.

First Football for Hope Centre in Khayelitsha Township outside of Cape Town

Kristina Brzezinski Global MBA, 2011

"Hello from the Rainbow Nation!" by Kristina Brzezinski

I’m currently in South Africa for a study abroad class, and my group project is on the World Cup’s impact on the environment, economy and society in South Africa. Before I write about that, though, I first must say that South Africa is truly the Rainbow Nation in every way from the diversity of its people and languages to the diversity of its beautiful climates.

The first World Cup to be hosted on African soil is so important to South Africa and Africa, not just for the direct economic and social benefits of the World Cup, but because it puts South Africa and Africa on the world stage in a positive light when so much Western media coverage of Africa is consistently negative. Such coverage can scare off tourists, investors, and companies holding back Africa’s development and denying the rest of the world everything Africa has to offer.

Yes, South Africa may be more developed than many African countries, but its richness isn’t in the new airports, public transit, or stadiums, but in its warm and welcoming people; its extreme sports and myriad other tourist attractions, its history, from which, my country could probably learn a few things about healing after racist oppression; and the present and future economic opportunities.

In regards to safety and security, it’s no different than being in any large Western city; there are areas that are safe and areas that aren’t. When in a big crowd, keep an eye on your purse or wallet, and don’t wander alone into unfamiliar areas at night.

While I hope that the media coverage becomes more responsible and accurate, South Africa hopes all its World Cup guests become unofficial ambassadors to the rest of the world. They can count me as one.

Kristina Brzezinski Global MBA, 2011