Program
This event took place September 2017 in Flint MI. We now move forward with energy that was sparked during the event.
Tentative schedule of the one and half day program:
Friday, September 29 ● 5:00-9:00pm
Overview of the global context; framing the issues: water justice; anti-privatization; Nestlé in Canada and Michigan, anti-bottled water; bolstering public water ownership and infrastructure; colonization of water; explaining emergency management of Flint and Detroit
Featured speakers:
6:00pm Indigenous welcome and water blessing
6:20pm Summit welcome and overview
6:30pm Keynote: Maude Barlow (Council of Canadians) ─ Global framing on the
privatization of water and human rights; Nestlé in Canada
7:00pm Music: Gaia Women of the Great Lakes Basin
7:10pm Michigan legal analysis: Jim Olson (For Love of Water)
Nestlé in Michigan, Great Lakes Compact, NAFTA, public trust
7:30pm Indigenous legal perspective: Holly Bird (Michigan Water Protectors Legal Task
Force)
7:50pm Short film: Story of Bottled Water
8:00pm Panel: Flint and Detroit Water Justice: Flint water contamination; Detroit water
shutoffs and emergency management in both cities
─ Lila Cabbil (People's Water Board)
─ Bishop Bernadel L. Jefferson (Faith Deliverance Center Church)
8:30pm Audience Q&AFeatured speakers:
- Maude Barlow, The Council of Canadians
- Holly Bird, Michigan Water Protectors Legal Task Force
- Lila Cabbil, Detroit People’s Water Board
- Bishop Bernadel L. Jefferson, CAUTION
- Jim Olson, FLOW
6:00pm Indigenous welcome and water blessing
6:20pm Summit welcome and overview
6:30pm Keynote: Maude Barlow (Council of Canadians) ─ Global framing on the
privatization of water and human rights; Nestlé in Canada
7:00pm Music: Gaia Women of the Great Lakes Basin
7:10pm Michigan legal analysis: Jim Olson (For Love of Water)
Nestlé in Michigan, Great Lakes Compact, NAFTA, public trust
7:30pm Indigenous legal perspective: Holly Bird (Michigan Water Protectors Legal Task
Force)
7:50pm Short film: Story of Bottled Water
8:00pm Panel: Flint and Detroit Water Justice: Flint water contamination; Detroit water
shutoffs and emergency management in both cities
─ Lila Cabbil (People's Water Board)
─ Bishop Bernadel L. Jefferson (Faith Deliverance Center Church)
8:45pm Ways to work for change; Wrap-up
9:00pm End of evening song
Saturday, September 30 ● 9:00am-3:00pm
Analysis of the Flint crisis; discussing water crises in several Michigan, Ontario and Indigenous communities; providing space for residents to share stories and experiences of water privatization; examining corporate and public-private partnership harms; outlining public water infrastructure needs; developing strategies for Blue Communities and the public commons.
9:00am Registration and light breakfast, meet and greet
9:30am Indigenous welcome, Woodside Church greeting; overview
9:45am Keynote: Claire McClinton (Democracy Defense League) ─ An analysis of
Flint’s 3.5 years in water crisis
10:15am Panel: Michigan, Indigenous and Ontario Communities in Water Crisis:
The Privatization of Water
─ Sylvia Plain, Aamjiwnaang First Nation and Great Lakes Canoe Journey
─ Marian Kramer, Highland Park Human Rights Coalition
─ Peggy Case, Michigan Citizens for Water Conservation
─ TBC, Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe
─ Robert Case, Wellington Water Watchers
11:15am Q&A
11:30am Next steps: Lunch, workshops and strategies
11:45am Lunch and music
12:15pm Concurrent Workshops: Round 1 11:45am Lunch and music
1:15pm Break
1:30pm Concurrent Workshops: Round 2
2:30pm Next steps, closing comments; culture/song, water blessing/gratitude
3:00pm End of event
