Principles
- Water is a sacred gift and essential basis for life.
- Alliances are a formal way to protect what is sacred.
- People from every academic discipline and community background are needed as Water Allies.
- Indigenous peoples are leaders and important allies in protecting water.
- Values like Respect and Kindness are vital to alliances and work protecting water.
Purpose
- Provide a hub for diverse academics and communities to connect on water issues.
- Contribute to linkages supporting the formation of alliances protecting water.
- Connect diverse people, courses, events and resources supporting the health of the waters around us.
- Build an online network facilitating and sharing projects that restore and protect water.
- Promote events supporting the protection of water.
What is an Ally?
An ally is a formal partner, one with whom we are bound together through a deep inner purpose. An ally in this formal sense is responsible for answering a call for help from other allies. Allies are not just partners in an everyday way, but are rather joined together in a manner that is meant to endure whatever hardships either partner may encounter. Because this higher meaning of alliance is such a commitment, we need to fully understand alliance before entering into it. For this reason, we want the Water Allies hub to help facilitate wider understanding and possibilities for real alliances through a deepening and networking of conversations around water protection.
What are Water Allies?
Water Allies could be diverse people or groups who are allied with one another to protect and restore water. We can also think about being allied with the water itself. Water holds, carries and sustains us all; the sacred nature of water binds us all together, uniting us in our work to respect and clean the waters all around us. We are being called by the water, and if we make a commitment as allies, we must respond to that call.
Invitation
This hub is for those who are already allies, and for those would aspire to be an ally. We invite students and faculty throughout University of Toronto’s St. George, Mississauga and Scarborough campuses as well as members of Toronto’s diverse communities contributing to water issues to get in touch, join our ListServ and tell us about the work that you’re doing on, for and with water. Go here for more details on how you can get involved.
If you live outside Toronto, Ontario or Canada, we’re interested in learning more about how the work you’re doing as well. Please feel free to contact us to share resources and information on our common struggle to protect water.
Anishinaabe law is more about responsibility
than rights.
It’s not just: “I have a right to swim there.'”
It is: “I have a responsibility to that water.”