Ten years of water rights: join our global protest on 28 July!

Why are we protesting?

28 July marks ten years of the human rights to water and sanitation. To highlight the injustice of billions of people being denied these vital rights, please join us for a day of global protest.

How can you get involved?

You have two options: you can either join digital demonstrations or organise offline protests.

How to join digital demonstrations:

1. Visit the http://Manif.app website. You will find instructions in multiple languages.
2. Choose a target location. This could be your water ministry, your finance ministry, your national human rights commission, your water utility, your water company etc.
3. Enter a slogan in the top left of the screen (slogan suggestions below).
4. Click ‘Manifest!’ to mark yourself on the world map. Move your avatar to your target location.
5. Take a screenshot once a group has congregated (virtually!) outside your target location.
6. Send this screenshot to your target via email and/or social media. Please also tag @EndWaterPoverty on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
7. DO NOT click ‘Stop Manifest’. This way your avatar will remain visible for the duration of the day even if you close the website.

Slogan suggestions:

The following slogans are merely suggestions. Please adapt these (or change them completely) to reflect your voice and national/local context:

1. Water and toilets are our human rights!
2. Water is a human right, not a commodity!
3. #ClaimYourWaterRights: Lodge complaints to [insert phone number of your national human rights commission]

For more ideas, please read our #ClaimYourWaterRights key messaging document. Your protest can have a uniform message or a range of different messages.

How to organise offline protests:

If you cannot join the online demonstrations, we encourage you to get creative and mobilise offline. The style and scale of your protest will depend on the severity of Covid cases and restrictions in your country. Below are some ideas for countries where large gatherings are prohibited:

• Lodging complaints to regulators, local authorities or national human rights commissions
• Small socially-distanced protests
• Cardboard cut-out protests. See this tutorial for how to make your own cardboard cut-out
• Leaving glasses/bottles of dirty water outside your water ministry’s office (take a picture!)

#ClaimYourWaterRights’ success is down to our members’ innovation at national level. Please share photos and videos from your protests by emailing [email protected] or tagging @EndWaterPoverty on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.