Alex Zanotelli - August 26, 2008
the heart of this hot summer and this region of Calabria, working with
young people in the cooperatives of the Bishop Brig (Locride) and the Ark of Noah
(Cosenza), I come like a bolt from the blue, the news that the government
Berlusconi confirms the privatization of water.
In fact, the Italian Parliament on August 5 voted to Rule 23 bis of
decree law number 112 of the Minister G. Tremonti and the paragraph 1 states that
management of water services should be subject to the rules of the economy
capitalist. All this with the support of the opposition, particularly the
Pd, in the person of its fee-shadow minister Lanzillotta. (A
decision that angered me, but I am not surprised, given the response by Mr.
Veltroni water to the letter I had sent him during the elections!)
So the Berlusconi government, with the consent of ' opposition, has decreed that '
Italy is among the countries for which the water is a commodity.
After these years of struggle against the privatization of water with many
friends, local and regional committees, with the Forum and the World Contract
water, these stories are for me a punch in the stomach, it hurts.
This is a betrayal by all the parties! Even more serious is the
fact, highlighted by his friends Rosario Lembo and Riccardo Petrella, the
"Decree amending the nature of the state and communities
territorial. Municipalities, in particular, are no longer of public
territorial leaders of the commons, but they become the subjects
property owners in a competitive logic of private interests, for which
their first duty is to ensure that the dividends of the company are as
high interest of municipal finances. "
We are doing also destroy our constitution!
Concretely, what does this mean? This is revealed by the dramatic
news we receive from Aprilia (Latina) showing us what happens
when the water ends up in private hands. Acqualatina (Veolia, the largest
multinational water has 46.5 percent of shares) that manages the water
Aprilia, decided in 2005 to increase the bills of 300per cent! In addition
four thousand families from that year, they refuse to pay the bills to
Acqualatina, paying instead for the Municipality. A long, hard struggle of resistance
their friends against the Aprilia Acqualatina! Now in the middle of summer,
Acqualatina sends its teams of armed vigilantes and policemen for
off the counters or reduce the water flow. All this with the backing
the City and the province of Latina! The goal? Forcing those who dispute
Acqualatina to go to the counter to pay.
It 's a heroic resistance and learn this in April: the people feel
left to itself. We can not leave them alone!
's summer also brings bad news from my Naples and the region
Campania.
The Councillor for the Budget of the City of Naples, a proposal which throws Cardillo
become operational in January 2009. The Arin, the municipal water of
City of Naples, will become a multi-services that include Napoligas and
company for renewable energy. To digest the pill, Cardillo
promised a Robintax "for the poor (lowest rates for the underprivileged classes).
With the privatization of water will necessarily create a serious public
A (the rich) and series B (the poor), as claimed by the economist M. Florio 's
University of Milan.
these are bad news for the whole movement from Naples in 2006
had forced 136 municipalities of ATO
water as a common good. Instead of public water, the assessor is
perhaps preparing a nice treat for A2A (the multi-Brescia and
Milan) or Veolia, if you touch Waste Management
bell? It would be a great triumph at the Naples economic-financial potentates.
To this we must add the serious news in Castellammare di Stabia (a
City of a hundred thousand inhabitants in the province of Naples), 67 000 people
received, for the first time, the bills from Gori, (one of which 46 per SPA
cent of the shares is owned by ACEA, Rome). This in spite of the
decisions of the City Council and the citizens who are fighting for years against
Sorrento).
"You do not pay water bills!" Is the invitation of the local Committee to
families of Castellammare. It will also be here a long and difficult struggle, as
to Aprilia. I feel deeply hurt and betrayed by this news
I receive a little 'everywhere.
bitter I wonder: But where is the big push against
water privatization that led to the collection of 400,000 signatures
support for the law of popular initiative on water? But what happens in
our country? Why are we so still? Why is it so hard
make common cause with all the local struggles, confining our
territories? Why does not Water Forum launches campaign on the internet, for
send thousands of solicitations to the Environment Committee of the House where
sleeping
It is time to appeal to the parliamentarians of all parties to
to through Parliament a framework law on water?
We must give us all a move to realize the dream with us and
say that water is a fundamental human right that must be managed by
local communities with total public capital at the lowest possible cost to the '
user, without SPA.
"Water belongs to everyone and no one can be granted to appropriate
to draw "illegal" profit-wrote the Archbishop Emeritus of Messina G.
Marra. Therefore, calls to be handled exclusively by the municipalities
organized public company, which have always been a duty to ensure
distribution for all at the lowest cost possible. "
When you hear words like the Italian Bishops' Conference?
When does take a position on an issue that means life or death for
our classes, but especially weak for the impoverished of the world? (We will
million deaths from thirst!)
E 'as stated in the middle of this summer, July 16, Pope
Benedict XVI: "With regard to water rights, it must be emphasized also
it is a right that has its basis in human dignity. From
this perspective we must carefully examine the attitudes of those
who consider and treat water only as an economic good. "
When is that our bishops will gain the necessary consequences for our
country and involve all the parishes in a large movement to defend
water?
Water is life. "Water is sacred, not only because it's precious gift of the Creator-
recently wrote the bishop of Caserta, Nogaro - but because it is sacred every
person, any man, every woman on earth in the image of God from '
existence draws water, energy and life. "
Waterfront we play everything!
Starting from the bottom, the fighting in defense of water at the local level,
we share in a great movement that our obligations to Parliament
proclaim that water is not a commodity but a right for all.
Let's get the win for life!
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