Reflecting on the World Youth Parliament for Water: 4th General Assembly
Here I sit, at my desk, 10:00pm on July 17th, 2018, trying to write a blog post about my experiences in Brasil this past March, for the World Youth Parliament for Water (WYPW) and World Water Forum (WWF).
WYPW is a network of over 400+ youth from 80+ countries that work together to connect and share ideas, resources, and knowledge for water. Delegated members from the WYPW attend the WWF every 3 years, as well as hold a separate General Assembly as a youth group. This year, 40 members gathered in Brasilia, Brasil for the 4th General Assembly and 8th WWF. I was chosen as a Canadian youth delegate because I won first prize for Waterlution's 2016-17 Great Waters Challenge! (See "Pass the Glass")
Months have gone by, and I have not yet shared any written or visual stories of the beautiful peoples, places, trees, plants, waters, and animals in Brasil. Thankfully, I have a dedicated lifetime friend that I met at the WYPW, Khadjia Stewart from Trinidad and Tobago, who always reminds me to share my stories. She gave me a deadline of 11:30pm tonight, but I asked for an extension until tomorrow.
So, here we go.
Stories Live Within Us
Every day, I look to Richard Wagemese for advice through his book of meditations, "Embers". Today, I flipped open the book and landed on page 63:
“The lilt of the language reminds me that a gift is not a gift until it is shared, and I smile knowing that stories live in the soft curl of my knuckle.”
I, too, smile, knowing that the stories I am about to share with you are entangled in dancing memories of music, laughter, and tears. The rhythms of the music around the world ring in my ears as I close my eyes and let my hands flow over the keyboard like waves splashing on the shoreline.
Bundle of Nerves
When I hopped on the plane in Toronto to travel to Brasil, I was carrying a bundle of nerves with me. Many people, including my doctors, warned me of the violence, theft, crime, and disease in the country. Though, I had no prior experience traveling to Brasil. I tried to be as open-minded as possible, despite the carry-on weight of my anxieties.
As I sat patiently waiting in the plane from Toronto to Houston, Texas, the pilot announced we would be delayed to undergo a de-icing process. Toronto was just hit with a freezing rain storm, and we would not be able to fly out for at least 30-45 more minutes.
My anxiety raised immediately – I only had a 1 hour layover in Houston before my connecting flight departed for Rio de Janeiro. I took deep breaths, and reassured myself that I would make the flight. I asked the flight attendant what the weather was like in Houston and if she could share any information about the status of my next flight. She said the weather looked good, and she would try to get information about the flight status as soon as possible.
The plane was finally clear of any ice, and we departed the Pearson Airport. I tried to relax on the flight, though my mind continued to wander through paths of worry.
When we landed in Houston, the flight attendant requested (several times) that all passengers without an immediate connecting flight must stay seated. I ran out of the plane as quick as I could, through the gate, and down the terminal to find my connecting flight. I asked a security guard where E23 was. He pointed me to the opposite side of the airport… And, I only had 5 minutes to get there. I grabbed my duffle bag and sprinted as fast as I could to get to the gate.
Thankfully, I made it! I was one of the last few people to board the plane. I scattered to my seat and sat down in a huff, out of breath from the run. Next to me, was a short white-haired man, Daniel, from Rio de Janeiro, travelling back from a business conference in Los Vegas. I introduced myself and where I was from, and explained why I was sweating and out of breath. We started swapping stories of our lives, and we realized that we both shared a strong passion for protecting the land and water.
We talked for hours on the flight, sharing 13 hours next to each other before arriving in the beautiful, green city of Rio de Janeiro. Daniel insisted that I not waste my 8-hour layover stranded in the airport, and he offered to take me to Corcovado, the famous Christ statue in Rio de Janeiro. We shared espresso and Pao de Queijo in the airport lounge before taxiing to Copacabana.
When we arrived to the remarkable white sand beach, Daniel helped me navigate the tour guide information and tour van to get to Corcovado. We drove through and up the mountains to get to the statue, and when I arrived, I could not believe the view!
I sipped a freshly squeezed mango juice underneath the shadow of Christ as I gazed at the city landscape. The tropical green palms and plants, the thick, dense jungle forest, and the ever-expanding blue sky and ocean intertwined together, wrapping me in a world of wonder and beauty.
Meet & Greet
I made my connecting flight to Brasilia, Brasil with ease. When I arrived in Brasilia, I waited in the airport to meet Laurie, WYPW coordinator, and a few other WYPW members. It was the first time we would meet each other in person.
When we greeted one another, it was though we had been friends forever. There was an unspoken bond. Despite us only having a few hours of sleep and several time zone differences, we connected immediately, laughing and sharing about our long journeys.
We travelled to the hotel to meet the rest of the WYPW members for dinner. We dined and drank under the moonlight, excited to learn about and from one another.
In the morning, we shared breakfast by the pool as we mingled with more new WYPW members.
Throughout the day, we gathered in a meeting room, participating in several workshops and activities. For example, Pio Wennubst (Ambassador, Vice-director general Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, FDFA), introduced Blue Peace, a powerful movement that teaches people to think and act for water through peace, love, and gratitude.
The lessons that we learned on the first day carried us through the remainder of the General Assembly and WWF. Our internal fires had been stoked by everyone’s teachings, stories, ideas, and creativity. There was a buzzing energy in the room, like a hive of bumblebees working together to make sweet honey.
The Force of Water
The youth took on the WWF like the force of water breaking through rocks. This year, we had the largest youth representation at the forum in history!
WYPW members were speaking on panels, asking and answering questions, getting interviewed for media and news channels, attending lectures, and participating in activities and workshops.
Photo by Tom Llewellin
We were empowered and empowering. We encouraged one another every step of the way. We attended each other’s sessions in full and were cheering crowds of support. We motivated one another to ask challenging questions and speak in front of large audiences. Together, we raised and strengthened youth capacity for water.
Photo by Tom Llewellin
We, as youth, ensured our recognition as key stakeholders in the global water sector.
FAMA
Alongside the World Water Forum, the civil society movement in Brasil held an Alternative World Water Forum, “Fórum Alternativo Mundial da Água (FAMA) 2018” to raise awareness of the corruption of the Brasilian government.
To illustrate, the Brasilian government spent $50 million EU into the WWF, and, yet, many citizens of the country do not have access to safe, clean water.
Overall, FAMA worked to prepare another perspective of the water issues and solutions in Brasil, as well as around the world. It is important to have alternative perspectives to the dominate ideologies and systems in the water sector.
Unfortunately, with our jam-packed schedule and commitments at the WYPW, I did not have a chance to attend FAMA, though fortunately a few of the WYPW members made it for some of FAMA’s events.
Every day FAMA created a visible presence around the WWF, and I was grateful to see a glimpse of their messages, as well as their march on World Water Day. I hope to attend the next Alternative World Water Forum in 3 years.
Santuário dos Pajés
During our time in Brasilia, we, WYPW members, were blessed with an opportunity to visit Santuário dos Pajés (“Sunshine Sanctuary”), an Indigenous community located in the outskirts of Brasilia.
When we arrived to the community, the landscape was divided by tall apartment and condo buildings on one side and a lush green forest barricaded by a fence and signage on the other. We felt quite uncertain about what we were about to walk into, questioning the stark separation between the two communities.
Photo by Tom Llewellin
As a community member opened the gate for us and invited us into their home, we smiled and wandered down the red sand trail to their community. The Chief and community welcomed us into their home and then shared a mesmerizing song and dance.
Photo by Tom Llewelli
Photo by Tom Llewellin
We then walked down a trail through the forest, learning about native plants of the land. When the path ended, we arrived at an open area where the river once ran.
Photo by Tom Llewellin
The community members shared in their language how they have resisted the Brasilian government for decades to protect the sacred land and water. Every day, their lives are at risk to ensure the government does not destroy the land and water. Everything the community does is for Mother Earth, to protect her from colonial, capital, and neoliberal destruction and domination.
After they shared their stories, they invited us into their sacred lodge for a prayer. During the prayer, a community member gifted everyone a seed to plant in waterbodies that were most special to us. The plant cleans and purifies water from pollution. We were all beyond grateful for such a meaningful gift.
After the prayer, we all sat in a circle outside and, one by one, shared who we were, where we came from, why we were there, and what we were going to take back with us.
Photo by Tom Llewellin
When everything finished, I walked up to Michael, a community member who came from the Amazonia to protect the water, and asked if I could sing him “The Nibi Song” written by Doreen Day.
“Ne-be Gee Zah- gay- e- goo
Gee Me-gwetch -wayn ne- me – goo
Gee Zah Wayn ne- me- goo”
(translated from Ojibway to English)
“Water, we love you.
We thank you.
We respect you”
Photo by Khadija Stewart
We held hands while I sang it, four times, as tears streamed down our faces. It was a very beautiful and special moment. Though Michael did not speak Ojibway, he could feel the power of the vibrations of each word ripple love and gratitude through his mind, body, and spirit. Our waterbodies connected through the melody.
In a closing ceremony, we planted four native trees in the community to grow with gratitude, love, and reciprocity.
Photo by Tom Llewellin
Our goodbyes were difficult, as we made unbreakable bonds with the community members. The time we spent in Santuário dos Pajés opened our spirits to the world, and we began to understand what is meant by the words, “water is life.”
Photo by Tom Llewellin
"Come Back Always"
On the last day of the 8th WWF and 4th General Assembly, we played games, cheered, shouted, and laughed on the bus ride back to Arvorecer. When we arrived to our home for the week, we saw a beautiful floral banner hanging with letters hanging:
“COME BACK ALWAYS!!!! WE WILL MISS YOU”
We were all in awe… The hotel staff became part of our family. They were the ones who truly took care of us during our 6:30am-1:00am days. They cooked us the most amazingly delicious and flavourful (& mostly vegetarian!) meals, made us tea in the night, let us stay up late and go swimming in the pool, and overall treated us with the most love and gratitude imaginable.
Together, we celebrated our final night together with music from around the world, swinging to the rhythms of everyone’s unique lives. We shared our gifts of gratitude and reciprocity and we danced, laughed, cried, swam, and sang into the morning sun.
As I said my final tearful goodbyes with the remaining (and awake) WYPW members, I hopped in a shuttle van with Suren to the airport. We had different flights, but would meet each other in Rio de Janeiro to go to Sugar Loaf Mountain with Daniel.
When I exited the security gates, there Daniel was smiling, waiting for me at the arrivals. Suren landed shortly after and the three of us shared espresso and Pao de Queijo before taxiing to Sugar Loaf.
We glided up the cable car to the two different mountain peaks, soaking in the aerial views of Rio de Janeiro before heading back to our home countries. We sipped on espresso and ate fresh Pao de Queijo one last time.
I focused on the individual and interwoven flavours and aromas of the coffee, cheese, bread, and the fresh air of the mountain peak. I felt relaxed, inspired, and grateful for a wonderful time, in a remarkable place, with my new lifelong friends.
I had left my bundle of nerves behind, and I felt comforted by the love shared with me from the magnificent people and places.
Suren and I had more time before we needed to go to the airport, so Daniel showed us one of his favourite local restaurants. We ate, drank, and laughed outside in the warm Brasilian sun. We then said goodbye to Daniel and shared a taxi back to the airport.
Suren and I had another drink before he caught his flight, and then I ran into a few WYPW members waiting for their flights home. We giggled in an overtired, happy daze as we lounged on rows of chairs with our luggage.
Soon, we said our goodbyes, and I hopped on my flight back to Turtle Island.
For the Water
While it has been months since my time in Brasil, as I sit here and type late into the next day, I feel powerful waves of memories quickly rolling out of my spirit, mind, and body, and splash onto these pages.
We are all storytellers, and we can share our gifts through stories. As you read my recollections, I hope you can feel, taste, and smell the bitterness of coffee, savour of Pao de Queijo, sweetness of honey, and unceasing fire of the WYPW members’ inspiration, motivation, determination, action, and brilliance.
Every person, every place, and every moment from Brasil has left an everlasting impression on me. We shared our cultures, values, beliefs, meanings, passions, loves, and desires with one another. We did not allow our differences to separate us, they connected us in ways that none of us could have ever imagined.
Photo by Tom Llewellin
I knew that I would make great friends at the WYPW, but I never realized how close I could feel to a group of “strangers”. I truly cannot express how quickly and deeply I connected with the WYPW members. It was like we had been a long-lost family, finally brought together for the same purpose – for the water. It is impossible to put into words the love, gratitude, faith and hope I have for this group of water protectors and water warriors.
I finally understand what is meant when people say, “water has no boundaries, no borders, no judgment.” Water brings us together, across cultures, geographies, and histories. Universally, "water is life". As cliche as it may seem, the statement holds more truth than we, as humans, will ever know or understand.
I am so honoured and privileged to be part of this brilliant group of young people dedicated to water. I think of you all every single day; I love and miss you so much. We are all in this together, for the water. Whenever you need me, I am here to support you. We will see each other again soon.
Remember, as Grandmother Josephine encourages us to stand up and say:
"Nga-zhichige Nibi Onji! I will do it for the water!"
Enjoy this visual story of my time in Brasil titled:
"World Youth Parliament for Water: Video Journal"
References:
Mother Earth Water Walk. (2018). Nibi Song. Retrieved from: http://www.motherearthwaterwalk.com/?attachment_id=2244
Wagamese, R. (2016). Embers: One Ojibway's Medidations. Douglas & McIntrye.
[This article was edited by Khadija Stewart]