Defending Water For Life Campaign is sponsoring the 2008 Maine Water Symposium

“Who Owns Maine’s Water?”

Bates College Lewiston, Maine Muskie Room 201

Maude Barlow of the Council of Canadians and author of Blue Covenant and co-author of Blue Gold: The Fight to Stop Corporate Theft of the World’s Water will be a keynote speaker. She will draw on her experience as a leader of the international movement for a right to water in speaking about water as a commons in Maine. She will be joined by award-winning journalist Colin Woodard, author of The Lobster Coast, who will describe the protection of the Maine lobster fisheries as a commons.

Also presenting: Ed Friedman, Friends of Merrymeeting Bay, “Maine’s Rivers and the Public Trust”; Butch Phillips, Penobscot tribal elder will lead an opening ceremony and discuss Penobscot River Restoration Project; Vera Francis, Passamaquoddy activist against an LNG terminal for the Pleasant Point Reservation; voices from Fryeburg fighting the incursion of Nestle/Poland Spring in their community and Alan Churchill, Teamsters Local 340 Union Representative for Public Water Workers.

Lunch included if you pre-register by March 22nd. Visit www.defendingwaterinmaine.org or contact Emily Posner, conference coordinator, at info [at] defendingwaterinmaine [dot] org or (207) 930-5232.

Please fill out a registration and email or mail to Emily Posner 238 Peavey Town Road Montville, Maine 04941

Co-sponsors: Food and Water Watch, Friends of Merrymeeting Bay, Maine Chapter of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, Maine AFL-CIO, Bates College, Maine Fair Trade Campaign

Conference Agenda:
9:30-10am—Gathering with coffee, tea, bagels, muffins, literature tables Muskie 201
10-10:15am—Welcome, The Work of the Defending Water for Life Campaign
10:15–10:45am—Opening Ceremony
10:45-11:45am—Maude Barlow,“Not One Without Water; The Global Fight for the Right to Water”
11:45-12 noon—Ed Friedman, “Maine’s Rivers and the Public Trust” Muskie 201
12 noon—12:45 Lunch— possible movie showing.
1-1:45 pm—Colin Woodard, “Triumph of the Commons: How Maine’s Lobstermen Built a Sustainable Fishery” Muskie 201
1:45-2 pm—Break, time to visit literature tables
2:00-3:00pm—Short Presentations
Vera Francis: Passamaquoddy Activist Fighting LNG Terminal for Pleasant Point Reservation
Alan Churchill: Teamsters Local 340. Union Representative for Public Water Workers
Voices From Fryeburg: Fryeburg Residents fighting the incursion of Nestle/Poland Springs in their Community
Butch Phillips: Penobscot River Restoration Project
3:00-4:15 pm—Snacks
Breakout Discussion Groups
4:15-4:30 pm—Closing Ceremony