International Day of Action - Origin
The International Day of Action Against Dams: For Rivers, Water, and Life was inspired and mandated by the participants of the First International Meeting of People Affected by Dams that took place in March, 1997 in Curitiba, Brazil. Representatives from twenty countries including Taiwan, Brazil, Chile, Lesotho, Argentina, Thailand, Russia, France, Switzerland, and the United States decided that the International Day of Action would fall on 14 March, Brazil’s Day of Action Against Large Dams. One of the goals for the Day of Action is to build and strengthen regional and international networks within the international anti-dam movement.
The idea for the First International Meeting of People Affected by Dams originated during an annual meeting of Brazil’s Movement of People Affected by Large Dams (MAB). In September, 1995 a preparatory meeting was held in Brazil and an international organizing committee was formed headed by MAB and including International Rivers, India’s Save the Narmada Movement (NBA), Chile’s Grupo de Accion por el Biobio (GABB), and European Rivers Network (ERN).
The First International Meeting of People Affected by Dams was a successful first step in building and strengthening a global network of the dam-affected. Many of the participants reported an end to their feelings of isolation in their regional fights against governments, lending agencies, and corporations, as well as a renewed strength that they could carry back to their communities.
The International Day of Action Against Dams: For Rivers, Water, and Life is the next step in strengthening the international movement. Our aim is to raise our voices in unison against destructive water development projects, reclaim the health of our rivers and watersheds, and demand the equitable and sustainable management of our waterways. By acting together, we will demonstrate that these issues are not merely local, but global in scope.