Interfaith religious visions and motivations for water and sanitation action

The session cuts across priority 1: Water security and Sanitation (human rights to water and sanitation) and priority 3: Cooperation (strengthen dialogue and partnerships…)

The session intends to fit within the following themes:
human rights access to watsan, access for all, relations between ethics and water & sanitation services and interfaith collaboration/dialogue.

Objectives

• Show the connections between faith, religious, spiritual values and water, sanitation and hygiene.
• Call to increased interfaith dialogue in educating and engaging on water security issues.
• Underscore that religious values and traditions can be a motivation for commitment, solidarity, responsibility and for caring for water
• Call to action to promote interfaith dialogue and engagement on water, sanitation and hygiene

Expected Results

• Demonstrate the role of religions in support of:
o individual/collective practices to ensure equitable access and preserve, use water resources;
o social cohesion and peace around water resources;
o good governance, equity and service provision for vulnerable populations.

• Obtain commitments to address risks of exclusions in policies and practices that promote water and sanitation services, also considering privatization of services
• Share good practices in translating religious values into practice to support water and sanitation
• Showcase that some religious and faith-based organizations can be valuable partners for administrations, implementing agencies and the broader civil society
• Organize an Interfaith action in Dakar (to symbolize dialogue and collaboration), as a follow up to the session or in parallel to engage local populations, not present at the forum, on the session themes