By the late 80’s, AIDS had developed into a full fledged crisis. Despite the rapid spread of the disease, government officials remained quiet. President Ronald Regan, the “Great Communicator” refused to utter the word “AIDS.” To bring attention to the issue and force an apathetic and reluctant government’s hand, the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT UP) took to the streets. The Los Angeles chapter of ACT UP led the charge with media savvy slogans such as “Silence = Death.” They stopped the Rose Parade. They shouted down politicians. They were in your face and in the public eye. Hollywood actors joined the march, pinning the now iconic red ribbon to their Oscar gowns and suits. Eventually, political will and funding to address the epidemic came around.

During my run through LA, I thought a lot about ACT UP/LA’s work and legacy. Where is the ACT UP for water? With 6,000 children dying everyday from water related illness, where is the civil disobedience? There is much to shout about…

In 2005, Congress took a major step forward in addressing the water challenge by passing Senator Paul Simon’s Water for the Poor Act of 2005. However, the bill lacks real funding to carry out the agenda. In FY2005, only $15 million of allocated funds for the bill went to sub-Saharan Africa. That’s roughly equivalent to 3 minutes of advertising during the Super Bowl – and less than 1% of what we spent on pet insurance in 2005.

We are not going to solve the water challenge – or any other major development challenge – without major governmental support – not in the form of a bill – but rather, in dollars on the ground. We don’t want $15 million spread across a desperate continent – but $1.5 BILLION channeled to the countries most in need. To get there, let’s learn from ACT UP. Let’s roll up our sleeves and join the picket line. Let’s make it a campaign issue. Let’s scream at the top of our lungs, “WATER IS LIFE!”

>From Barstow, California – happy trails.

-S-