TO TAKE the kind of action needed by all levels of government and communities around the world, it is urgent that we come to agreement on a set of guiding principles and values.
Water belongs to the earth and all species .
Water, like air, is necessary for all life. Without water, humans and other beings would die and the earth's systems would shut down. Modern society has lost its reverence for water's sacred place in the cycle of life as well as its centrality to the realm of the spirit This loss of reverence for water has allowed humans to abuse it. Only by redefining our relationship to water and recognizing its essential and sacred place in nature can we begin to right the wrongs we have done. Because water belongs to the earth and all species, decision-makers must represent the rights and needs of other species in their policy choices and actions.