Mo Al Mehairbi: Water and Sanitation in the Vancouver Downtown Eastside (Paper Outline)

 

Para 1. Abstract/Introduction.

Para 2. Previous literature and methodology.

Para 3. International law:

Norms in International law

UNDHR, 2 Covenants

Statements and Declarations within UN

Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms

Para 4. Current Policy 1:

Canadian Federal government

Para 5. Current Policy 2: 

British Columbia government

Para 6. Current Policy 3: 

City of Vancouver

Para 7. Water Availability in DTES.

Para 8. Consequences of Water Availability in DTES:

Medical, including health and nutrition

Economic

Para 9. Previous Advocacy:

BCCLA, Homeless organisations

Other organisations involved in water advocacy in the DTES

Para 10. Advocacy contribution 1.   Canadian Federal government:

Approach

Response

Para 11. Advocacy contribution 2. British Columbia government:

Approach

Response

Para 12. Advocacy contribution 3. City of Vancouver:

Approach

Response

Para 13. Advocacy contribution 4. Media

Para 14. Advocacy Analysis:

Efficacy of methods used

Recommendations for further advocacy

Appendices:

Include copies of all letters sent to various levels of government and all responses.

Please Note: Some, or many of these paragraphs are likely to be split into three or four paragraphs as the project continues, although the structure is likely to remain intact.

 

Comments

[Michael Byers]

Since you're focusing your individual term paper and advocacy efforts in a somewhat different direction from your colleagues, I think it's okay for your written requirement (i.e. paper) being also, essentially, a briefing paper for public officials. The advocacy component will then become meetings with those officials, and your efforts to engage the media on the issue.

But as I indicate in my comment below, you need to make sure that you're not covering the same ground as other students within the larger "water group". You can rely on their work, providing you give credit where due, and therefore need to coordinate closely with them.

I'm looking forward to watching this project unfold!

[Hannah van Voorthuysen]

Hey Mo,

I had a quick chat with a water legal expert last night and asked her about this issue. She suggested it was something to do with town planning and the haphazard nature of this in the DTES. Maybe you could try to get a hold of some town planning maps to see how the water fountain installations progressed in the city?

[Mo]

Dr Byers,
Excellent, thanks for that,
Mo.

Hannah,
Thanks for that. The issue is very simple. If influential people get thirsty in the summer, the Engineering department is instructed, during the budget process, to include the construction of new fountains in the appropriate area, and then a new one pops up. Most of them spring up in the general area of the Denman and Davie corner of downtown, near the beach. There are currently five in a 60 block area in the DTES, although due to the potential for freezing pipes, four will be closed in the next week or two.

I am now a tiny part of that budget process. A contact at Engineering will incorporate my findings into a budget request sent to the Council. While, before and after she does that, I will try to put pressure on the Council directly (through meetings, brief and complete reports) and indirectly through an awareness campaign primarily targetting print news but also including a Facebook page.

I will launch the advocacy part almost immediately after Salt Springs so I will be extremely grateful for comments on the briefing paper and op/ed pieces which should mostly be ready by then.

Mo.