Dear All,

 

I wish to thank everyone for all the help and support in 2009.

 

 Your contributions helped the Chronicles Group RUNNING DRY Project to continue its efforts to educate the world about the critical importance for everyone to have access to clean drinking water, sanitation and  hygiene. In addition, it helped us underwrite the July 28th Washington DC NATIONAL WATER POLICY EVENT which focused on the necessity to establish a significant National Water Policy within the United States in order to protect our precious water resources.

 

In addition, the funds are helping with the early development of both RUNNING DRY: BEYOND THE BRINK and THE RUNNING DRY-SOUTH AFRICA Projects. The South Africa education project is designed to bring about real social change within the entire water sector in the country and the result will be a model for the world on how a population can be proactive and empowered and able to implement solutions to solve the evolving water crisis. A 4 minute promo and information about the project is available on our RUNNING DRY website.

 

RUNNING DRY: BEYOND THE BRINK will be a documentary feature film to be presented in movie theaters around the world. The central focus is the impact of drought and water scarcity and it connection to energy, public health, agriculture, food supply and ultimately international security.


 

A preview of the BEYOND THE BRINK film is currently being produced and will be presented during the evening of Wednesday February 24th in Washington DC at the Congressional Visitor Center. The event will be co-sponsored by the Congressional Water Caucus and the Chronicles Group in association with the Embassy of Australia and the Center for Strategic and International Study's. Special guests will include members of Congress, actress Jane Seymour,  senior representatives of the Australian Government and many others.

 

Obviously, in order for us to achieve our ambitious goals we need everyone's continued support in 2010 because the stakes in today's world are high. The developing drought, increased demand due to population growth and changes in standard of living, and the water crisis will stretch those regions throughout the planet, in places where basic humanitarian needs are largely ignored. There are currently 6.8 billion people populating the planet. One in eight do not have access to safe water and 2.5 billion (40% of the world's population) do not have access to sanitation. As the number of people increase so will the stress on these water and sanitation systems. Over a million children die every year as a result of diseases caused by unclean water and sanitation. Furthermore, the emergence of infectious disease could result in those regions of the world where there is drought and   extreme temperature warming, and this will add to the evolving emergency. The Chronicles Group RUNNING DRY Project needs your financial help in order for us to continue to communicate this stark reality to the world!

 

Thanks again for your continued support and I wish you a blessed holiday,

 

Jim Thebaut