Water Justice
March 21 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Zoom Meeting ID: 893 4651 9054
Passcode: 303397
Passcode: 303397
The Greater Lansing UNA (GL-UNA) and Greater Detroit UNA (DGUNA) are collaborating to present a virtual waterjustice program on Thursday, March 21, 2024 from 7:00 – 8:30 pm to commemorate UN World Water Day. This year’s theme is ‘Water for Peace’, which focuses on the critical role water plays in the stability and prosperity of the world. We know water can be a tool for peace when communities and countries cooperate over this precious shared resource.
GUEST SPEAKERS
Since 1993, Maureen Taylor has served as Chair of the Michigan Welfare Rights Organization, a union of public assistance recipients, low-income workers and the unemployed that organizes members to fight
for their rights and to eliminate poverty in this country. Over the past several years, Maureen spearheaded several MWRO campaigns to protect low-income Detroiters against electricity, gas and water shut-offs. She participated in negotiations for the Water
Affordability Plan for the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department; and she was a key consultant on two award-winning documentaries, “The Water Front,” about water rights and water affordability in Highland Park, Michigan; and the film, “A World Without Water”
on the crises of international water affordability and access which featured a segment on Detroit. Recently, Maureen has worked on the newest presentation called “Whose Water”, a documentary exploring the struggle of cities across America being denied access
to clean water and sanitation. Additionally, Maureen has a MSW in Social Work and is a Detroit school counselor who is improving student and teacher success rates.
Emma Rice is a social science researcher that primarily explores issues of equity, access, and food security at the water-food-energy nexus. Her research focuses on freshwater fisheries globally and is
guided by resilience theory, social-ecological systems and food systems thinking, and a commitment to ethical engagement with local communities. Rice is currently an Institute for Critical Technolgy and Applied Science (ICTAS) Doctoral Scholar in the Department
of Fish and Wildlife Conservation at Virginia Tech. She is a Michigan State University Alumni and has previous work experience at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the White House Council on Environmental Quality, and the Michigan
Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy.
Tula Ngasala is an adjunct scholar at Michigan State University and a civil and water resources engineer at Spicer Group Inc., with a background in civil and environmental engineering (Ph.D. – Michigan
State University, USA) and civil and water resources engineering (MSc. & BSc. – University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania). Her academic training and research experience has provided her with an excellent background in water resources engineering practices as
well as research projects and field implementations around Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) especially in low and middle-income countries. Her research experience focuses on water security, water quality, water source contamination, sanitation improvement,
point of use water treatment, etc. Dr. Ngasala is currently involved in research to understanding the nexus between water infrastructure, energy, WASH access, gender roles and female education attainment in rural Tanzania.
VIRTUAL PROGRAM
