World Water Day 2001 on March 22nd 2001 (03/2001)back to World Water Day 2001
The internet as a media for a worldwide communication - ideal to discuss the global topic of environmental preservation. Hundreds of students joined in the effort to present their ideas around the topic water and agenda 21.
35 students of our school participated in the internet conference and presented their knowledge and their questions to be discussed on a global scale - and commented on statements of others. The organisation turned out not to be a problem at all: despite a huge participation easy and direct access to the different groups was guaranteed which allowed a quick and effective exchange of ideas. Probably the only aspect to criticize was the fact that the internet conference had been advertised as a direct chat but finally turned out to be en exchange of e-mails.
The participants agreed that our current use of water needs some fundamental rethinking, that pollution has reached a critical limit which needs everybody´s attention. Throughout the discussion real knowledge was too often mixed with prejudice and opinion rather than understanding. The question "What would you pay for a litre of clean water" was answered by a Norwegian with "Nothing - since we have got plenty of it!" whereas a South American student replied "Who can tell me whether it is really clean?" .
To sum it all up: Students participated enthusiastially in the global internet conference, many have already asked for a repeat, perhaps on a different topic - a working example of global acting and global communication!