Live From India: Launch of "Visions for Water"; A Film Festival About Water

BHUBANESWAR, INDIA--(Marketwire - March 21, 2012) - On March 22-the day officially declared as World Water Day by the United Nations (UN)- ONE DROP and Bakul Foundation of Project India will launch "Visions for Water," the first ever film festival about water in Bhubaneswar, Orissa. This festival will be held at the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI Bhavan), Unit 8, BBSR. Fifteen film screenings on water will be shown followed by discussions facilitated by experts, which includes Ranjan Panda and Tapan Padhi, activists on water and Mr. S. N. Tripathy, Principal Secretary, Dept. Of Rural Development and Mr. Saurabh Garg, Commissioner cum Secretary, Dept. Of Housing and Urban Development, Govt. Of Odisha.

Mr. Dilip Singh, the Chief Engineer, Public Health Engineering Department (urban), Government of Odisha, stated, "We are pleased to be collaborating with ONE DROP and their associate Bakul Foundation, HUP-Population Foundation of India, on this very important event celebrating World Water Day. It is important to raise awareness on the many issues of water and sanitation here in Odisha and we commend these types of activities that reach out to the general public".

The arts as a way of raising awareness

"Visions for Water" is a free event that is open to all. It forms part of ONE DROP Project India, which was launched last September and was made possible thanks to financial support provided by the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC)-one of the project's main partners and a founding partner of ONE DROP.

The Executive Director of ONE DROP, Lili-Anna Peresa, announced, "You are invited to attend this upcoming event, which will place a crucial focus on the various aspects of the problems surrounding water, and which really symbolizes the reasoning behind the ONE DROP project in India."

Project India aims to improve access to safe drinking water and sanitation in Orissa mainly through the medium of social arts and popular education, in the hope that communities will learn to adopt a responsible attitude toward water management and preservation. ONE DROP is working with several partners to set up this initiative. In India, the Bakul Foundation will run popular education workshops using social arts in 22 villages, while the Natya Chetana organization leads a cycle tour to present a play in 100 villages.

From Canada, the Theatre Parminou will be in charge of the popular education and social arts program, while Adobe Productions International offers a short film-making activity for young people.

Project India also has a technical component through which ONE DROP will promote access to safe water in 100 villages, in partnership with Gram Vikas. This part of the project will be made possible thanks to the United Technologies Corporation UTX through its multi-year contribution in terms of both financial and material support, particularly the chlorine dosage systems to purify water and the technical support for their installation.

Schedule for the day

To find out more about the festival schedule, visit the World Water Day page at www.ONEDROP.org.

About ONE DROP

ONE DROP-an initiative set up by Guy Laliberte, Founder of Cirque du Soleil(R)-is a non-governmental organization founded in 2007. ONE DROP contributes to the fight against poverty by supporting access to water and raising individual and community awareness of the need to mobilize so that safe water is accessible to all, in sufficient quantity, today and tomorrow. With its unique arts-based approach, ONE DROP helps ensure sustainable development for communities by implementing educational projects, providing adapted solutions for access to safe water and granting microfinance loans. ONE DROP leads creative projects worldwide that seek to raise the population's awareness of water-related issues and encourage the adoption of responsible water management practices. To learn more, visit www.ONEDROP.org.