Groups from Thames21 and Ganga Action Parivar collaborate to clean the Thames
Driven by the belief that every human deserves clean water and good health, the Global Interfaith WASH Alliance strives to save lives by teaching community-led sanitation programs and providing improved and safe water quality and hygiene for all.
Kiran Bali, MBE JP, executive member of the Global Interfaith WASH Alliance, believes that the support of the world’s religious leaders is essential to progress. “We are one of the world’s key initiatives that saves lives by implementing water sanitation measures. Over five billion people across the world are members of religious communities. This underscores the critical role that religious leaders must play to address these seemingly intractable problems.”
As an interfaith initiative, the Global Interfaith WASH Alliance brings together supporters from faiths around the world to teach programs like Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) and improve Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) training and facilities.
As Kiran notes, “Our educational toolkits have enabled leaders to take the message of WASH forward within their own communities.” One successful program involves propagating an educational program throughout India’s All India Imam Organization, which will enable 500,000 Imams to promote CLTS and WASH to millions of Muslims across the Indian sub-continent.
The Global Interfaith WASH Alliance strives to unite the world’s many faiths in their common goal to enhance public health and ensure clean water for their populations. Kiran explains, “We are working with our world leaders to promote policies in sharing universal access to improved water, sanitation, and hygiene.” The Global Interfaith WASH Alliance now brings its message to the United States in San Francisco, California, for the United Religions Initiative’s 12th annual Circles of Light Gala.
Kiran will be one of five Cooperation Circle leaders presenting their work on the forefront of local and global environmental efforts, which is being honored with the 2015 URI Circles of Light gala’s environmental theme. Circles of Light will be held March 14, 2015, in San Francisco’s Fairmont hotel. For tickets, please click here.
