Celebrate Water with Ebb and Flow

World Water Day. A celebration of water. A celebration of life. For without water there can be no life. The celebration must flow like water but also affect the mind. It must have the ability to be calm but then raging the next. To show people how important it is through its absence and then the beauty it can provide through its bountifulness.

A week prior to the event, water shipments stop. All those water coolers at
your office are suddenly rationed. This provokes people into become conscious of their water habits. All this time water from rains is being collected but not purified. The day of, the pressure to all water in pipes is turned off so no one has access to fresh water. The lack of water has ceased normal activity and the focus has become gathering enough water for survival. They must travel to access water from lakes, streams, wherever they can find. The pilgrimages to water sources allow people to interact and share insights. But is this water pure? They could be at risk. Lifesaver bottles are distributed (http://www.lifesaversystems.com/). Machines are brought out for people to work together to pump the water and purify it through reverse osmosis. This happens through play and dancing, giving enough kinetic energy to move playground type machines to provide power to the pumps. The community begins to realize how it can work together to provide better water security. These events carry on through midday when the sun is the hottest and people begin to realize how valuable water is. People also begin to realize that typically the cheapest things are also the most valuable – food, water, clothing, family and friends.

Near all the water sources, there are water sculptures. But these sculptures are dry with no running water. Yet as the realization sets in, water begins to become bountiful, a trickle at first and then cascading. The pressure to local water sources is slowly turned back on. Water can be delivered. Rain dances are performed, parties erupt and water sculptures begin to form. People are playing with water. The only drink being passed around is water (or perhaps fire water). There are water sport competitions and pools filled with people. People splash each other with water. People become aware of the fun and excitement that plenty of clean water can bring to their lives, contrasted to the agony of the earlier hours. It is the difference between activity of life in the desert versus that of the jungle. The power and value of water is mighty, with this celebration water becomes respected.