Local Austinite Creates WorldWide Water Mob
Austin - On Friday, thousands gathered to celebrate World Water Day downtown. They were hard to miss - frozen on the sidewalks of 6th, walking with jerry cans towards Town Lake or dancing in a flash mob in the UT commons - these people gathered together with millions around the world for a "water mob." Their goal? Provide a creative and effective awareness event concerning the current water crisis - and do it collaboratively with other around the world.
Elora Ramirez, an Austinite and brain behind the project, explains the premise was simple: "we just merged awareness with creativity, really. It's nothing that hasn't been done before. Flash mobs have been prevalent for over a decade - and freeze projects are constantly seen as pranks. Why not merge these two common modes of creativity with something a bit more profound and offer people a solid and blatant reason in why we need to pay attention to the water crisis?"
So she did. Partnering with Charity:Water, she contacted organizations in major world cities and began brainstorming with creatives in each area on the massive event. "It took about ten years of organization." Ramirez says, but looking at her husband (who she says motivated her) she smiles and replies, "it was so worth it, though. I never imagined it to gain so much recognition or be so successful." And successful it was - once the idea was out and planning had begun, smaller cities came on board with their own proposals for a massive Water Mob. Director and producer Jon M. Chu created the flash mob scene performed by millions of dancers around the world and Scott Harrison, founder of Charity:Water, started the first jerry can walk in NYC the morning of the event. Ramirez wrote the pamphlets given to spectators once freeze projects were completed - offering an explanation on why they stood frozen, what the water crisis meant, and what they could do to help. What started out as a simple brainstorm soon turned into a massive collective of people intent on providing clean water for everyone.
You see this intent in Ramirez' eyes when she starts to talk about the initiative, "There is no reason anyone should have to go without clean water. In a world where technology has reached every corner of the earth, we're still struggling to find ways to access clean water in developing countries. It just doesn't make sense and it needs to stop - we have to find a way to get these people clean water."
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