Nonstop Liberal Arts Institute draws a big crowd and hosts a successful screening and panel, Nov. 7, 2008

What an amazing event! Although we put a lot of time into press and contacting people, I never expected so many people to attend!

The event drew people from across generations— and our dialogue after the film reflected that diversity. During the film there were audible comments and gasps—when we see the exorbitant price of the water bills, and again when we learn the salaries of the so-called experts. People were visibly engaged throughout the film.

After the screening, we held a panel discussion between the audience at large and four esteemed professors from local colleges. The panelists took questions from the audience and tried to answer them as best they could; often the questions led us into talking about local water issues. For example, the source of water in Yellow Springs came up, as did the general level of pollutants in tap water. We touched on “take back the tap” campaigns (including the one in Dayton), and explored the reasons why the water bills in the film were so high. People were really interested in conservation and in trying to prevent any further privatization of water. Some discussion around the idea of water privatization in India arose, as three of our panelists had direct experiences in India.

Overall, it was a fascinating evening! We began the night with a great film and followed that by about 45 minutes of discussion about local, regional, national, and international water issues. People stayed around after the session broke to talk with the panelists and to thank the event organizers for showing the film. Interest in water pollution, privatization, and equity clearly exists—as does interest in environmental justice. I think this event was a tremendous success! Thanks to Food and Water Watch for helping us make this possible!
(Blog written by organizer c o l e t t e p a l a m a r - http://urbanbabybonnets.etsy.com)