Water Carriers

Each year the Multicultural Calendar chooses a theme to reiterate the message that even though we are all different, we are still the same. The Calendar focuses on what we have in common even though we come from diverse cultures and different parts of the world. Throughout our 20 years of producing the Calendar, we continue to be surprised at the similarities in themes of cultural festivals and religious days around the world. When we look at and share our similarities, we create the space for conversations from which acceptance, respect and flexibility emerge. The theme of the 2013 Multicultural Calendar is Water Carriers.

Like the earth, the human body is 70% water. The need for water transcends all barriers of race, religion or colour. Less than 1% of the Earth’s water is available for human consumption. Water carriers are as old as humanity itself and we have found that in cultures around the world, there are both common and unique methods of collecting this precious liquid.

United Nations has designated 2013 as ‘International Year of Water Cooperation’. Nearly one in five people or 1.1 billion men, women and children have no access to fresh water. A staggering 4 billion people lack adequate sanitation. Our hope is to bring to your awareness the water shortage we all face on this planet. As well, we encourage you to look for workable solutions which can be incorporated into your daily routine to conserve water not only for ourselves, but also for the generations that will follow.