Neeraja Havaligi

This poem was inspired by students and people I met while teaching the Model United Nations Camp through Saturday Academy in Summer 2017. The experience left me with hope for our collective future, on the many avenues we have to understand and use water as a limited resource. Here is the poem.

Water Diplomacy
On the Willamette 
bouncing stones
bonding over food 
and talks 
of summer, storms
smart fund sites
pollution
recreation
and conservation.

At Bull Run
the grand Old Growth forests,
'natures infrastructures'
in their silent majesty,
taught us
of ecosystem payments
we don't account,
in busy bustling lives,
Of water use efficiency
energy from dams,
of salmons and salmon runs.
it is never zero impact.

We learnt of
of intergovernmental networking
bringing water to communities
to you and to me,
of compromises made
of shared responsibilities
to have 
fresh cool water
at the opening of a tap.

We are 'privileged
by what people before us have done'
Briggy said,
a gentle reminder
for future stewards at the
Bull Run.

Another visit, another day
Waste not, we learned
through the stench 
and near barfs
our students held, 
appreciating
the work 
that keeps rivers turning
into waste,
instead,
turing waste
as fuel of the future.

We travelled 
by bus in Portland,
and on maps and minds 
to parts of US and Canada,
to countries in Asia, Europe, Africa
South America
understanding
water is without boundaries
but is,
contained in treaties
agreements
and understandings
between people
communities
counties
countries
and regions.

We learnt water is more than 70% 
us humans,
it is our culture
our language
our food
our music
our dance
our economy
our ways of lives.
It contains
and nurtures all,
this colorless
odorless
usually tasteless
three atom gift of nature.

We learnt of dams
and control,
of biodiversity loss
loss of many lifetimes
of knowledge,
Of shaken
threatened
thriving economies,
Of corporate social responsibility
of political
geographical interests
conflicts and 
compromises.

Students I believe
are great teachers,
for their
enthusiastic
open minds
to learn,
their debates
a reflection of
bright minds,
of their negotiating skills
their diplomacy,
their passion for nature
nurture and sense of fairness,
for sustainable economies
sustaining cultures 
and communities,
with mindful growth.

I could not ask more
from our MUNers,
only for more time
for our learning journey
together.​