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Statement By Sr Claire Regan, Sisters Of Charity Of New York Coca-Cola AGM, Wilmington, DE, April 16, 2008 My name is Sr Claire Regan and I am the Corporate Responsibility Coordinator for the Sisters of Charity of New York and a member of the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility. Our community joins other faith communities across the US and around the world in working toward universal access to the most basic human right of water. We have joined the Think Outside the Bottle Campaign because we believe water is a sacred gift and must be preserved for the use of all people. Unfortunately, it seems that Coca-Cola does not share in our commitment. The Coca-Cola Company is in fact contributing to a growing problem – a multinational corporate water grab that is turning this most essential resource into a profit-driven commodity Coke has yet to address the concerns raised by communities across India. The ground water there has been a shared resource, owned by no one. But Coke is siting bottling plants in drought prone areas of the country. A report commissioned by your corporation confirms what community groups in places like Mehdiganj and Plachimada have been saying for years – that Coke prioritizes its access to water regardless of the impacts of its use on the surrounding community. An example of this failure to exercise good corporate citizenship has been seen locally in Atlanta during the ongoing drought situation. Your operations have continued to run full tilt while other corporations have made concessions to the situation. People around the world are organizing to protect public water systems and challenge corporate control of our water. Water is a fundamental human right and a God-given gift, not a privilege for a few who can pay exorbitant rates. There is a growing movement afoot and thousands of public comments have been gathered to speak out and oppose the use of water to make profit. On behalf of the tens of thousands supporting this campaign I have a question for you, Mr. Chair. When will Coke, as it seeks to become water neutral, honor and respect people’s priority access to water and cease exploiting water resources?
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