Rivers for Life: Inspirations and Insights from the 2nd International Meeting of Dam-Affected and their Allies

On November 28, 2003, roughly 300 grassroots activists, people affected by large dams and representatives from NGOs gathered in a small village in Rasi Salai district in Northeast Thailand. They met for a five-day conference on large dams under the rallying cry of “Rivers for Life.”As many dam builders have become painfully aware, dam fighters and critics have formed one of the most effective international civil society networks. The network’s power has come from its base of strong grassroots movements of people directly affected by dams. Participants from 62 countries listened to reports on the state of the dam industry and on regional efforts to challenge destructive river development They engaged in 30 workshops on topics such as alternatives, indigenous peoples and reparations. A Report