Conference Invitation
You are invited to participate in the ECOWAS Safe Water 2007. The International Conference on Safe Water: Building Sustainable Communities Through Networks. This conference will be held in October 3-5, 2007 at the Sheraton Hotel & Towers, Abuja, the capital of Nigeria, and will serve as the 5th in a series of our International Conferences on Safe Water and Health, aimed at increasing the global awareness on safe water and health issues. The conference will focus on the ECOWAS (Economic Communities of West African States) region, where in many parts of the rural communities, and as in many parts of the world, open streams still serve as a one-stop-shop for drinking water, laundry, and recreational activities. The conference will appeal to the governments of this region to increase their investments in water, sanitation, and hygiene services. Given the strategic influence of Nigeria in the region and in Africa, this conference will bring about positive changes to watershed management and safe drinking water issues in Africa. Additionally, the conference will be used to attract more corporate sponsorship as well as create more community networks to expand the global reach of our safe water and health initiatives.

Participating agencies and institutions from previous International Safe Water conferences included: Coca-Cola, Exxon Mobil, Natural Resources Conservation Services-United States Department of Agriculture, Proctor and Gamble, SCRIPPS Institute of Oceanography, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (Region IV), National Council for Science and the Environment, Global Institute for Energy and Environmental Systems, University of North Carolina, Charlotte, Rotary International, GEO Resources Institute, Medentech Ltd., Population Services International, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Division of International Affairs and Development, United Negro College Fund, John Hopkins University, Florida A&M University, U.S. EPA Washington, DC, Clark Atlanta University, University of Illinois, Michigan State University, Rural Community Assistant Partnership, Spelman College, Tuskegee University, Washington DC Water Resources DC Water Resources Institute, Savannah State University, Central State University, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Regenesis, Chlorine Chemistry Council, Cleveland Forest Services, Indiana University, Alcon State University, local farmers, community leaders, and faculty members from over 50 academic institutions. To ensure a broad input and real practical solutions from the participants, this conference will strongly encourage sponsorships from industries, governments, and NGOs. Reports, statements, viewpoints, opinions, review articles and technical papers will be reviewed and published in peer-reviewed conference proceedings. Boreholes Organization, a non-profit organization, whose mission is to ensure that rural communities of the world have access to safe drinking water, is the organizer and host of this International Conference.

Conference Chair: Prof Victor Madu Ibeanusi, Ph.D.
Conference Co-Chair: Dr. Sola Afolabi, Deputy Executive Secretary, ECOWAS