Ending the Silence on the World Water Crisis
By Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter

It’s the most basic element on the planet. It gives life to everything. And it’s seemingly plentiful. But more than a billion people can’t get clean water for drinking, cooking and bathing; 2.6 billion people don’t have access to adequate sanitation; and two million children die every year from contaminated water. It’s a silent crisis that’s holding back human progress.

I wanted to help end the silence. So I approached the United Nations to learn more. And on my first world tour I saw firsthand what it’s like to be without this precious resource. In Luanda, Angola, I met Bela, who showed me how her family survives on only two small buckets of water a day, and how she passes open sewers just to get to school. In a small village in South Africa I climbed up and down steep cliffs. Young people must do this just to get freshwater back to their homes. But I also witnessed how flush toilets can change the lives of dozens of school children, and how a simple water pump can transform a village and give its young people a chance to thrive.

Because of over-population, pollution and global warming, 3.4 billion people now live in countries that are water scarce. But together we must make water a human right, because we all need water for life.

The Diary of Jay-Z: Water for Life premiered on MTV on Friday, November 24, 2006

“The water crisis — like so many issues confronting our world — can only be fully addressed with the creative participation of young people everywhere,” said United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan. “Working with MTV and Jay-Z, all of us at the UN hope this campaign will motivate youth to take action both in their own lives, and in support of broad eco-friendly initiatives.”

MTV has a long history of partnering with artists and experts to raise awareness and educate our audience,” said Christina Norman, President of MTV. “By allowing MTV to document his journey, Jay-Z will be mobilizing a whole new generation of young people who may not be familiar with the water crisis to learn about and take action to help those suffering.”

After hearing and reading some of the startling statistics about the lack of clean water, I realized that I needed to bring attention to this issue,” stated Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter. “I know through joining with experts through the UN and partnering with MTV to bring the word to our communities, we can make a difference.”

You can learn more about the Water for Life Campaign at www.un.org/waterforlifedecade and www.mtv.com/thinkmtv