Advocacy Memo

This advocacy project covers the global water crisis.  The global water crisis refers to the growing scarcity of clean water available and how it negatively impacts people across the globe.  According to statistics provided by the WATERisLIFE organization, 1.8 billion people lack access to safe drinking water and 2.5 billion lack access to adequate sanitation.  These numbers alone pose a clear exigence for change.  Water is a necessity for survival and no one should be deprived of that right.  To express the importance of dissolving this issue, I have designed a website which briefs the issue and presents a clear call to action.

Everything throughout the website is done with a purpose.  For instance, the home page displays a photo of several children in a developing country playing around a water pump.  This picture acts as a hook as it uses an emotional appeal to make its audience more interested.  This theme continues throughout the webpage with several positive images of happy children, apart from a few images that are used for statistical purposes like the one found on the about the problem page.  Additionally, the use of a blue background behind the text fits the water theme of the website.  The blue also compliments the pathos provided by the images nicely because it gives off this calming mood alongside the happiness seen in the images of the children.

The website itself is laid out in such a way that the audience gets hooked, educated, and engaged.  After being hooked by the attractive visuals on the home page, the reader is then drawn to learn more about the issue.  The “about the problem” page uses statistics provided by credible sources to further establish the exigence of the issue.  The image on this page is very powerful because not only does it provide information, but it also creates an emotional appeal, making the audience want to become more invested in helping stop the problem.  After being well informed on the issue, many people will be wondering how they can get involved.  That is why immediately following the “about the problem” page is three pages regarding engagement.  The first page informs people on how to get involved, the second is a list of organizations that are committed to solving the issue, and the third is a link to make a pledge.  By pledging to be a part of the solution, people will feel more obligated to play a role in solving the issue.

The target audience of this advocacy project is anyone who is willing to donate or get involved in the issue.  The goal of the website is to raise awareness of a serious issue in our global society.  Another goal of the website is to educate readers on the issue and to get more people involved in the cause.  As more and more people get involved in this issue, everyone’s small contributions add up to create a huge difference.

This website can be used as a brief for those who are unaware of the issue.  For those who are really interested in becoming more involved, several organizations are listed within the website.  So realistically, it would make sense for the website to be partnered with a multitude of organizations committed to solving this issue.  After all, it is not like they are competing for profit.  In fact, most if not all the organizations listed in the website are non-profit organizations.  In summary, this website can act as a hub for all those who are just learning about the water crisis.  The purpose, as previously stated, is to educate and engage readers.  With that being said this website would work perfectly as a top result for someone searching “global water crisis” on Google.

Water.org

The advocacy organization I would hypothetically partner with is Water.org.  Water.org is an organization founded in 2009 by Matt Damon and Gary White with the mission of providing people with access to clean water.  Water.org believes that by providing the less fortunate with access to clean water, it opens the door for better health, education, and living.  Rather than having to walk miles to the closest water source, this time spent turns into time saved.  More time allows for improvement in other fields like education and health.

Image result for water.org

Although the organization was founded in 2009, its mission began 19 years prior in 1990 when Gary White created WaterPartners International to aid Latin American communities in the water crisis.  After meeting with Damon at an international conference on global poverty, Water.org was born.

Water.org is committed to providing water to the impoverished through a program called WaterCredit.  WaterCredit grants small repayable loans to those in need.  Through this program, Water.org has already affected over 16 million lives in a positive way.  According the CEO of Water.org Gary White, millions of families must spend more than 20% of their income on water.  The WaterCredit Initiative is a solution to this problem.  By granting people access to these affordable loans, Water.org has empowered millions to be a part of the solution.  According to the Water.org website, 99% of loans are paid back.  This grants Water.org the ability to grant even more families with access to safe water.

Water.org appeals to all different kinds of people across the globe.  First and foremost, it largely appeals to those in need of clean water.  As described in the previous paragraph, the program is empowered by a high repayment rate.  Those who need access to water pay off their loans, allowing Water.org to empower millions more.  Water.org also appeals to potential donors.  There are several tabs throughout the website where donors would be attracted to give the organization monetary benefits.  Lastly, the organization also appeals to those who would like to volunteer for the organization.  Because the website is so well rounded, it draws a large crowd and it is quite well-known for what it does.  Additionally, having well-known actor Matt Damon as the cofounder certainly makes the organization more appealing to any public onlooker.

The link below will take you to a page on the water.org website where they share several stories of the people that this fantastic organization has impacted.

https://water.org/our-impact/all-stories/