Maude Barlow

Maude Barlow
Name	Maude Barlow
Birth date	1947
Birth place	Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Occupation	Activist, author, policy advisor
Known for	Water rights advocacy, anti-globalization activism

Maude Barlow Maude Barlow is a Canadian activist, author, and policy advocate known for promoting the human right to water and challenging neoliberalism, corporate globalization, and water privatization. She has worked with international bodies such as the United Nations, national legislatures including the Parliament of Canada, and civil society networks like Council of Canadians and Blue Planet Project. Her activism spans campaigns, policy reports, books, and advisory roles with institutions including the Holy See-related forums and transnational coalitions.

Early life and education

Born in Toronto in 1947, Barlow was raised during the post-World War II era shaped by figures such as Lester B. Pearson and institutions like the University of Toronto. She attended secondary schools influenced by mid-20th-century Canadian social policy debates involving actors such as Tommy Douglas and later pursued higher education that connected her with networks linked to Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives and international activists from movements associated with the Anti-Apartheid Movement and the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom.

Career and activism

Barlow's early career involved organizing within Canadian civil society, associating with groups such as the Council of Canadians and movements tied to the North American Free Trade Agreement protests and the Global Justice Movement. She became prominent through coalition-building with organizations like World Wide Fund for Nature allies, coordination with trade union actors like the Canadian Labour Congress, and collaborations with indigenous groups connected to the Assembly of First Nations. Her activism intersected with campaigns around institutions including the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and forums such as the World Social Forum, positioning her among activists who confronted policies promoted at the WTO and in agreements like NAFTA.

Water advocacy and policy work

Barlow led national and international initiatives asserting water as a human right, engaging with bodies such as the United Nations General Assembly, the UN Human Rights Council, and committees linked to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. She worked with the Blue Planet Project and partnered with environmental NGOs including Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth on campaigns opposing privatization by multinational corporations like Suez (company) and Veolia Environnement. Her policy work involved testimony before the Parliament of Canada, participation in provincial hearings in Ontario, collaboration with municipal actors such as the Toronto City Council, and advisory roles in processes linked to treaties and agreements influenced by the World Health Organization and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. She contributed to campaigns responding to corporate actors in water services and infrastructure financing promoted by institutions like the World Bank and regional development banks.

Publications and writing

Barlow authored and co-authored numerous books, reports, and articles addressing water rights, trade, and corporate accountability, often publishing with presses that engage topics raised by commentators such as Naomi Klein and Vandana Shiva. Her works entered debates involving scholars and activists associated with the United Nations Development Programme, analysts from the Brookings Institution, and writers active in the alter-globalization movement. She produced policy briefs aimed at legislators in the Parliament of Canada and contributed chapters alongside authors linked to the Council of Europe and the Commonwealth. Her writings reached audiences in forums such as the World Economic Forum critiques and the World Social Forum discourse.

Awards and recognition

Barlow received honors and honorary degrees from universities and institutions that include faculties connected to the University of British Columbia, York University, and international bodies that confer recognition similar to awards from the Right Livelihood Award community and the International Water Association networks. Her recognition aligned her with civil society leaders who have been acknowledged by organizations like Amnesty International, Oxfam International, and regional human rights bodies such as the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and the European Parliament committees sympathetic to environmental and human rights work.

Personal life and legacy

Barlow's personal life reflects long-term engagement with activists, academics, and public servants across networks including members of the Canadian Senate and the House of Commons of Canada, indigenous leadership from bodies like the Assembly of First Nations, and international civil society actors from the International Network for Water and Sanitation. Her legacy is tied to global shifts in policy discourse at institutions such as the United Nations and the World Bank, influence on municipal water policy in cities like Hamilton, Ontario and Vancouver, and ongoing inspiration to activists in movements associated with climate justice, sustainable development, and human rights advocacy.

Category:Canadian activists Category:Water activists Category:1947 births