On September 23, Felton FLOW (Friends of Locally Owned Water) organized a film screening of Thirst at the Rio Theater in Santa Cruz, CA. Thirst is a new documentary that examines community water conflicts on three continents. 'Thirst' demonstrates that popular opposition to the privatization of water ignites remarkable coalitions that cross partisan lines. When it comes to water, many people demand local control and fear the arrival of multinational corporations with large lobbying budgets and little local accountability.

Thirst also shows that the individual struggles of these communities raise the same profound questions: Is water a human right for all people? Or, is it a commodity to be bought, sold, and traded in a global marketplace?

After watching Thirst, a six speaker panel discussed water issues around the world with a focus on Felton, a rural community in the Santa Cruz mountains. For more information on Felton's struggle for community controlled water resources, visit FeltonFlow.org. Also visit ThirstTheMovie.org.