The Rice University Alternative Spring Break (ASB) program empowers Rice students to engage with new communities through education, service, and advocacy. Students gain awareness through in-depth education around a social justice issue, as well as learn about civic leadership concepts such as active citizenship, asset-based community development, intersectionality, privilege/oppression, and allyship. Our ASB trip traveled to Santa Fe, Albuquerque, and El Paso to explore water justice and the different ways that it affects various communities in the United States.
In the United States, millions of people do not have access to clean, safe, affordable water. Beyond just for drinking, water has a diverse range of uses from survival and culture to agriculture and industry. Among those who lack access to water, marginalized communities have historically faced barriers to fulfilling this basic necessity. This intersection between environmental and social issues has placed water at the center of a new social justice discourse. Our framework for water justice recognizes the right of every individual to clean, safe water while also incorporating the specific cultural and socioeconomic needs of these communities in the struggle for clean water.
Our ASB traveled to Santa Fe, Albuquerque, and El Paso between March 9th to March 16th . We worked with local organizations that organize communities around water injustice. Each ASB participant co-wrote a blog post to record the day's events and its impact on our understanding of water justice. This site is a compilation of our blog posts and photos from our trip. Enjoy!