Pearl River Grad Selected to Clinton Global Initiative University

Most people don't even think about how important it is to have clean water to drink -- unless they don't have it.

That lesson hit home for 2008 Pearl River High School graduate Mark Svensson when he watched the documentary "FLOW: For the Love of Water," which is about the potential loss of such a basic natural resource, while he was a student at SUNY-Rockland.

Svensson and classmates Stan Morodokhin and Marvin Mathew were inspired to act.

"It brought a greater awareness to us of real issues around the world in regards to accessible clean water and how scarce it is in some regions," Svensson said. "We started brainstorming how we can really make a difference. That jump-started the whole Water Justice Alliance (WJA)."

Svensson is now a junior at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., but he is still working for the Water Justice Alliance. That earned him a second invitation to a Clinton Global Initiative University (CGIU) April 1-4 in San Diego, CA, this time as a mentor as well as working with the WJA. The CGIU was started by President Bill Clinton in 2007 to ring together college students and experts to discuss global issues and make connections that will help them further their work.

"Basically it provides a platform for student leaders around the world to come together and network and share ideas," Svensson said. "We are also able to receive advice and guidance from experts in various fields."

Svensson also attended the CGIU in 2010 in Miami,FL.

 "For me, as with last year, the thing that stands out to me is hearing the passion behind President Clinton when he speaks on these issues," Svensson said. "I’m amazed by how knowledgable he is on a variety of these issues. He speaks on everything from finance to infectious diseases. He speaks so eloquently and in such depth. I speak on behalf of almost all attendees who believe that hearing somebody speak so passionately about these issues is really inspiring."

Svensson, a government major, continues to work with the Water Justice Alliance at Georgetown while Morodokhin and Mathew do the same at SUNY-Rockland. The group works to provide clean water to communities in Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

"It has been tremendously successful," Svensson said. "It is endorsed by the student association here at Georgetown and by the student association at SUNY. It has grown from speaking to other individuals, letting them know how easy it is to make a difference for these individuals in need."

Svensson said the focus is on creating more awareness of the issue to get more people to help.

"People think to provide clean water is a long-term commitment," Svensson said. "Even the smallest amount of one's time can make a tremendous difference for a community in need. A couple of dollars in donations can go a lokng way. With the filters we're using, the product goes for $14. For $14, we can provide a household with clean drinking water for a full year.

"When I refer to the fact that it takes very little effort, a couple of dollars from seven people can provide water for a year. That says a lot."

 Svensson and other members of the Georgetown University Student Association met with Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) to discuss the issue of clean water.

"We just want to continue networking and letting people know the difference they can make," Svensson said.