The Opening General Session will be streamed live online from Chicago on Monday, October 2 at 8:30 a.m. CT.
Creating a life free of water challenges for all requires us to expand our ideas around who is part of the water community, how we connect with and engage in our communities, how we create and deliver solutions, and to reimagine what we leave behind. This year’s Opening General Session (OGS) will combine culture, music, and storytelling to celebrate water, people, and community, and will inspire us to think differently about our work and our world.
Featured performers at the 2023 OGS include Chicago’s first-ever Poet Laureate, avery r. young; policy advisor, change agent, and racial equity advocate, Sheryl Ude; and hip-hop artist, filmmaker, and creative strategist, Benny Starr, the U.S. Water Alliance’s first Artist in Residence. They will be joined by other storytellers to describe “bringing people to the center of water” – showing how our unique experiences lead us to the water sector and help us contribute to the communities we serve.
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| avery r. young | Sheryl Ude |
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| Benny Starr |