Copenwater & Swimmable Cities Alliance
Skrevet af: Christine Guldborg Christensen
I Copenwater er vi begejstrede for at være en del af The Swimmable Cities Alliance og en stolt underskriver af det første Swimable Cities Charter nogensinde, som bl.a. kæmper for retten til at svømme, hylder urban svømmekultur og ærer vandets eksistens.
Vi elsker svømning og vand, og vi tror på, at rekreativ vandsport som svømning og vinterbadning kan hjælpe med at inspirere folk til at hjælpe med at passe bedre på vores dyrebare marine økosystemer. For det du elsker, vil du gerne beskytte. Dette er tilfældet for mange af vores medlemmer, der nyder at tilbringe tid i havnebassinerne og langs kysten rundt om i København og Danmark, året rundt. Vi er heldige at have rent vand at svømme i, men det er ikke givet. Vi ønsker at gøre mere for at passe på vores havmiljø.
Ved at underskrive charteret forpligter vi os til følgende 10 principper, som er designet til at styrke aktører, aktivister og beslutningstagere i den urbane svømmebevægelse. Vi er især knyttet til de grundlæggende værdier 1-4.
Vi synes, at det er vigtigt og meningsfuldt at støtte en bevægelse, der muliggør samarbejde og demokratisk indflydelse til at skabe forandring. Vi ser frem til at dele og lære af andre ligesindede rundt om i verden og hjælpe med at gøre byer mere svømmevenlige.
Swimmable Cities Summit afholdes i Rotterdam fra den 22 – 24 juni
Læs mere og tilmeld dig her; Swimmable Cities Summit 2025 – Rotterdam
FOUNDATIONAL VALUES
- THE RIGHT TO SWIM:
Safe, healthy and swimmable waterways should be accessible to all people.
- ONE HEALTH, MANY SWIMMERS:
Swimmable urban waterways are vital to the liveability of cities and communities, as shared civic places that promote the health of people (physically, mentally, spiritually) and the health of Mother Earth.
- URBAN SWIMMING CULTURE:
Urban swimming culture is a unique expression of life in cities and communities, reflecting the distinct interplay of sports, recreation and tourism in each given place, as well as natural and cultural heritage.
- WATER IS SACRED:
Urban swimming should celebrate natural waterways as living, integrated entities that nurture communities, promoting universal accessibility and peaceful coexistence inclusive of religious, cultural and gender diversity.
ENABLING CONDITIONS
- REWRITING THE RULES:
Urban waterway swimming should become part of a new status quo in public access standards, challenging accepted conventions such as industrial uses and stormwater pollution, with governing authorities swiftly amending legal and regulatory frameworks to enable citizens access to its benefits.
- DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION IN SWIMMING PLACES:
Urban swimming places and experiences should be planned, designed, made and operated through inclusive, integrated water management approaches; with managers ensuring universal access via community-led programs for learning how to swim in natural waterways and ecological literacy.
- RECONNECTION & RESILIENCE:
Urban swimming places and experiences should be invested in as an innovative way to enable resilient communities to adapt and thrive in a changing global climate, environment and economy.
SHARING BENEFITS
- NEW ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES
Urban swimming development models should balance social, cultural, ecological and economic values, creating new jobs, careers and livelihoods in regenerative professions and industries.
- SHARING WELLBEING BENEFITS, CULTURE & KNOWLEDGE:
Urban swimming should create wellbeing benefits to local citizens, ecosystems and economies; enhanced by the respectful sharing of Indigenous, traditional and Western water culture knowledge.
CATCH ALL
- STEWARDSHIP FOR TODAY, TOMORROW & FUTURE GENERATIONS:
Urban swimmers are stewards responsible for protecting the health of their local waterways, working alongside Mother Earth’s closest carers, such as Indigenous peoples, rangers and waterkeepers as well as urbanists, architects, social changemakers, educators and policy-makers.
