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Matt Damon and Gary White: Why the Global Water Crisis Is Really a Finance Problem

Source: World Economic Forum (video statements)

2.1 billion people lack access to safely managed drinking water. Solving this problem will take more than charity – it will take innovation and a new approach to scaling partnerships, building awareness and raising funding. In this episode, Water.org’s co-founders Matt Damon and Gary White share key efforts to fix the ‘financial plumbing’ connecting people and capital, helping to bridge the water gap for 85 million around the world, including: Water Credit (a specialized microfinance solution funding safe water and sanitation solutions) and Water Equity (an asset manager mobilizing private investment in water and sanitation). The two explain why creating an economic flywheel for change can bring truly sustainable solutions. They also share what they’ve learned about scale and from each other in a partnership that has now spanned 17 years and the role a new campaign for the public, Get Blue, can play.

This episode was recorded at the Annual Meeting in Davos in January 2026.

About this episode:
Transcript: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/matt-damon-water-crisis-gary-white-finance-innovation

About this week’s guests:
Water.org
Get Blue campaign: https://getblue.water.org/

Related session at the 2026 Annual Meeting in Davos
Water in the balance
https://www.weforum.org/meetings/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2026/sessions/water-in-the-balance/

Related episodes:
IRC’s David Miliband: How leaders can meet the moment in an increasingly disordered world
Watch here – YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABadygYvsZ0&t=16s
Listen here – Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/42hzpvvm
Read here – Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/3vk4723b

What most people get wrong about progress: Harvard psychologist Steven Pinker
Watch here – YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2IJjZs4E7A
Listen here – Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/4r69a5pr
Read here – Transcript:: https://tinyurl.com/3smrwev9

Nick Thompson, The Atlantic: Why one CEO sets ‘non -goals’ – and what ultramarathons taught him about focus and mental toughness
Watch here – YouTube: https://youtu.be/Xh9PLsyptgA
Listen here – Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/bdbrspj7
Read here – Listen: https://tinyurl.com/mtdhe37w

The World Economic Forum is the International Organization for Public-Private Cooperation. It provides a global, impartial and not-for-profit platform for meaningful connection between stakeholders to establish trust, and build initiatives for cooperation and progress.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d95kccQuFUk

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Israel on Lebanon and Iran – Security Council Stakeout | United Nations

Source: United Nations (video statements)

Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon told reporters in New York that the Lebanese government must “step up” and “step in” to “dismantle Hezbollah,” and said, “Lebanon must restrain Hezbollah now, or we will.”

Danon said Israel had expanded “the forward defence area” in southern Lebanon in order to “remove immediate terrorist threats near our border and create an additional layer of security for the residents of northern Israel.”

He said, “Israel did not choose this situation, Hezbollah did. For weeks, Hezbollah has been launching rockets at Israeli communities from southern Lebanon.”

Pointing at a map, the Israeli Ambassador said, “look at how many launch sites are south of the Litani River. Everywhere you see the red dots. It’s in one evening.”

He stressed that under Security Council Resolution 1701, “Hezbollah is not supposed even to be there. Yet rockets are being fired from dozens of locations in exactly that area.”

Turning to Iran, Danon said, “the regime in Tehran is showing signs of weakness,” and asked “where is the new Supreme Leader? Where is he?”

He said the new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei “hasn’t appeared in public,” and “leaders and members of the security forces are defecting.”

Danon said, “while they hide, they continue to fire missiles from behind civilians, like the cowards that they are.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icZffHidgnE

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UK E-petition debate relating to automatic by-elections after Member defections – Monday 16 March 2026.

Source: United Kingdom UK Parliament (video statements)

The Petitions Committee has scheduled a debate relating to automatic by-elections following Member defections.

Roz Savage MP has been asked by the Committee to open the debate. The Government will send a Minister to respond.

Read the petitions:
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/737660

Find petitions you agree with, and sign them: https://petition.parliament.uk/

What are petition debates?

Petition debates are ‘general’ debates which allow MPs from all parties to discuss the important issues raised by one or more petitions, and put their concerns to Government Ministers.

Petition debates don’t end with a vote to implement the request of a petition. This means that MPs will not vote on the issues raised in the petition at the end of the debate.

The Petitions Committee can only schedule debates on petitions to parliament started on petition.parliament.uk

Find out more about how petition debates work: https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/326/petitions-committee/content/194347/how-petitions-debates-work/

Stay up-to-date
Follow the Committee on Twitter for real-time updates on its work: https://www.twitter.com/hocpetitions

Thumbnail image ©UK Parliament / Jessica Taylor

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6d6zJOGBww

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UK Courts and Tribunals Bill – Justice Committee

Source: United Kingdom UK Parliament (video statements)

The Justice Committee hears oral evidence from witnesses as part of its legislative scrutiny of the Courts and Tribunals Bill.

Witnesses:

Claire Waxman OBE – Victims’ Commissioner at The Victims’ Commissioner for England and Wales
Tom Guest – Director of Legal Policy at Crown Prosecution Service
Richard Atkinson – Former President at The Law Society of England and Wales
Keir Monteith KC – Barrister at Garden Court Chambers

https://committees.parliament.uk/event/26813/formal-meeting-oral-evidence-session/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGRh1r9T4Iw

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UK Post-Assad Syria: Parliamentary Under-Secretary questioned by International Development Committee

Source: United Kingdom UK Parliament (video statements)

The International Development Committee hears from witnesses as part of its inquiry into the challenges and opportunities in post-Assad Syria.

Witnesses:

Mr Hamish Falconer MP – Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Middle East at Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
Peter McDermott – Syria Development Director at Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office

Dr Ahmed Ekzayez – Deputy Minister at Ministry of Emergency and Disaster Management

Ms Najat el-Hamri – Regional Director at MAG (Mines Advisory Group)
Mr Andrew Moore – Director of Middle East at The HALO Trust

https://committees.parliament.uk/event/26840/formal-meeting-oral-evidence-session/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwOUizRQ9uk

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UK Anti-Semitism on university campuses | Lords urgent question

Source: United Kingdom UK House of Lords (video statements)

The Lord Speaker has accepted an urgent question from Lord Cryer on the government’s assessment of the prevalence of anti-Semitism on university campuses. Watch live from 3.15pm on Monday 16 March.

Catch-up on House of Lords business:

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4tjybrOTGk