The Road to Abu Dhabi

In Barbara's memory, our family invites those wishing to honor her life to consider making a donation to the World Water Film Festival, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to using film and storytelling to educate, inspire and empower communities to act on water challenges.

Your gift will help support an extraordinary opportunity this December.

WWFF, together with AFR'EAU, has been selected to present a 75-minute official Blue Zone side event at the 2026 United Nations Water Conference in Abu Dhabi, December 8–10.

The Blue Zone is the UN-led, accredited conference space where governments, international organizations, researchers, civil society and other stakeholders convene to advance global water policy and action. Being selected to present there is a significant achievement and an opportunity to elevate the voices and experiences of communities confronting water challenges firsthand.

Our presentation, “Making the Invisible Investable: The Power of Film for Community Impact and Water Investment,” will explore how storytelling can make complex water challenges visible, human and compelling, helping inspire action, inform policy and attract investment.

We are raising funds to bring four voices together in Abu Dhabi:

• Robert Strand, Founder and Executive Director of the World Water Film Festival, traveling from New York City.

• Hadi Touré Guindo, Co-founder and President of AFR'EAU, traveling from Mali. Hadi is an environmental engineer whose work empowers communities through citizen science, water-quality monitoring and local participation in water solutions.

• Eleanor Treadwell, Co-founder of AFR'EAU, traveling from the Netherlands. Eleanor brings expertise in environmental management, strategy and community-centered water initiatives.

• Santiago Gomez Molina, student leader at IHE Delft Institute for Water Education in the Netherlands, who helped lead the student organizing committee for WWFF's first European festival program at IHE Delft, demonstrating how the next generation of water professionals can use film to connect science, education and public engagement.

Together, we hope to demonstrate that film can do more than raise awareness. It can help the world see and feel water challenges that are too often invisible, amplify community voices, and turn understanding into meaningful action and investment.

Donations will help cover travel and participation expenses so these perspectives can be represented in this important international conversation.

Barbara spent her life caring for children and families, encouraging others and supporting the people she loved. She believed in what we were building at the World Water Film Festival, and she took genuine pride in seeing that work reach new audiences.

Helping carry these stories to the United Nations is a meaningful way to honor her encouragement and extend her legacy of kindness and care for others.

With gratitude,

The Family of Dr. Barbara Joan Strand

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