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World Toilet Organization
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Please help improve this article or section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. (October 2007) |
| World Toilet Organisation | |
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| Formation | 2001 |
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| Headquarters | Singapore |
| Membership | 44 member states |
| Official languages | English |
| Website | www.worldtoilet.org |
The World Toilet Organization (WTO) is an organization dedicated to issues involving toilets and sanitation. It is based in Singapore and, as of 2007, includes toilet associations from 44 countries around the world. [1]
The WTO organises annual sanitation-related events such as the World Toilet Summit, and hopes to get more people educated on the importance of sanitation. It has also set up a Toilet College, aiming to educate people on sanitation.
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The WTO was founded by Jack Sim in 2001. As the President of the RAS, he adopted the mission to raise the standards of public toilets in Singapore and around the world.
It was felt that toilets was a neglected subject and there was much to be done, which led him to establish the Restroom Association of Singapore (RAS) in 1998. Sim soon realised there were other existing toilet associations doing a good work in their country but no channel to facilitate information-sharing and gathering of resources. Sim then founded the WTO, with an aim to have a world body to unite the various toilet associations.[2]
The United Nations claim that more than 5 million children die every year from sanitation related diseases such as diarrhoea. More than a billion people without sanitary facilities relieve themselves on streets and in rivers, heavily polluting the water. The most important source of water contamination in developing countries is due to the lack of adequate sanitation facilities. Although public toilets are available in most countries, most of them are poorly maintained.[3]
The WTO envisages clean, safe, affordable, ecologically sound and sustainable sanitation. It aims to advocate sustainable toilet systems through capacity building and public education, and by implementing real time projects.[4]
The WTO's philosophy is to focus on what is being accomplished around the world to improve public sanitation infrastructure and to showcase those accomplishments so others can learn from them.[5] Jack Sim, the Founder has been awarded : Schwab Foundation Outstanding Social Entrepreneur of the Year and became a Schwab Foundation Fellow since 2006 He was also awarded the Ashoka Global Fellow in 2007.
The WTO has the following objectives:
- Establish a world body to coordinate and promote sanitation issues.
- To continuously generate awareness for the importance of a good toilet environment.
- To gather resources and promote creative development in the Research & Development, Usage & Attitudes and Aesthetics & Functionalities in Design for the betterment of health in general.
- To propagate the need for better toilet standards in both the developed and developing economies of the world.
- To provide and promote a community of all toilet associations, related organizations and committed individuals to facilitate an exchange of ideas, health and cultural matters.
- To collate, publish and disseminate information globally in a timely and viable manner globally.[6]
The World Toilet Organization was set up as a service platform and a network, and has no administrative structure. It is managed by a team of five, namely R S Arun Kumar, Philip Theseira, Hana Samad, Egbelakin Temitope Kikelomo and Joyce Shum.[7]
The WTO has set up the world's very first Toilet College in Singapore. It aims to overcome the daunting task of cleaning toilets, and to bring the sparkle into toilet cleaning jobs.
Cleaners will be given hands-on training at the Toilet College, which promises to change the scope and perception of toilet related jobs. The Toilet College also offers a course on ecological sanitation to teach volunteers how to cater to sanitation needs in rural and disaster stricken areas. [8]
Every year, the World Toilet Organization sponsors the World Toilet Summit. This has been held in various places around the world[9]:
- 2001 - Singapore
- 2002 - Seoul, South Korea
- 2003 - Taipei, Taiwan
- 2004 - Beijing, China
- 2005 - Belfast, Northern Ireland
- 2006 - Bangkok, Thailand
- 2006 - Moscow, Russia
- 2007 - New Delhi, India
- 2008 - Macau, China 4-6 November 2008 at The Venetian Macau Resort.
The World Toilet Organization promotes the celebration of World Toilet Day on November 19 of every year. [10][11].
The World Toilet Expo & Forum is a series of events created to cater to the specific needs of mature cities. Each year the Forum addresses issues particularly significant to the host country. It is also a showcase platform of the latest toilet-related trends, technologies and products. [12]
- ^ [1]
- ^ World Toilet Organization - The Founder
- ^ The Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship
- ^ World Toilet Organization - Vision and Mission
- ^ [http://www.schwabfound.org/schwabentrepreneurs.htm?schwabid=3996&extended=yes The Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship
- ^ World Toilet Day
- ^ [http://www.worldtoilet.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=87&Itemid=50 World Toilet Organization - Our Team
- ^ [2]
- ^ [3]
- ^ World Toilet Day
- ^ World Toilet Day :: ABC Great Southern
- ^ World Toilet Organization - About Us