Move over toddlers, adults need to be potty-trained too. One would think that, since this is the 21st century, toilets and sanitation are no longer major concerns in most countries. But addressing this basic need aggressively remains a must since the UN says that 2.6 billion people — 980 million of whom are children — are still living with poor sanitation facilities or none at all. Thus, it is high time for a whole new and advanced level of toilet training.

Leading the way in what is now being referred to as a ‘toilet revolution’, South Korea has taken the initiative to reorient people to the true essence of a toilet — beyond the physical act of relieving oneself — and that is for it to be a place of rest and relaxation, which proponents say can result in a happy and healthy disposition. But, for these goals to be achieved, a massive awareness and educational campaign needs to be done, especially in countries where a lot of people lack basic toilet sanitation. Sustainable toilet infrastructures also need to be built in these areas, and be properly and consistently maintained for this ‘revolution’ to succeed. These goals, along with other basic sanitation issues, will be discussed and debated at the upcoming World Toilet Association General Assembly (WTAA), to be held from Nov. 21 to 25 in Seoul, South Korea.

So far, 67 countries are expected to attend the assembly, with 21 coming from Asia, 14 from central, south and north America, 13 from Africa, eight from Europe and six from the Middle East. According to WTAA organising committee secretary general Song Yong-Gon, discussions about toilets per se are still considered a private matter, and so it is often said that they should not be talked about in the open. Always related to the physical act of relieving oneself, toilets — public toilets in particular — have acquired an unhealthy reputation and its original purpose of being ‘a place of comfort’ lost amid the grime and dirt brought on by years of neglect.

“Majority of people in developed and developing countries, young and old, don’t like to talk about toilet matters even in their houses. I think it’s time we start talking about these issues, and to recognise and acknowledge the problem because this is the first step to solving it,” according to Song Yong-Gon. Changing one’s personal perception about toilet and related issues, continued the secretary general, will eventually lead to a worldwide movement that is expected to flush out serious sanitation problems that contribute to larger health and environmental concerns.

Yong-Gon, however, believes toilets need not be high-tech to be able to serve its purpose. He said that the WTAA is not there to convert all toilets into modern facilities either. “We are not into the business of providing toilets per se. We’re here to help communities, especially in developing countries, achieve basic sanitation needs,” he said.

“It’s not really about the money or advanced toilet facilities. It’s definitely not even about Koreans taking the initiative in this ‘toilet revolution’,” explained Kim Woo-Tae, said Kim Woo-Tae, director general for the WTAA’s external affairs bureau. “The WTAA’s most important goal is for all of us to have a sense of community and purpose in helping each other, especially those who are in need of it, establish a most basic human right — and that is having access to clean toilets.” — IPS