Will you make a stand for sanitation and water next year?

Serena O'Sullivan
End Water Poverty

Exciting times! End Water Poverty is getting ready to launch ‘The World’s Longest Toilet Queue’- a mass global event on World Water Day next year (22 March 2010) that will call for action on water and sanitation from the world’s politicians. It’s a massive Guinness World Record attempt and needs you to get involved and make it a success.

The timing of the event is crucial – just one month after our mass global action, politicians will gather in Washington DC to discuss what they’re going to do to tackle the crisis claiming 4000 children’s lives every day. And it’s up to us to make sure they know that the world expects action.

So we’re challenging people, groups, organisations – in fact everyone – to organise groups of at least 25 people to queue at a toilet (real, fake – even someone dressed up as one!) on World Water Day. It’s up to you what happens in your Queue – perhaps you’ll do it in the style of a flash mob, or you’ll gather a petition from participants, or you’ll ask your local Parliamentarian or even leader to attend and listen to the demands of your Queue.

Get loads of ideas on the special World’s Longest Toilet Queue microsite – soon to be fully launched – including press templates, case studies, a toolkit, and posters. You'll be able to join an online Queue there too - and share this with your supporters, friends and contacts. Read ideas from other advocates and get involved by commenting, suggesting and sharing ideas. Already got ideas? Post them up here, right now!

This is truly anyone’s event to own – and we’re really excited to share it with you. Let’s make a stand together and make sure those politicians hear our voices loud and clear.

Putting the poor first in 2010

2010 is set to be a pivotal year in fight against poverty and climate change. And Canada, as hosts of both the G8 and G20, are set to be at the centre. And so I've spent the week in Ottawa with campaigners from all around the world planning the corresponding strategy for civil society action.

2010 is not only the year when Africa hosts the World Cup for the first time, it's also when the landmark 2005 G8 commitments to the continent - such as providing $ 50bn of additional aid - can truly be judged. And it will be done with a backdrop of crisis that is creating a real shift in global power.

The rising cost of food has pushed the number of hungry back above 1 billion, the financial crisis and recession has plunged millions into poverty, and a deal to protect the world's climate seems stuck in committee. These crises were caused by rich countries, yet most of their victims count amongst the poor.

In 2010 the answer to the question "Who rules?" will change - the global economy is seeing a radical shift. The G8 will be eclipsed by a new grouping - the G20 - which includes emerging power houses like China, Brazil and India.



So more voices from countries where many of the poor live, yet ultimately still a system where the poorest countries do not have a seat at the table to demand their rights or steer the global economy to meet their needs. And the G20 may prove to be as self-serving as the G8.

But we do know that, as power shifts, a time has appeared to bring the voices of the poor to the fore, and to make sure that their human rights - such as accessing clean water and safe sanitation - are on the table and at the heart of global debate.

For us, obviously there are huge opportunities in 2010 to push up the water and sanitation agenda - not least the global campaign to form the World's Longest Toilet Queue (20-22 March) and to influence the High-Level Meeting on Water and Sanitation (22 April) - but also a need to work together to push on all issues relating to global poverty.

Global campaign plans are crystallising and emerging soon, so more on that to come, but its worth noting that just a few weeks ago 173 million people stood up around the world to call for an end to poverty.

That's the biggest mass movement the world has ever seen, so using it to get food, water and a seat at the table for the world's poor should be well within our grasp.

The Voice of Africa, from the Kingdom in the Sky

I’m on my way back from an inspiring trip to Lesotho – ‘the Kingdom in the Sky’- where I attended the General Assembly of the African Civil Society Network on Water and Sanitation (ANEW), who are proud partners of the End Water Poverty campaign.



Representatives from over 40 countries across Africa took part in three days of learning and planning (and an evening of inter-region ‘dance-offs’), as this dynamic and truly Pan-African network makes strides in bringing grassroots voices from across the continent to the region’s leaders.

Logistically remarkable in itself that such a diverse crowd was gathered in a tiny mountain kingdom, and yet more impressive is the progress that has been made in so many places in opening doors and holding Governments to account on water and sanitation.

In just a few years ANEW has established relationships with, successfully lobbied and secured declarations from continental institutions such as the African Union to AMCOW (African Ministers’ Council on Water).

Yet big challenges remain – too many networks are squeezed by their governments, who may fear the contestation advocacy may bring, and too many great minds and organisations are prevented from achieving all they could due to a lack of human or financial resources.

Much to do, but a real confidence that there are civil society voices in Africa willing to make sure it gets done. And if it can be done with the vigour and style of those dance-offs, I pity those who take them on.

Expert recommends recognition of sanitation as a human right

Some great news from the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva just recently, with a statement from Catarina de Albuquerque (left), the Independent Expert on human rights obligations related to water and sanitation.

In her post for under a year, she was reporting to the Council on her findings from trips to Costa Rica and Egypt. She declared that she is 'convinced, now more than ever, that sanitation is a matter of human rights ...we are in the midst of a sanitation crisis.'

This statement is a historic recommendation that sanitation be recognised as a distinct human right. Groups such as End Water Poverty and the Freshwater Action Network have been pushing for the UN to recognise sanitation as a human right - after the successful push to recognise the Right to Water in 2002. Let's keep pushing these issues up the political agenda and achieve real change together.

Read her statement in full here. (thanks to Kolleen from the Freshwater Action Network for providing this).

Read WaterAid's paper 'Sanitation: A human rights imperative'