October 19, 2011
The GTO offers a training course on "Toilets for schools and public buildings in developing countries". The weekend seminar will take place in Berlin on the 29th and 30th of October 2011. It is intended for NGO workers who want to develop their knowledge on sustainable sanitation. The course topics range from technical possibilities and socio-cultural aspects to reuse of human excrements.
Click here to download the seminar programme and registration form (German only)
October 7, 2011
On Thursday, September 29th, the German WASH-Network held its third meeting in the GIZ-representative office in Berlin. This exciting and busy day produced rich results: First and foremost the network could welcome three new members - UNICEF, WASH-United and Action Medeor. Besides dealing with some questions concerning its future organisational structure the network planned activities to be undertaken jointly in 2012. Additional and valuable input was given by Fleur Anderson (End Water Poverty UK) and Robert Gensch (SUSAN Center, Philippines). Fleur Anderson presented information about international lobby campaigns for the strengthening of the WASH sector, while Robert Gensch presented the Sustainable Sanitation Alliance (SuSanA) and pointed out some possible links for the network’s future activities.
September 9, 2011
The GTO together with the initiative "Berlin Global Village" celebrated a summer party in order to promote the plans to establish a one world centre with the slogan of a lively and open development oriented global village. The figures of our 'Sanitation is Dignity' campaign attracted the attention of the participants and interested people and decorated the compound of the gaffer fabric at the district Friedrichshain. There a central meeting point for development NGOs is going to be founded. Altogether with delegates from Berlin, development organisations and initiatives the concept was presented and actively discussed.
June 24, 2011
On monday, June 20th 2011, GTO founded a German network for water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) together with 13 other NGOs.
The network seeks to strengthen the German contribution to the solution of one of the biggest problems of the 21st century by improving cooperation and exchange of knowledge and experience within the sector.
The network consists of the following members:
ADRA, Arche Nova, Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund, AT-Verband, BORDA, German Toilet Organization, Ingenieure ohne Grenzen, Johanniter Auslandshilfe, Malteser International, Noah Foundation, Solidaritätsdienst International, WECF, Welthungerhilfe and World Vision Germany.
June 22, 2011
Therefore the UN General Assembly passed the resolution "Sustainable sanitation: the five-year drive to 2015" (5YD) in december 2010, calling upon the member states to double their efforts to provide sustainable sanitation in the next five years.
On June 21st the 5YD was officially launched by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, the Prince of Orange, UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake and Ugandan Minister of Water and the Environment Maria Mutagamba at the UN headquater in New York.
The 5YD is an advocacy vehicle to keep sanitation high on the political agenda, helping to generate political will and empowering communities to organize sustainable sanitation solutions - all in all an effort to meet the MDG sanitation target.
Our project on the Philippines will start in the near future. We will help the community of Lumbia to set up a sustainable sanitation system. The project will be carried out in co-operation with our local partner the Sustainable Sanitation Center of Xavier University Cagayan de Oro.
From 02.05.11 to 05.05.11 the GTO participated as exhibitor at the public show of the Berlin Water International Fair and informed Students from Berlin and Brandenburg about the benefits of sanitation.
Recently, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the "Sustainable sanitation: the five-year drive to 2015" resolution as a follow-up to the International Year of Sanitation, 2008. In it, the General Assembly reaffirmed the need to continue to increase sustainable access to basic sanitation and expressed its deep concern for the slow and insufficient progress in providing access to basic sanitation services and its serious impact on people's health, poverty reduction, economic and social development and on the environment.
The five-year drive resolution calls upon all Member States to redouble their efforts to close the sanitation gap and increase awareness of the urgent need to reach the goal of halving the proportion of people without access to basic sanitation by 2015.
The resolution encourages all Member States to approach the sanitation issue in a much broader context and increase the political priority of sustainable sanitation.
The GTO took part in the first planning session designed to build concrete strategies to realise the five-year drive. We are excited to play our part in helping to achieve the goals set for 2015.
A new group of Berlin based GTO volunteers has initiated a first meeting to get to know each other and to discuss how they could support GTOs work. A second meeting will be facilitated next Tuesday evening.
Anybody who would like to participate in the founding process of the volunteer network please get in touch with us.
Fon: 030 – 41 93 43 45
Email: post[at]germantoilet.org