World Philosophy and Toilet Day!
Ellen Duthie
Today is World Toilet Day and at Wonder Ponder we are celebrating by taking it very seriously.
Our team members' best thinking, reading and sometimes even writing is often done on the toilet.
On the toilet -an indoor one, that is- we feel safe. We know nobody is going to barge in on us, for instance. We can lock the door without anyone asking why. This feeling of safety makes us relax and relaxation makes ideas flow more easily. We go to the toilet, therefore we think, therefore we are.
With 2.4 billion people in the world lacking adequate sanitation and 1 billion people still defecating in the open, at Wonder Ponder, we are aware of how privileged we are to have the time and space to wonder and ponder. Poor sanitation increases the risk of disease and malnutrition, especially for women and children. Women and girls risk rape and abuse, because they have no toilet that offers privacy. Could poor sanitation also affect men, women and children's opportunities to pause for reflection?
The aim of World Toilet Day, according to the UN site is "to raise awareness about the people in the world who don’t have access to a toilet, despite the fact that it is a human right to have clean , water and sanitation", and, we would add, to have a space to think.
Did we forget to mention that today is also World Philosophy Day?
World Philosophy Day was introduced in 2002 by UNESCO to honour philosophical reflection in the entire world by opening up free and accessible spaces. Its objective is to encourage the peoples of the world to share their philosophical heritage and to open their minds to new ideas, as well as to inspire a public debate between intellectuals and civil society on the challenges confronting our society.
Happy World Philosophy and Toilet Day! Let's do something about both!