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Standing in Line for the Bathroom, and Other Ways to Celebrate

By Joanna Eng, who edits Idealist in NYC.


From Flickr user woodleywonderworks Next Monday, March 22, is World Water Day, an international day organized by the United Nations Water group to focus on issues related to freshwater. This year, the theme is "Clean Water for a Healthy World," and is meant to draw attention to the links between water pollution, human health, and the environment.

One way advocates plan to make their cause known is by forming the World's Longest Toilet Queue. At sites all over the world, volunteers will "stand in solidarity with 2.5 billion people who are still waiting for their right to a safe toilet, and standing up for 4,000 children who die every day as a result."

If standing in line isn't your thing, there are hundreds of other events—festivals, workshops, lectures, river clean-ups, art contests, benefit concerts—going on on every continent.

Besides joining a queue or attending an event, how else can you make World Water Day meaningful?

• Learn more about the global water crisis: If you like statistics, check out Water.org; or if you're more into perusing articles and photos, go to National Geographic.
• Take steps in your everyday life to prevent water pollution. See the Natural Resources Defense Council's guide for tips.
• To find other ways to get involved, search Idealist for key phrases like clean water, drinking water, or water pollution, and you'll find hundreds of related organizations and job and volunteer opportunities.