Text of my ‘When Worlds Collide’ column published in Ceylon Today Sunday newspaper on 25 November 2012

November 19 was World Toilet Day.

It highlights a major development challenge of our times. This international day of action “aims to break the taboo around toilets and draw attention to the global sanitation challenge”.

The numbers are staggering: around the world, some 2.5 billion people don’t have access to a clean, private toilet. That means one in three human beings can’t relieve themselves with dignity – despite billions invested in socio-economic development over the years.

Sri Lanka has its share of this problem. For example, 1,300 out of the country’s 9,500 public schools don’t have toilets. That means nearly a million school kids have nowhere to…go.

World Toilet Day champions this very worthy cause, and those who advocate sanitation for all are promoting a human right that is often not discussed…