Chung Soong-yeal, Chairman of the Korea Toilet Association (KTA), made some opening remarks. Most notably, he said: "The world doesn't only need to have proper toilets but also needs to take a new approach to hygiene and sanitation through toilets. Toilets should be considered a cultural element." He pledged the support of the KTA and amicable cooperation with the WTA in order to make the WTA a renowned international organization.
When asked about the most significant thing that the WTA has done since it was formed one year ago, Song Young-gon, Secretary-General of the World Toilet Association, said: "We are building public toilet buildings in ten places in Africa and Asia. It is underway now; I think they will be finished in two months." In a presentation during the ceremony, Secretary- General Song gave additional details on the WTA's Public Toilet Building Pilot Project in Cameroon, Ghana, two sites in Kenya, South Africa, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Laos, and Mongolia. He also stated the goal of the project, which is to increase international awareness of the influence of toilets on humanity and inadequate sanitation. This is the first project that the WTA has undertaken since it was formed last year.
The Toilet Bank for Humanity Campaign, officially launched at the ceremony, is aimed at raising money to continue building toilets for those who lack them in developing countries throughout the world. It is primarily an online campaign, with a web page at www.kor.withwta.org. Everyone is encouraged to visit the web site and contribute money to build toilets in one out of five locations. The donation is also a vote, and the location with the most donations received will receive the new public toilets. All those who participate will be able to receive small commemorative Toilet Banks, which are small golden, dung-shaped plastic piggy banks. The campaign is expected to end around the middle of 2009.
Also, the comedy group Health Boy was present to be appointed the first Goodwill Ambassadors of the Toilet Bank for Humanity Campaign. Lee Seung-yoon, Lee Sang-ho, and Lee Sang-min are the three members of Health Boy. They performed a small skit live before speaking for a while about sanitation problems around the world.
In order to encourage more donations, eight prominent figures gave the first few million won in donations. The donators were Won Sei-hoon, Minister of MOPAS; Kim Jin-pyo, Member of the National Assembly; Ryu Sook-yeal, CEO of IF; Trevor Mulaudzi of South Africa; Thok Sokhom of Cambodia; Mamoru Ikehara of Japan; and Park Jeongsuk, documentary director. Each donator was presented with a certificate detailing their donation and proclaiming them to be a Toilet Angel. The Toilet Angel recognition program was also supported by the band Every Single Day, which performed their Toilet Angel Song for the first time that day.
The World Toilet Association is a relatively young sanitation organization, just formed one year ago. Another slightly older organization is the World Toilet Organization, which was formed in 2001, with similar aims and goals. Song Young-gon, when asked about the differences between the WTA and the WTO, cut to the heart of the matter by saying: "If there are many NGOs concerned with sanitation, the more NGOs the better." He emphasized that while some people may ask which one is better, that is really not important. He ended by saying; "I hope that we, the WTO and WTA, will work together."
