A Global Justice Program Event Series
With additional funding and support from the Center for Environmental Futures, the College of Design Scandinavian Design Award, the Global Health Minor, the Environmental Studies Program, and the Department of Landscape Architecture
Background for the panel discussion series and additional events:
Access to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services is a recognized human right and central to the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal Six, which targets universal access by 2030. Yet millions living in informal urban settlements—projected to house roughly half the world's urban population by 2050—remain without reliable sanitation infrastructure. Container-Based Sanitation (CBS) emerged in 2010 as a scalable, affordable alternative, offering households a complete sanitation chain through a subscription model requiring minimal upfront cost. CBS toilets feature removable waste containers, odor and insect control, and climate-resilient mobility. In 2019, the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme formally recognized CBS as improved sanitation, cementing its role in achieving SDG6.
The Container-Based Sanitation Alliance (CBSA), co-founded in 2016, unites global CBS providers and facilitates engagement with major international bodies including the UN, World Bank, and WHO. This project leverages the CBSA's expertise to enrich educational programming at the University of Oregon through four key activities: hosting panel lectures featuring CBS practitioners from Haiti, Peru, Kenya, and beyond; recording high-quality sessions to form the foundation of a globally accessible online course on CBS; integrating visiting representatives into courses across Design, Environmental Studies, Global Health, and African Studies; and conducting strategic planning sessions to strengthen CBSA's engagement with multilateral institutions.
Together, these efforts aim to expand UO's international relations curriculum while equipping students, practitioners, and policymakers worldwide with the knowledge to deploy CBS solutions in their communities.
Fall Panel Discussion - Government Partnerships and Financing for Sanitation and the Human Right to Sanitation
Nov 4th, 2026 - 5:00PM
Lawrence Hall 115
Clarrissa Brocklehurst – Clarissa is an affiliated faculty member of the Water Institute at UNC. Clarissa was the Country Representative for WaterAid in Bangladesh, and a Regional Urban Specialist for the World Bank Water and Sanitation Program (WSP) in South Asia. Between 2007 and 2011 she was the Chief of UNICEF’s Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Section, overseeing UNICEF’s water and sanitation programming in 100 countries and playing a role in development of strategy and advocacy for the global water supply and sanitation sector. Clarissa is a member of the Board of Trustees of WaterAid UK and the Strategic Advisory Group of the WHO-UNICEF Joint Monitoring Program that tracks global progress on water and sanitation.
Nancy Ngao - Nancy is the Government Affairs, Policy & Advocacy Lead at Fresh Life, with extensive experience shaping partnerships, policy, and advocacy to advance sustainable sanitation in Kenya. She has led engagement with government and civil society stakeholders, translating policy and research into actionable strategies. Previously, Nancy worked with 4-H Foundation Kenya, ZanaAfrica, and KikeTele on community development, public health, and youth programs. She holds a BSc in Community Resource Management and Public Health from Kenyatta University.
Winter Panel Discussion - Sanitation Provision for Vulnerable Populations and the Human Right to Sanitation
February 3rd, 2027 - 5:00PM
Lawrence Hall 115
Samuel Opoku - Chief Executive Officer Clean Team Ghana
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Isabel Medem - Founder and Chairwoman of the Advisory Board of Sanima. Researcher and Project Director for the World Economic Forum. 2015 Forbes 30 under 30 – Social Entrepreneur
Spring Panel Discussion - the The Human Right to Sanitation in the Context of Climate Change
April, 2027 - 5:00PM
Lawrence Hall 115
More info to come
World Toilet Day Movie Screening - Holy Sh!t
Nov 19, 2026 - 6pm
Lawrence Hall 177
This special World Toilet Day Screening of Holy Sh!t is in collaboration with Greywater Action, PHLUSH and the CBSA
Spring Exhibition
Sanitation for All
Lawrence Hall - 1st Floor - Hayden Gallery
This is a Center for Environmental Futures and College of Design Scandinavian Design Award funded exhibit which complements the Discussion Panels and explores the future of sanitation in the built and natural environment.
Some fun video links to prime your thinking on these topics
Toilets Need to Change - Stewart Hicks
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Citywide Inclusive Sanitation: Kenya and Haiti
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Huussi talk at the Pavilion of Finland in Venice
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​Everything You Know About Water is Probably Wrong - Adam DeHeer - TEDxBend
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