When I taught human security and peacebuilding, which can be quite an overwhelming topic, I used to make the last residency session ‘how to change the world on a budget’. 

And I presented three stories – SODIS (solar water disinfection); sanitary protection for women (meeting a need while creating jobs); and the story of “Mr. Toilet”, sanitation activist Jack Sim. All stories about common human needs that could be addressed effectively once people were engaged, collectively and collaboratively.

Researching today’s story, I googled Mr. Toilet and discovered that they’d made a movie about him, which doesn’t surprise me – his story is compelling, and he is a genuinely funny man. There would be chuckles all over the room when I showed his 2015 TED talk, which he called “Why we need to talk about shit”.