Water Emissaries (WE) is a Hawaii Nonprofit Organization that equips young adults with the necessary tools to become the next generation of water sector leaders, building a global community to solve our world's most challenging environmental issues.
The Water Emissaries (WE) program provides training and guidance to college-aged students interested in water. Rather than looking at water through the lens of different specialties, Water Emissaries encourages members to look at the world through the lens of water. Water makes up 99% of the human body by molecule, and 71% of the Earth’s surface is covered in water. We are made of and completely surrounded by this molecule. Learning to advocate for the well-being of water in its many forms is vital to ensuring our health and the well-being of our planet. By providing the next generation of water leaders with the tools, mentorship, and resources necessary to manage and preserve our planet’s water, WE is working to ensure the well-being of the Earth now and in the future.
This portion of the program focuses on providing Water Emissaries with the necessary background information to understand the water system or resource of their interest. Whether they are STEM majors, business students, or humanities/social science majors, WE ensures that each Emissary has the necessary groundwork to think critically about water matters and solutions. Emissaries participate in educational sessions and discussion forums.
This portion of the program focuses on equipping Emissaries with innovative mindsets. WE teaches design and solution-oriented thinking by connecting Emissaries with mentors and leaders in the water field. WE helps Emissaries find solutions to water problems that match their interests. Emissaries will attend innovation sessions and Q&A panels with our water experts.
The last two weeks of the program focus on helping Emissaries make real change in their communities. Emissaries participate in brainstorming sessions to best determine their course of action. According to their career and personal interests, Emissaries can choose to create advocacy campaigns, develop collective action initiatives, conduct research on a water-related matter, shadow existing water leaders at work, or other actionable items that match their interests and passion.
This additional week is the moment for our Emissaries to highlight their acquired knowledge and experience throughout the program in front of professionals from leading startups, global corporations, and NGOs. This session gives the opportunity to our Emissaries to actually become part of the water industry for a couple of hours. 40% of Emissaries end up applying to one of the organizations highlighted during this event!
WE launched a 6-week online pilot program in 2021 and it has been an incredible success with the participation of bright interdisciplinary graduate students from renowned universities. Corporate, NGO, and startup leaders spoke to our participants through speaker series and networking sessions, and eventually offered professional opportunities! The students had the opportunity to meet some of the most influential faces in the water industry from Drew Fitzgerald to Bob Bowcock.
World Toilet Day is an official United Nations international observance day on 19 November to inspire action to tackle the global sanitation crisis. Worldwide, 4.2 billion people live without "safely managed sanitation" and around 673 million people practice open defecation. Our 2021 Water Emissaries Cohort created this fun remix in honor of World Toilet Day!
WE aim to create a global community that bolsters existing solutions to water issues, promotes equal access to environmental resources across gender, race, culture, and location, and sparks the future generation to solve our globe’s most pressing environmental challenges using innovation.
WE increase environmental and water awareness and education through accessible discussion forums based on published material, online content shared through social media, and speaker series’ featuring industry experts.
WE equip young adults with an innovative mindset, fostered through hands on opportunities, enabling them to be the driving force behind questioning existing approaches to environmental problems, exploring green technologies, and adjusting to new ways of thinking.
WE embolden young adults to advocate for environmental solutions through tangible work opportunities, in order to foster progress in renewable energy, accessible clean water, and environmental inequality.
On November 19th, Water Innovation Advisors (WIA) and Water Emissaries (WE) are celebrating World Toilet Day, and we want to inform you on what the holiday is all about so you can celebrate along with us!
We've come to spread awareness of this important subject, because right now, 4.2 billion people are living without access to safely managed sanitation.
#WEgiveacrap is about taking action to tackle the global sanitation crisis and aiding in the UN's mission to achieve sustainable water and sanitation for all of Earth's inhabitants by 2030.
A well-functioning toilet is connected to a sanitation system that can effectively deal with human waste.
These systems must be able to work 24 hours a day, every day, to keep us and our living environments safe and clean.
Billions of people live with weak and vulnerable sanitation systems, or no systems at all.
Toilet Day has been an annual United Nations Observance since 2013. It was first established in 2001 by the World Toilet Organization.
Every year, UN-Water — the United Nations’ coordination mechanism on water and sanitation — sets the theme for World Toilet Day.
In 2021, the theme is ‘Valuing Toilets’. Previous themes can be found here:https://www.worldtoiletday.info/archives-2021
Sustainable sanitation is resilient to climate change and safely processes bodily waste.
Toilets, combined with clean water and good hygiene, form a strong defense against #COVID19 and future disease outbreaks.
Flood, drought, and rising sea levels threaten sanitation systems – from toilets to septic tanks to treatment plants.
Everyone must have sustainable sanitation that can withstand climate change and keep communities healthy and functioning.
Wastewater and sludge from toilets contain valuable water, nutrients and energy.
Sustainable sanitation systems make productive use of waste to safely boost agriculture and reduce and capture emissions for greener energy.
Today, the world’s toilets – and the sanitation systems they are connected to – are under threat from climate change.
Flooding, drought and rising sea levels can damage any part of a sanitation system – toilets, pipes, tanks and treatment plants – spreading raw sewage and creating a public health emergency.
The effects of climate change are only becoming more frequent and more extreme. We must make our sanitation systems resilient, so they are sustainable as climate change gets worse.
Billions of people live with weak and vulnerable sanitation systems, or no systems at all.
Climate change will disrupt or destroy sanitation services for huge numbers of people if we do not act.
Everyone must have sustainable sanitation, alongside clean water and handwashing facilities,
to help protect and maintain our health security and stop the spread of deadly infectious diseases such as COVID-19, cholera and typhoid.
In short, WE have to give a crap.
Last year, the Water Emissaries was supporting Thrive Networks, an international NGO pioneering evidence-based programs; water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH). We invite you to support them as well by donating here. (thrivenetworks.org/giving-menu/)
Check out this premium toilet paper and tissue company that donates 50% of its profits to help build toilets!
https://us.whogivesacrap.org/pages/our-impact
Here's how to get involved and start your own initiatives to aid in the mission of World Toilet Day!
https://www.worldtoiletday.info/world-toilet-day-2020/world-toilet-day-2020-act/
