Logo for canvasopedia.org
Logo TactisForChange
Dilemma Actions MapCase StudiesMethodsIndexAbout UsContact Us

Feb 12, 2013-NaN

United States of America

World Toilet Day

Share

ACTIVISTS/ACT.GROUPS/DESCRIPTION OF THE GROUP

Matt Damon

TARGET

The World

WIDELY HELD BELIEF

People should have better quality toilets and clean water

CASE NARRATIVE

Issue/Opponent: Today 3.6 billion people are still living with poor quality toilets that have ruined their health and pollute their environment. The Inadequate sanitation systems spreads human waste into rivers, lakes and soil causing contamination the water resources. Specficially, Matt Damon the Co-Founder of Water.org pointed out that around 780 million people which is twice as much of people in the United States lack access to clean water. Dilemma Action: On February 12, 2013 Matt Damon who is the co-founder of water.org held a press conference where he announced that a protest the fact that 2.5 billion of people have lack access to a toilet or basic sanitation and by doing this he would be going on a “toilet strike.” Specifically, he called for others to join in him in this protest by on Novemeber 19th of each year people do the toilet strike. The media coverage of the skit was intended to be supprotive towards those who have lack of access to clean water. The video also did not create any fear or apathy but instead it brought humor to those joining. Outcome: On Novemeber 19th of each year Toilet Day is celebrated as a way to raise awareness for those who do not have clean water and access to sanitary toilets. Various famous actors have supported this protest as well supporting Matt Damon. This campaign has also been a continuous campaign as it is being done for the increase of access to clean water around the world. Also, this has not brought any negative responses from opponents but instead there has been a huge support for clean water around the world.

PRIMARY STRUGGLE/GOAL

Environment
Human rights

DA TACTICS USED

Humorous skits and pranks

Public Speeches

CASE NARRATIVE WRITER

SUCCESS METRICS

8 / 12

(MC) Media Coverage

(MSYMP) Media coverage was sympathetic to the activists

(PS) Dilemma action built sympathy with the public

(PUN) Punishment favored the activists

(RF) Dilemma action reduced fear and/or apathy among the activists

(SA) Dilemma action appealed to a broad segment of the public

Artivism

Laugtivism

PART OF A LARGER CAMPAIGN

3 / 3

Activist group continued working together after the action

Encouraged more participants to join the movement

Internally replicated by the same movement

RESOURCES

Project documentation

Dilemma Actions Coding Guidebook

Case study documentation

Dilemma_Actions_Analysis_Dataset

CC BY 4.0 Deed, Attribution 4.0 International

SOURCES

Water.org. 2013. “Strike With Me to Raise Awareness,” Retrieved July 23, 2023. (https://water.org/about-us/news-press/strike-me-raise-awareness/).

World Toilet Day. 2022. “WORLD TOILET DAY 2022
MAKING THE INVISIBLE VISIBLE,” Retrieved July 23, 2023. (https://www.worldtoiletday.info/).

Water.org. 2013. “MATT DAMON, “I’M GOING ON STRIKE”,” Retrieved July 23, 2023. (http://strikewithme.org/water_post_hr/).

Related cases

Oct 1, 1969-1971

Canada

Don’t Make A Wave Campaign

The “Don’t Make a Wave” committee was created in Vancouver, Canada in opposition to American nuclear testing at the National Wildlife Refuge in the Aleutian Islands of...

Environment
NONVIOLENT PROTEST A...

/

Wade-in
Share

Read more

Sep 20, 2018-2018

India

In Andhra Pradesh, in the village of Komarada Mandal, potholes have been left unattended by the local and regional government. Specifically, the interstate road near t...

Accountability / Corruption
NONVIOLENT PROTEST A...

/

Slogans/caricatures/...

May 6, 2019-2019

Kazakhstan

Nursultan Nazarbayev is the only president Kazakhstan knew for a long time, taking office in 1990 before the Central Asian country declared independence from the Sovie...

Accountability / Corruption
Human rights
Pro-Democracy
NONVIOLENT PROTEST A...

/

Banners/posters/disp...

Subscribe to our newsletters to get full access to all materials on our website.

Logo for canvasopedia.org
Logo TactisForChange
Dilemma Actions MapCase StudiesMethodsIndexAbout UsContact Us

© 2025 Tactics4 Change. All rights reserved. Read our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.