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The Taboos of Poo: Talking Sh**: Jackie Powell '09 at TEDxGettysburgCollege

2,915 views · Published 7 May 2013 · 13:20 · Indexed 6 October 2026

Channel: TEDx Talks · 2013 · Nonprofits & Activism

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Jackie Powell from WASH Advocates www.WASHadvocates.org talks about taboos that make us uncomfortable, like poo. Her mantra is: shit isn't sexy, but it's necessary to talk about. There are currently 2.5 billion people in world that don't have a safe place to use the bathroom and 1 billion who defecate in the open every day. She tells personal stories about using bathrooms in Nicaragua and Bolivia to explain why taboos like poo need to be talked about. The good news is there are simple solutions to the sanitation crisis. The toilet has been around for 5,013 years and hundreds of organizations and people are working to end open defecation. Jackie explains that going back to basics of relationship building and education will help make poo not so taboo.

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)

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