Leaders in developing technology for sustainable development took the stage April 6th for the Engineers Without Borders – USA Global Innovations Forum. Chapters and other participants watched the event’s live stream online and interacted over Twitter. We heard the message of sustainability through reciprocation, design, business model and scale repeated in thoughtful speeches and tweetable sound bites. The forum included case studies in the work by Bridges to Prosperity, the Sunblazer solar trailer project by IEEE’s Community Solutions Initiative and EWB-USA’s Greater Austin Chapter. We also heard from representatives of iDE, iCATIS, and the eminently tweetable commentators, Bernard Amadei and Paul Polak. These are some of the forum’s best moments on Twitter.
1.5 million treadle pumps now in Bangladesh!!! This is the analog version of going viral… #GlobalForum
— Engineering 4 Change (@engineer4change) April 6, 2013
Since 1985, small businesses have sold 1.5 million treadle pumps to small-plot farmers in Bangladesh, Tim Prewitt, CEO of iDE said. The pumps irrigate farms and improve crop yields and farm incomes.
Keep looking upstream. Use life-cycle approach to piggyback entrepreneurial activities on development. Marcos Reiner of @icatis #GlobalForum
— Jodi Gentry (@Jodi_Gentry) Ap ril 6, 2013
Marcos Reiner at iCATIS updated us on the MK Kiln, which burns more cleanly than other kilns and has the potential to do other work simultaneously, such as generate electricity.
@bamadei: I have an allergic reaction to the term “sustainability.” Let’s replace that word with resiliency and adaptation. #GlobalForum
— EWB-USA (@EWBUSA) April 6, 2013
Bernard Amadei was on a tweetable phrase winning streak. Whenever he took the microphone, mini eruptions of tweets and retweets shook the #GlobalForum hashtag.
If the problems were only technical, we would have solved them long ago @bernardamadei @ewbusa #GlobalForum
— Jodi Gentry (@Jodi_Gentry) Ap ril 6, 2013
Stop talking about poverty reduction. Start talking about wealth enhancement – @bamadei‘s refrain that should be heard / #GlobalForum
— Engineering 4 Change (@engineer4change) April 6, 2013
“Engineering is more than concrete and bricks, it is about people” -Bernard Amadei #globalforum @ewbusa ow.ly/i/1PVAH (@ Regis…
— Vivaswath Kumar (@vivaswath) Apri l 6, 2013
Rawls theory of change: inequity depends upon veil of ignorance, in a transparent world privilege is temporary #globalforum
— frank bergh (@frankbergh) Apr il 6, 2013
Frank Bergh crafted some interesting paraphrases of the speakers and he also tweeted introspective questions during the conference.
trying to hold local sourcing, community involvement and massive scale up in my head at the same time. #globalforum
— Benjamin Mapes (@Benjamin_Mapes) April 6, 2013
Benjamin Mapes hit on one of the conundrums of our field.
We’ve got technology coming out our ears. We have to get it out there in a way that’s affordable & sustainable – Ray Larsen / #GlobalForum
— Engineering 4 Change (@engineer4change) April 6, 2013
Ray Larsen filled us in on the Sunblazer solar trailer project. For a run-down, here’s our coverage of the plan.
.OutofPoverty’s reliably capitalist solution to how to build 500,000 bridges worldwide: 1. Lower costs. 2. Sell the bridges / #GlobalForum
— Engineering 4 Change (@engineer4change) April 6, 2013
Paul Polak has a distinctly capitalist view on how to pay for development work. And judging by his own organizations, he is doing something right.
So much of this world is still a walking world. In this world,a river has a huge impact on your life – Netta Ophir / @b2p / #GlobalForum
— Engineering 4 Change (@engineer4change) April 6, 2013
Bridges to Prosperity builds foot bridges in developing countries. This is one reason why it matters.
Amartya Sen’s theory of change: Development = Freedom @ewbusa #GlobalForum
— EWBUSASunflowerState (@EWBUSASunflower) April 6, 2013
We included this for its important perspective.
