Poverty is not about weakness. For the 800 million people who go hungry each day and the one billion who lack access to clean water, poverty is an absence of opportunity. Extreme poverty is not inevitable. And 32 million Canadians who believe it unjust can choose to make a difference in the lives of the three billion people who live in poverty.
Engineers Without Borders Canada (EWB) is responding to this urgent need, helping people in developing communities gain access to technologies that will improve their lives. We believe that technology, when appropriately incorporated into each community's social, cultural, economic and political context, can drive extraordinary change. EWB was formed in 2000 and is now one of Canada’s most respected development agencies. Originally launched on university campuses, there are now over 30 chapters with over 30,000 members.
EWB In Canada
We live in an increasingly interconnected world in which the actions and decisions of people in Canada can have a profound effect on developing communities. Moreover, Canadians are proud of our country’s tradition of leadership on international issues — from peacekeeping, to the International Campaign to Ban landmines, to the International Criminal Court.
We believe that Canadians want to continue this tradition; to make Canada a model for how the world responds to the challenge of global poverty. Choosing to reduce poverty will only happen when people understand the connections between their daily actions and the lives of people in developing communities. That is why our 30,000 members are raising awareness among the general population and challenging:
- Canadians to make pro-poor decisions
- Our government to improve their policies
- Canadian corporations to adopt fair and humane practices
EWB programs such as workplace outreach, conferences and EWB Day are each making important inroads towards increased engagement of the Canadian population to make increasingly informed decisions every day.
EWB Overseas
EWB focuses on human development, creating an environment in which people can develop their full potential and lead productive, creative lives in accord with their needs and interests. In short, human development is about enlarging people’s choices.
We promote human development through access to technology by:
- Partnering with developing communities to help build the capacity of their technical sector
- Raising awareness among Canadians about how they can make decisions that positively impact communities overseas
- Encouraging the Canadian government to become a model global citizen by taking on a leadership role in poverty alleviation