World Development Information Day

24th October

Engineers without Borders

Duration: 10.20 min

Navid Tabatabai joins Engineers Without Borders and heads to the West African country of Ghana. His challenge is to help local farmers develop more sustainable agriculture practices – and to answer his own question – is it really helping when Westerners impose their views on other countries? The summer before his second year of engineering, Navid Tabatabai backpacked through Southeast Asia – it was a trip that turned his world upside down. Usually a big fan of the idea of 'international development', Navid started questioning himself after seeing Western ways intruding into the lives of seemingly happy families working together – it made him ask himself some hard questions: "Who are we to tell these people they need to be greedy consumers like the rest of us? Where are the lines between human rights and cultural imposition?"

Hoping to find more answers, Navid joins a group called Engineers Without Borders and heads to the coastal West African country of Ghana as part of a program to help local farmers develop more sustainable agriculture practices.
His powerful video diary records his everyday life with his new Ghanaian family - as he tests his own assumptions on this life-changing African trip.

Earthship Biotecture

Duration: 10.00 min

Earthships 101 is a 10 minute overview of the basic Earthship systems, types of buildings and Earthship communities in Taos County, New Mexico. Earthship Biotecture, based in Taos, NM, USA is a global company offering proven, totally sustainable designs, construction drawings & details, products, educational materials, lectures / presentations, consultation & guidance toward getting people in sustainable housing.

Blessed Unrest

Duration: 5.55 min

How the largest movement in the world came to being and WHY no one saw it coming!
Paul Hawken is an environmentalist, entrepreneur, journalist, and author. Starting at age 20, he dedicated his life to sustainability and changing the relationship between business and the environment. His practice has included starting and running ecological businesses, writing and teaching about the impact of commerce on living systems, and consulting with governments and corporations on economic development, industrial ecology, and environmental policy.

Taking IT Global

Duration: 5.31 min

A dot.com millionaire in grade 11, Michael Furdyk realized early on how the internet could be used as a tool for change. Determined to harness the power of youth around the globe, Mike and his partner Jen Corriero form Taking IT Global.

Jen's dad was a black belt in karate. Her grandma ran a pizza shop in Toronto's little Italy. Michael was a self-made dot.com millionaire by grade 11. When the pair met five years ago, they knew instantly they wanted to use the internet to change the world. Knowing how essential and powerful the youth voice is in making change, they were determined to find a way to link like-minded people from all around the planet.

So they formed Taking IT Global – an international online community connecting people to information and inspiration. It's a site to get involved and take action in your local and global communities. They're behind retraining child soldiers in the Philippines, AIDS awareness programs in Cameroon, computer training in India...
Now, with more than 90,000 members in over 200 countries, it's the world's most popular online community for young people interested in making a difference.

Media Links:

Teachers Planet

Unitied Nations Cyber School Bus

United Nations Human Rights

Amnesty International