Here is a selection of some of the amazing speaker and presentations from Engage 2009: Engineers Without Borders National Conference, enjoy!
EWB founder Daniel Almagor opens Engage 2009
Engineers Without Borders Founder and Former CEO Daniel Almagor opens Engage 2009: Engineers Without Borders National Conference. Daniel provides a very entertaining overview of EWB, the Conference and community development.
ABC journalist Eric Campbell - Reporting on the World
Speaking at Engage 2009: Engineers Without Borders National Conference Eric Campbell is one of Australia's most experienced international reporters. In a 20 year career he has worked in more than 50 counties and covered some of the biggest breaking stories of the past decade. Here Eric gave an amazing account of 'reporting on the world' - drawing on his extensive experience as a veteran journalist.
John Lasich talks about large scale solar power
Speaking at Engage 2009: Engineers Without Borders National Conference John Co-founded Solar Systems in 1992 and created the concepts which have been furthered by the company over the last 17 years to produce the world's most efficient solar power technology. Here John gives an insight into how large scale solar power might be achieved using concentrator systems for generating electricity and hydrogen at high efficiency and low cost.
Richard Denniss and The Curse of Affluenza
Dr Richard Denniss is the Executive Director of the Australia Institute. He is an economist
with a particular interest in the role of regulation. Prior to taking up his current position he was an Associate Professor at the Crawford School of Economics and Government at the Australian National University where he continues to hold an adjunct appointment. Richardhas also worked as Strategy Adviser to the Leader of the Australian Greens, Senator Bob Brown, Chief of Staff to the Leader of the Australian Democrats, Senator Natasha Stott Despoja, and lectured in economics at the University of Newcastle. Richard has published extensively in academic journals, is a frequent contributor to national newspapers and was the co-author of the best selling Affluenza (with Dr Clive Hamilton) and is the co-author of the forthcoming An Introduction to Australian Public Policy: Theory and Practice (with Dr Sarah Maddison).
Here Richard speaks about global trade and identify that there is good trade and bad. On the
positive side it can bring economies out of poverty, on the bad side it can cripple communities
and countries, and add to the growing disease of affluenza.
Gender Relations and Inequality with Claire Rowland
Claire joined IWDA in March 2008 as an Overseas Program Manager supporting partners in Vanuatu and Fiji. Prior to working at IWDA she worked in Timor Leste for 3 years, supporting NGOs and cooperatives in their program management, organisational structures systems, monitoring and evaluation and communities development processes.
Claire will talk about analysing gender relations and addressing gender inequality within projects drawing from IWDAs partners experiences in the Pacific and recent research conducted by IWDA and ISF.
Ending the World Addiction to Oil with Evan Thornley
Evan Thornley is the CEO of Better Place Australia. Better Place Australia is part of a global company dedicated to zero emissions driving. Their vision is to enable the mass adoption of electric vehicles in
Australia by providing the infrastructure and services that make it easy, affordable and attractive for motorists to adopt and drive electric vehicles.
The benefits of this transition for Australia may be dramatic: from cleaner air and lower emissions, to a stronger economy with more jobs and a healthier future for the car manufacturing and renewable energy sectors. Canberra has been selected for their first city-wide roll-out of the Better Place electric vehicle infrastructure in Australia. What will you be driving in 2030?
Session Outline
Evan will be examining the possibility of a movement away from our dependence on oil for transport through the mass adoption of electric vehicles.
Comedy Debate: Business is more likely to save the world than non profit (Chaired by Dave Thornton)
Chaired by Australian Comedian Dave Thornton this is a hilarious debate arguing the topic that business is more likely to save the world than non profit.
Affirmative Team: Rob Skinner (managing director of Melbourne Water) Monique Conhead (Co-founder and CEO of flexicar), Richard Dennis (Executive Director of the Australia Institute)
Negative team: Anna Rose (Founder and co-director of the Australian Youth Climate Coalition (AYCC)), Jan Owe(Executive Director of Social Ventures Australia), Anton Hermann (National Director, pro bono and Community Investment for Minter Ellison Lawyers).
EWB Challenge Award Ceremony
The Engineers Without Borders Australia Challenge (EWB Challenge) is an Australasian design program for first-year university students. Students work in teams to develop conceptual designs for sustainable development that contribute towards real international development projects.
Over the course of the conference the finalist teams have been presenting their designs to a panel of judges. This awards ceremony celebrates their work and announces the overall EWB Challenge winning team.
An Interview with EWB Community Partners
Community partners from Cambodia and Bali comment on the status of their communities.
Peter Cosgrove - The Military and Birth of a Nation
General Peter Cosgrove
General Peter Cosgrove is instantly recognised as the face of the Australian Armed Forces. In 1999, as Commander of the Deployable Joint Force Headquarters, General Cosgrove assumed command of the
International Forces in East Timor (INTERFET) and led his troops until the force was withdrawn in February 2000. On his return to Australia, he was appointed Chief of Army.
In July 2002, General Cosgrove assumed the profile position of Chief of the Defence Force, a position he held until July 2005. Numerous awards and honours attest to the standing of General Peter Cosgrove in the military establishment and across the wider community.
He was awarded the Military Cross for his service with 9RAR in South Vietnam and for his service withINTERFET, he was advanced to Companion of Military Division the Order of Australia (AC). He hasreceived several foreign awards including the Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, a Commander of the United States Legion of Merit, the Tong Il medal from the Republic of Korea, and theGrand Chain of Infante Dom Henrique from Portugal.
Session Outline
Peter Cosgrove, who led the INTERFET mission to East Timor in 1999 and 2000, will speak on those aspects of the operation which underscore the plight of war ravaged people and the urgent need for them to receive practical help. He will refer especially to the role played by engineers in rendering this urgent aid. He will include in his commentary some thoughts on the evolving role of military forces in assisting traumatised nations to a peacefulfuture.