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Engineers Without Borders UK Professional Network Bulletin
7th June 2009

EVENTS & TALKS

ASF-UK RedR Talk Series – Climate change and cities

TRAINING & WORKSHOPS

ASF-UK Loose-Fit Building Workshop:11-14 September 2009

RESET: Appropriate building materials for emergency workshops

EWB-UK Training

CHALLENGES

ENGINEERS AGAINST POVERTY Vietnam-Cambodia Cycle Challenge

British Red Cross Disaster Response Challenge

OPPORTUNITIES

EWB-UK Professional Network Coordinator

Placement in South Africa with EWB-USA

Internships

OTHER

Comments wanted: Emergency Relief Infrastructure

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EVENTS

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ASF-UK RedR TALK – CLIMATE CHANGE AND CITIES by David Satterthwaite

The penultimate talk in the ASF - UK and RedR Talk Series 2009: Conflict, Natural Disasters and Climate Change: the impact of population displacement is by David Satterthwaite

10^th June

Climate change and cities; can rapid urbanization be sustained within a resource constrained world with global warming?

Places are running out fast so if you really want a place then please contact Megan.Price@redr.org.uk   to reserve a seat. If you have reserved a seat then please arrive at least 10 minutes before the talk starts as we will be then working on a first come first served basis.

Talks will all be held at RedR's offices: 250a Kennington Lane, London, SE11 5RD

Tickets cost £6 (£5 for students). Payment to be made at the door on the night.

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ASF-UK LOOSE-FIT BUILDING WORKSHOP

Architecture Sans Frontieres-UK invites you to:
Loose-Fit Building Workshop
Braziers Park, Oxfordshire
11-14 September 2009

This interactive workshop which will explore in practice the ideas of loose fit building methods and their essential role in construction and development.

Under the expert guidance of Maurice Mitchell (London Metropolitan University) you will have the opportunity to design and build structures using materials found either on site or available locally. Skills are site based focussing on those of mason and carpenter.

Supported by an intense lesson programme, the building activity will engage you in a reflective learning process of experimentation focused group assessment and review. As the course progresses and the skills, ambitions and interactions becomes clear a unique and unpredictable built form evolves.

At the course conclusion the structure will form the stage for a final performance in which lessons learnt are expresses and the process consolidated.The ‘loose fit’ way of learning is designed to engage you in the process by which technology and human agency are transformed into a culture of making.

Venue: Braziers Park, Oxford | Costs: £350 per person (cost includes 3 organic meals per day plus camping accommodation (own tents required).

For workshop programme and information about other events please visit: http://www.asf-uk.org/workshops or email info@asf-uk.org

Please note ASF-UK reserves the right to cancal this course up to and including August 2009

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RESET: APPROPRIATE BUILDING MATERIALS FOR EMERGENCIES WORKSHOPS

RESET is an NGO specialising in training to increase resilience, particularly in areas facing severe climate change impacts.

They are running a series of two-day workshops in London for those working in the emergency sector to learn first-hand about appropriate materials: how to build with them and their use in the field.

These three practical workshops will explore timber shelter techniques, building with straw bale, and rammed earth construction. Trainers are experts in each material, with experience in the humanitarian and development sectors. Participants will build with each material and weigh up their pros and cons for use in response to disasters and emergencies.

Timber shelter / 9th-10th July

Straw bale  / 23rd-24th July

Rammed Earth  / 28th-29th July

Each 2 day course costs £200 (RESET member £180)
For more information or to book, go online: WWW.RESET-DEVELOPMENT.ORG

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EWB-UK TRAINING COURSES

Engineering for a Better World, 12-14 June, Birmingham
Cambridge Water & Sanitation Series: Pumps, 13 June, Dullingham (nr Cambridge)
Solar Energy Day, 21 June, Warwick
Clare Farm Course, 26-28 June, Dullingham (nr Cambridge)
Stove Workshop, 25 July, London
Small is...Festival!, 5-6 Sept, Rugby

For further information see:

http://www.ewb-uk.org/programmes/training/upcomingcourses

Or contact:  Fran Talavera (EWB-UK Training Programme Manager)

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CHALLENGES

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BRITISH RED CROSS DISASTER RESPONSE CHALLENGE

Could you be first on the scene and give hope?

How would you cope in a tense and rapidly evolving situation?

Built around a hypothetical disaster that unfolds in real time over a two-day period, this is a challenge that will test the calmest, most practical of you. You will be taken out of your comfort zone and into an environment where the decisions you and your teammates make would quite literally be a matter of life and death in real life…

The role of the Red Cross Emergency Response Unit (ERU) is to respond as quickly as possible to a humanitarian disaster whenever and wherever in the world it may occur, offering practical help and hope to people in crisis.

The Disaster Response Challenge provides a unique opportunity for you to experience first hand the issues and decisions faced by the Red Cross ERU in a disaster situation – something that only a handful of people get to experience in a lifetime.

The Disaster Challenge is run by members of the British Red Cross ERU, experts in Disaster Response logistics and experienced professional trainers specialising in personal development and team building.

Details

11 – 13 September 2009

Location: Bramley, Hampshire

Booking fee: £50

Minimum Sponsorship: £500

To find out more please go to www.redcross.org.uk/disasterresponsechallenge or call 020 7382 4653

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ENGINEERS AGAINST POVERTY Vietnam-Cambodia Cycle Challenge

Would you like to raise money for charity while having the experience of a lifetime?

Then sign up for our 2010 Vietnam-Cambodia Cycle challenge. 

EAP is an independent charity that works with industry, government and civil society to fight poverty and promote sustainable development. By participating in this challenge you will support our efforts to influence corporate and public policy and help develop practical solutions aimed at creating jobs, promoting enterprise development and improving education and training in some of the world’s poorest countries.

The challenge will take you from Ho Chi Minh (formerly Saigon) city, through the rice-paddies and waterways of the beautiful Mekong Delta into Cambodia. You will peddle through this friendly country towards one of the wonders of Southeast Asia, the Royal Temples of Angkor Wat.

This at times challenging cycle trek will leave you with a real sense of achievement.  Fascinating insights into the region’s timeless cultures and traditions, breathtaking scenery, and the warmth of the local people are a real highlight of this challenge.

Join us on this adventure…

Contact Tendai Nyoka on 020 3206 0488 or at t.nyoka@engineersagainstpoverty.org to register or find out more about the challenge.

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OPPORTUNITIES

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EWB-UK PROFESSIONAL NETWORK COORDINATOR

The Engineers Without Borders UK Professional Network (PN) is a community of professionals, academics and practioners who share EWB-UK's aims and can take part in its work. The Professional Network Co-ordinator leads the PN team (local network coordinators) and is responsible for all activities regarding the PN membership.

Professional Network aims:

• Interact with the EWB-UK students at universities across the country and support its programmes
• Forge and build links between EWB-UK and companies, engineering institutions and NGOs
• Act as a forum within which expertise and opportunities can be shared

Role description:

• Coordinate and support a team of regional PN coordinators
• Be the main point-of-contact for all professionals interested in personal involvement with EWB-UK
• Manage regular email bulletins 
• Maintain and enhance the connection between the PN, student branches and EWB-UK's programmes and teams
• Establish, develop and monitor relationships with external bodies (institutions, companies, NGOs)
• Manage PN database, statistics of membership, company points-of-contact, email list, PN webpages
• Planning and managing PN budget
• As a member of the EWB-UK National Executive, the co-ordinator will attend regular committee meetings in London.

Requirements:

• Excellent organisation skills
• Leadership capability to motivate a team of professionals and support them to lead local PN communities
• Good communication.  Comfortable making contact with external bodies and delivering presentations
• Basic IT skills
• A demonstrated interest in international development and EWB-UK’s work
• The role is suited to a graduate student or graduate professional
• The role is anticipated to require a commitment of approximately 3 hours a week plus a monthly meeting 

Benefits:

• This role provides great experience of how professionals and students can contribute to international development awareness
• The co-ordinator will develop a variety of transferable skills including team management, development awareness and networking
• There are many opportunities to meet and develop relationships with a wide variety of individuals in academia, industry, government, NGOs and civil society
• The co-ordinator will receive internal National Executive training and ongoing guidance and support from the EWB-UK CEO and the Trustee overseeing the Professional Network

Start date: June 29th 2009

If you have questions, please do not hestitate to contact Victoria Hickman, the current PN national coordinator at victoria.hickman@ewb-uk.org

< Apply here >

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INTERNSHIPS

The following internships are available:

1 three month internship on offer in development organisation, Practical Action.
3 ten month internships at The Humanitarian Centre, Cambridge.
5 summer internships with EWB-UK.

For details see www.ewb-uk.org.

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SHORT PLACEMENT IN SOUTH AFRICA WITH EWB- USA

There is an opportunity for a short placement in August 09 to assess the feasibility of the first long-term EWB-UK/EWB-USA collaboration to assist with the implementation of distributing locally manufactured Alcock Hydraulic Ram Pumps to local community vegetable garden co-operatives.

On-site Project Assessment  

Application
If interested, please send a CV and cover letter to pn.london@ewb-uk.org by Fri 20th Jun.

Background
The high prevalence of HIV and tuberculosis combined with the need for parents to search for work in urban and mining areas means that many children in KwaZulu Natal are looked after by their grandmothers. In order for these women to support their grandchildren they run Community Vegetable Gardens. This supplements their family’s diet and makes a small contribution to the family income. Up to 6 hours a day however is spent collecting water to irrigate these gardens which reduces their potential yield and causes health problems.

To help combat this EWB USA-JHU has been working with David Alcock to create a distribution chain for the locally designed Alcock Hydraulic Ram Pump. It is hoped a number of these will be installed at the community garden co-operatives to increase yield, improve member health and increase income as more time can be spent at the market selling their produce rather than irrigating the gardens.

The distribution of these pumps will be the responsibility of a second local partner, The Zakhe Agricultural College. Here, it is hoped, a small facility will be set up to manufacture, test and maintain the pumps. An initial phase of this has been the installation of two ram pumps by previous EWB USA-JHU volunteers at the college. The technology of the pumps is now being incorporated into the curriculum and it is hoped that they will be able to use this learning to sustain a manufacturing and distribution facility.

Roles and Responsibilities
You will be assessing the project for its potential as a long-term placement for an EWB UK volunteer in the summer of 2010. It is proposed that long-term EWB-UK placements will assist in empowering Zakhe Agricultural College to sustainably disseminate and implement the Alcock ram pumps.

In addition to this you will be:
• Assisting EWB US-JHU volunteers with the installation of two ram pumps in two garden co-operatives.
• Conducting a social survey of a previous pump installation at Ndwedwe Gardens to assess it impact. • Assessing the potential of a reservoir irrigation system.

If it seems appropriate from your assessment that the project is suitable for an EWB UK placement in 2010 there will be an opportunity for you to become project manager, be part of a project support team or even volunteer yourself.

Volunteer Requirements
- Water engineering, hydrologist, geologist background (essential)
- Travel experience (essential)
- Overseas development experience (preferable)
- Driving license (preferable)
- Experience of needs assessing (preferable)

Expenses
The volunteer will be expected to cover most, if not all, expenses or seek their own sponsorship.

Flight: ~£800,
Food and board: £5-£15/pn,
Plus other travel expenses such as vaccines, insurance etc…

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OTHER

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EMERGENCY RELIEF INFRASTRUCTURE – Comments wanted

A Shelter Centre ‘remote project’ has produced a document currently under review and seeking comments from those with experience on emergency relief infrastructure:

‘Guidelines for constructing a shed for use in emergency relief infrastructure’

Please access the document here: www.sheltercentre.org/rp1/sheds
Any comments appreciated by 19^th June.

'Facilitating Human Development Through Engineering'

This Email has been sent to the EWB-UK Professional Network. It is hoped that the events advertised will be of interest even though they may have no direct links to EWB-UK. If you wish to amend your details, subscribe to or unsubscribe from this list, please email professional_network@ewb-uk.org in addition to adding / amending your details on the EWB-UK website at www.ewb-uk.org/professionalnetwork

Engineers Without Borders UK is a registered in England and is limited by guarantee. Registered Company No.: 4856607. Registered Charity No.: 1101849.

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