technology with a human face
March 31, 2008
Developing appropriately scaled economic institutions comes with the need
for appropriate technological solutions. Communities with the ability to
produce and distribute their own goods have the ability to provide for their
basic needs –shelter, food, clothing, and energy. This means both a pump
for agricultural irrigation in Sub Saharan Africa and cannery for preserving
the harvest in your own community. Most importantly it executes the skills
of citizens to their fullest capacity. Schumacher calls the use of
appropriate technology, production by the masses and stated that it
"mobilizes the priceless resources which are possessed by all human beings,
their clever brains and skillful hands, and supports them with first-class
tools."
To further the goal of developing "technology with a human face," E. F.
Schumacher founded the Intermediate Technology Group (ITDG). Recently
renamed Practical Action, the organization's mission is to develop
appropriate technologies that raise people from poverty without threatening
their way of life. Included in this mission is that technologies should be
developed locally, in collaboration with those who will implement them.
Doing so assures that projects meet specific needs, use available materials,
maintain affordability, and are replicable on a regional scale. Developers
and early users are also instructed in the marketing and sale of the
implements, thus having the dual benefit of generating income and
disseminating the technology.
Practical Action uses this localized approach for securing developing
communities access to: energy; shelter; transportation; water and
sanitation; food and agriculture; disaster mitigation; and communication.
Currently, Practical Action is engaged in over one hundred projects
primarily focused in South Asia, Sub Saharan Africa, and Latin American. In
addition, their website http://www.practicalaction.org, provides practical
information on a broad range of appropriate technologies, providing
accessible support for communities worldwide. A Spanish language version of
their website (http://www.solucionespracticas.org.pe) further increases the
availability of these resources.
For the past two and a half years Practical Action has been headed by Chief
Executive Officer, Simon Trace. Before taking on this role he spent ten
years working on development issues in Zambia and Nepal. Since joining
Practical Action he has helped them to further develop their innovative
programs and provide solutions to a greater number of people. Under his
direction, Practical Action continues to be a leader in providing
appropriate solutions to those most in need.
The E. F. Schumacher Society and Simon's Rock course on Globalization and
Community Ecology will be hosting Simon Trace for a talk on the programs of
Practical Action and also on the wider lens of technology's role in poverty
alleviation on April 7, 2008. He will be speaking at the Kellogg Music
Center on the Bard College at Simon's Rock campus at 7:30pm. Tickets are 3
BerkShares (http://www.berkshares.org) at the door.
The event's cosponsor, Simon's Rock course Globalization and Community
Ecology, is an exploration of the nexus between place, community and forces
of global production.
Sincerely,
Michael Gordon for the
E. F. Schumacher Society
140 Jug End Road
Great Barrington, MA 01230
efssociety@smallisbeautiful.org
http://www.smallisbeautiful.org
Board of Directors: Jessica Brackman, Starling Childs, Merrian Fuller,
Hildegarde Hannum, Eric Harris-Braun, Constance Packard, Joseph Stanislaw,
Nancy Jack Todd, and Charles Turner.
Board of Founders: Ian Baldwin, David Ehrenfeld, Satish Kumar, John
McClaughry, and Kirkpatrick Sale.
Advisory Board: Tanya Berry, Thomas Berry, Wendell Berry, Lisa Byers, Olivia
Dreier, Hazel Henderson, Wes Jackson, Amory Lovins, John McKnight, David
Orr, Michael Shuman, Cathrine Sneed, Lewis Solomon, John Todd, Greg Watson,
Barbara Wood, and Arthur Zajonc.
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