November Shop Day

Join us on November 24th at the Monolith Interactive office for a day of networking, great conversation, and the opportunity to hear informative and engaging speakers.

Where: Monolith Interactive, 15A King St. North, Waterloo

When: Saturday November 24 2012, 10am-3pm

Our feature speakers for the event are:

• Don McMurtry was professional fellowship with EWB in Malawi in 2010, long-time VP Sales at RIM, and calls himself a Voluntrepreneur. Don will talk about his experience with international development and how to apply EWB’s philosophy of systemic change to both Africa and Canada.

• Aatif Baskanderi delivered an education program on malaria 100,000+ Sierra Leonean households, is an electronics engineer, and graduate of the London School of Economics.

Agenda:

• 10:00 AM: Meet & Greet Breakfast

• 10:30 AM: Introduction & announcements

• 10:45 AM: Speaker - Aatif Baskanderi

• 11:45 AM: Networking Lunch

• 1:00 PM: Speaker - Don McMurtry

• 2:00 PM: Breakout workshop

• 3:00 PM: Closing Remarks/ Chapter Announcements

For more info email grandriver@ewb.ca

November Development Drinks

When: Wednesday, November 14th and 6:30-7:30pm
Where: The Cavern Room @ The Lions Brewery Restaurant, 59 King Street North, Waterloo

Title: The Role of the Mining Industry in the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)
Hosted by Kirsten Van Houten, Armed Violenece and Development Specialist
We would like to invite you join us for November’s Development Drinks!
At this event, Kirsten will go over the impact of mining in the Eastern DRC. She will provide a brief history of the conflict in the DRC and background on the mining industry. She will then go on to discuss documented examples of the mining industry’s involvement in armed violence as well as engage in a broader discussion indirect impacts of the illicit mineral trade on armed violence and development. Finally, we will conclude with an open discussion of accountability mechanisms and any other areas of interest.
Kirsten holds an M.A. in International Development from Dalhousie University. She conducted research for her M.A. thesis in South Africa where she worked with Congolese Refugees. She has worked with a variety of organizations including DFAIT and the Halifax Refugee Clinic on issues relating to armed violence and development. She recently returned from a CIDA internship in Uganda where she was working as the Peace and Conflict Officer for the Uganda Cooperative Alliance.

Development Drinks is a casual event where we invite a speaker to develop a discussion about various international development topics in a laid back atmosphere. We hope to see you there!

Also, if you are someone, or know of anyone, in the region who would like to speak about a particular international development topic, please feel free to contact Aatif via email: baskanderi@gmail.com

GeorgeRoter

George Roter to speak on February 16

George Roter, co-founder and CEO of Engineers Without Borders Canada, will be presenting a lecture called “Stop ‘helping those poor people in Africa:’ An argument for a systemic approach to supporting international development.”

He will examine our standard approaches to poverty reduction and development in sub-Saharan Africa. He will argue that simple actions – like building a well or a school – are insufficient to achieving poverty reduction and get in the way of more effective approaches. A different way forward is needed – focusing on systemic change – in order to drive economic and social development, and greater justice for those living in poverty.

The public lecture will be in the Lecture Hall, STP 105, at St. Paul’s University College at 7 p.m., Thursday, February 16.

Admission  is free. Parking is available at St. Paul’s on a first-come, first-serve basis and is free after 4:30 pm.

For more information, please contact Kelly Deeks-Johnson, kideeks@uwaterloo.ca

skulebookmina

EWB Speaking Tour hits Grand River!

EWB has received funding to organize a speaking tour that will visit offices and campuses across Canada in order to increase interest and support nation-wide of EWB’s work.

Mina Shahid, who works with the Agricultural Value Chains team in Ghana, will be speaking in our area. EWB Grand River has teamed up with the University of Waterloo to host a workshop style presentation with Mina, that has lots of opportunity for interaction and engagement and of course learning!

The workshop will be Monday January 23 2012 in room 2004 of the Enginereering 5 building at the University of Waterloo. (Engineering 5 is the newest engineering building on Ring Road.) Participants are asked to arrive by 4:30pm.

The event is open to everyone and we hope that we might see lots of old and new faces alike. This is a great way to learn more about the work EWB does from one of our awesome overseas staff!

Feel free to contact naomi.knischewsky@gmail.com if you’d like more information on the event or directions to the venue.

Fair Trade Waterloo Meeting

Fair Trade Waterloo is in its growing stages and gathering momentum towards a long term goal of getting Waterloo certified as Fair Trade City, promoting awareness and increasing the availability of Fair Trade Certified products in the area. If you are interested in learning more about Fair Trade Waterloo, the next meeting will be held at Whole Lo-a Gelata (Uptown Waterloo) on Wednesday December 7th at 6:00pm.

Holiday Outreach Event

EWB Grand River will be teaming up with the University of Waterloo student chapter for a holiday outreach event at the St. Jacobs Market. We will be running a stand on Saturday December 3rd during market hours and sharing ideas on making more ethical gift giving choices this holiday season and celebrating holiday cultures around the world. If you are interested in volunteering for an hour or two with us please email naomi.knischewsky@gmail.com for more information. If you’re planning to on a trip to the market this weekend, please stop by and see us! We’d love to talk to you!

65 Years of Fair Trade

On Saturday, October 1st Ten Thousand Villages will be celebrating 65 years of Fair Trade in their 48 stores across Canada, as well as at the National Office and Distribution Centre in New Hamburg, Ontario. Stop by your local store or the New Hamburg Open House and join in the festivities! There will be food, guests, slideshows, entertainment, gift basket draws, displays, balloons, tattoos and more!

In addition, celebrate with an Evening of Stories and Celebration with international storyteller Doug Dirks.

Sunday, October 2nd at 7:00 pm
Toronto United Mennonite Church
1774 Queen Street East

The evening will include Fair Trade food and drink and a chance to meet Ten Thousand Villages celebrity supporter Gail Vaz-Oxlade.

Doug Dirks has for decades been a visionary leader in the global Fair Trade movement and an impassioned advocate for artisans around the world. A masterful storyteller, many have been riveted by accounts of his early work establishing craft producing groups in some of the world’s most impoverished countries.