World Engineering Education Forum of 2010

SUMMARY
A global gathering of engineering education stakeholders to improve the field through enhanced dialogue on the major engineering and engineering education challenges and through increasing the effectiveness of global partnerships, harnessing the expertise and commitment of the international community and of the local and regional players.

GOAL
WEEF provides a cutting edge and effective platform for communication and collaboration among the world’s stakeholders in engineering education, locating itself strategically in a key strategic locale. The Forum will unite five engineering education international conferences/forums.

THE FIVE EVENTS and COMMON SESSIONS
The five international events will carry their individual conference/summit agendas during the week, but will share a common Opening Reception on Monday evening, 18 October, and come together on Tuesday, 19 October, for two common morning sessions, where world known speakers will address the entire attendee population regarding current engineering and engineering education challenges.

Ninth ASEE Global Colloquium – www.asee.org
Twelfth IACEE/WCCEE Meeting – www.wccee2010.org
Fourth IFEES Summit – www.ifees.net
First Conference of the Global Engineering Deans Council (GEDC) – www.gedcouncil.org
Seventh Global Student Forum – www.worldspeed.org

October/November 2009 saw massive protests internationally against the increasing privatisation of public education and the problems that come with it, as well as for free and emancipatory education freely accessible to all like never before!

The past few months were used to strengthen the network between education activists worldwide and awareness was spread that each group will be more successful uniting in struggle globally. After all problems are to a great extend identical.

The “International Student Movement” is an independent platform making use of various tools the internet offers to enable an extensive flow of information and general communication between activists in Australia, Nepal, the U.S.A., Puerto Rico, the United Kingdom and anywhere else in the world.

Hundreds of people concerned with education from many different regions of the world came together at the Ruhr-University in Bochum (Germany) for the “European Education Congress” at the end of May 2010 to exchange visions and tighten relations across the borders. The congress once again clearly showed that the increasing costs for individuals to access education, budget cuts in public spending on education, an increasing influence of business interests through especially set up boards and a constant de-democratisation of educational institutions – just to name a few – are far from being local or national issues, but are indeed problems people everywhere are facing. As Mutiara Ika a student activist in Indonesia puts it: “This struggle simply knows no borders!” and continuing “free and emancipatory education is simply a pre-condition for any society deeming itself to be democratic!”

Therefore education activist groups decided to increasingly act together in their protests in the future. As a first step some of them decided to declare June 16th a “Day of United Symbolic Actions”.

On that day groups in various locations worldwide will publicly announce the up-coming “Global Wave of Action for Education”, which is currently being co-ordinated and expected to kick-off with a huge day of action across the U.S.A. on October 7th and continuing with occupations in Italy and across Europe. At some stage groups in Africa, Asia and elsewhere will join as well.

Volunteers’ Day Camp 2008 (World Wetlands Day)
Date: 2008-02-02

Volunteers on the Tree Shade

WNSO Nepal organized volunteers’ day camp on the occasion of World Wetland Day carrying a slogan “healthy wetlands healthy people”.

Global Day of Climate Action marked: Let’s Hug our Himalayas
Date: 2009-12-12

Let's hug our Himalayas !!

WNSO Nepal’s members and some new and enthusiastic youth members hiked on 12th December 2009 to mark the global day of climate action. The message from this hiking program was multi-dimensional. Youth students made pledges to work for climate justice. they interacted and drafted action plan for the global slogan : Unite for Climate. Link between sustainable development and education and the trend of resource use and climate change was discussed by students of Nepal and Denmark.

Volunteer-members pursued the hiking route from Jhor-Mahankal (Kathmandu) through Shivapuri Nagarjun Naational Park to Suryachour (Nuakot); and vice-versa.

There is a golden opportunity for Nepalese Students on Hospitality, English Language, Management and relevant subjects:
http://www.discoverymice.com/WEC2010/world-ecotourism-conference-2010-volunteers.htm

In this context, I could not stop mentioning 350.org and actions. I began my involvement along with other youth in Nepal since October 23 event at school, and October 24 event in Swayambhunath Stupa, Kathmandu.

” We , global youth have to unite for climate. Solidarity !’

A Clip of welcome speech at December 30 event:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGSJL4HaHqs

The context behind the essay contest and bicycles distribution was to applause the smart 15 Nepalese Youth, who committed themselves for planting the seeds of climate action right from their behaviour. I wish all Nepalese Youth along with global youth; achieve success on climate actions, advocacies and lead the globe to sustainability.

The context behind the essay contest was that the world leaders, then December 18 in Copenhagen, did not come up with some agreement to deal with the climate change.

The winners were Saraswoti Poudel, Srijana Marasini, Rashmi Rana Magar, Tilak Bhattarai, Rajendra Dulal, Abhinav Khanal, Prashant Raut, Pushpa Lata KC, Sabitra Dhakal, Nitesh Sharma Ghimire, Krishana Gyanwali, Purushottam Lamichhane, Yashoda Aryal, Suman Udas and Paras Khanal.

The distribution of prizes was an iconic to exhibit that Nepalese youth have begun to stop the emissions of green house gases. The top 15 essayists got prizes as:

1) Top 5: a bicycle, a jute bag and 2 CFL packs each
2) Next 5: a bicycle and a jute bag each
3) Next 5: a bicycle each
The Program co-ordinator was the organisations’ treasurer Mr. Dipesh Dulal.

The chief guest was Hon. Ganesh Shah. Guests were Mr. Tek Jung Mahat (Node Manager, Asia Pacific Mountain Forum), Mr.Abhisek Shrestha (Sub Co-ordinator, Nepalese Youth for Climate Action). Mr. Yadav Bhattarai chaired the program. The jury members for sorting out the top 15 essays were Mr. Rabin Bastola (ENPHO), Mr. Pralhad Karki (Principal, KCC, Putalisadak), Mr. JN Kharel (Founder member, WNSO Nepal) and Mr. Arjun Subedi (Executive member, WNSO Nepal).

The program started at 11.30 am. The program started with the welcome speech of program co-ordinator, Mr. Dipesh Dulal. He focused on the objective of the essay contest. He acknowledged the supporters YOUNGO (Coalition of Global Youth NGOs working on climate advocacy), Nature and Youth (Denmark). Then Hon. Ganesh Shah delivered a short speech emphasizing that Nepalese students are making impact globally. He too highlighted “Writing makes a man perfect.” encouraging youth to write. He said that climate change can be issue of conflict between developed and developing countries.

Mr. Pralhad Karki, Principal of KCC, announced the names of the top 15 winners. After the prize distribution, Saraswoti Poudel, first rank winner of the competition recited her essay. The program ended with closing speech of Mr. Yadav Prasad Bhattarai.

WNSO-Nepal called Nepalese Youth (ages 17 – 28) to submit their commitment essays. The announcement of essay competition was done on 15th December, 2009.
NEWS Detail

This year the Dutch Government’s fund to some 50 youth participants from developing countries (Global South) was like a strategic effort to make them face the challenge in future negotiations, as this needs wider insight of global political-economy. After 18th Dec 2009, the situation of youth members’ leadership skills on climate negotiations making me desperate.

If someone asks me about the full-text that COP15 came up with; I can’t answer in detail. But concisely, everyone is not happy with the fact that legally binding deal was not reached. How it could reach? For James Lovelock’s enlightening words from BBC’s Haldtalk has striken my senses.

I’m truly looking forward the global youth’s (Global North and Global South) policy on population, energy-use, and economy. COP15 aftermath led me to learning the Lession: “Obama’s change seems just like word of a Hollywood movie.” If it is extremely tough to reach the change-indicator, then COP16 in some 6 months in Mexico (http://www.cop16.mx/3w/) is goig to be a non-sense conference of 192 countries and new countries.

Now, I’m getting into a glimpse of discourses with sir James Lovelock, a supporter scientist of nuclear energy. The urban amience, fantastic lights, drinks, societies, youth are now being part of lifestyle of world youth taking myself as an example. If our lifestyle tends towards wasteful use of energy plus if we want to be straightward in nuclear energy, James seems to be compulsorily entertained.

Large arrays of Solar PV cells and huge cover of land with wind turbines are not just uneconomical but also can be questioned about the CO2 emission during the production and use of non-renewable resources, perhaps steel.

Coming back to the Nepalese situation, I and my friends this January in rural part of Nepal are exploring the taste of millet and some underground roots. I do believe that these items are immediate answers to the fall of global food production. Also, a crazy idea of installing bicycle-dynamo-turbine in laminar water-falls for rural street/trail lighting!

I’d like to pose a question to James Lovelock: What if global population- and economic policy go green and people shift to numbers of small sized (pico- or nano-) solutions? This alternative in front on James Lovelock is to make him take the safety issues linked with nuclear energy.

News Reports:

Inter School Art Contest on Climate Change (Date: 2009-10-23)

With the objective of initiating the partnerships with schools and establishing stuients’ environmental initiative, WNSO – Nepal organised ‘Inter School Art contest on climate Change’ on October 23, 2009 at premises of Mother International Academy, Samakhushi, Kathmandu.

The Participation of 17 students from 8 schools of the locality was inspiring for the schools and WNSO Nepal. Teachers and Headteachers of 8 different schools took part in an informal interaction session to discuss on further prospects of partnerships of schools and NGOs on educational development and drafted preliminary action plan; which has already created a forum for further development.

The video session included two documentaries on climate change and a climate change song.  The interaction forum among teachers, head teachers and members of WNSO Nepal was co-ordinated by Mr. Rajesh Kumar Pathak and Mr. Arjun Subedi.

Documentary Session

Sabnam (Grade 5) of Mother International Academy bagged the first prize while Sonu (Grade 5) of Angel’s World International School and Poosh (Grade 3) of Paradigm Public School bagged second and third prize.

Mr. Sudarshan Sitaula, Administrative Member, of Mother International Academy acknowledged all of the participants who had made the event Successful.

Addressing the ending session of the event, Mr. Dipesh Dulal, the event coordinator urged the pupils to create the banner with the message ‘Stop Climate Change’. He urged all the participants of the event to take part in any of the events going to be organised worldwide to mark the Global Day of Climate Action, the next day October 24, 2009.

As the program concluded, pupils created the banner with their palm prints with the message : Stop Climate Change.

Global Day of Climate Action called by 350 movement
(Date: 2009-10-24)

Global Day of Climate Action called by 350.org

EC members Mr. Yadav Bhattarai, Mr. Dipesh Dulal, Mr. Arjun Subedi along with volunteers from WNSO Nepal joined other demonstrators to mark the global day of climate action called by 350 campaign (http://350.org) with message from the primary pupils of Kathmandu : Stop Climate change. The rally took off from Basantapur and had a symbolic demonstration at Swayambhunath Stupa, Kathmandu along with all youth participants of Kathmandu.

I joined the e-mailing list of 350.org which automated an e-mail with some misleading information about Himalayas; I contacted them and they responded very positively and now their automated e-mail is edited.
I feel happy when people are tolerant with critics, wish the entire world in the race of so-called hi-tech economy hear us and rethink.
Now, I am supporter of 350.org ; liked the cause and actions and the glocalism in the working platform.
Till 8:25 pm Nepal Standard Time, September 12, 2009, some 1427 actions have been registered from 111 countries.
More on this : http://www.350.org/plan

Whatever the paradigm prevail about economies : The Marxism or Chicago School of Thought cannot truly interprete the baseline of practising political economy. All, it is full of fantasies.

The author felt to explore his locality and present the baseline in bigger picture. Evidently, not putting some new hypotheses forward. This time, the working women of Kathmandu.

The growing trend of exploitation of land all over the world has modeled Kathmandu – the Nepalese capital city on its own. Each year tens of thousands of people come to Kathmandu aspiring the better lives. But the quality of life in Kathmandu? Till the date in 2009, the story makes us ashamed that our locality is nasty. Many people from rural Nepal or from backward population of India feel difficult to return back to home towns or villages as the centre-periphery disparity is very high here. Somehow, women and their families are residing in Kathmandu.

In this article, I illustrate different stories with figurative pictures; not the same characters.

Nira Thapa, 22, is a security personnel. She came to Kathmandu when she was 18 and joined the service right after that. She has been enjoying her job as traffic police. She has a boyfriend, a retailer. Both of them are not getting spare time to get married.
Leaving Kathmandu?
** She says : No, I will settle here at any cost.
Why do you like Kathmandu despite a lot of smoke and dust?
** Sometimes these things smell pleasant. (smiling)

Devimaya Khatri,37, sells fresh corn, servicing hot from her charcoal oven at Kirtipur, Kathmandu. The university students are her key customers. She has a husband and a son of 20 years age. Husband is an independent mason and son wanders for a job, who has completed high school. With income of husband and her own, her family is semi-happy in Kathmandu which she feels like impossible elsewhere in Nepal.

image source : http://advocacynet.org/blogs/media/users/nicole/doko.jpg

Shanti Adhikari, a widow of age 35, has a small family delling on the locality with settlements of farmsteads; being just 12 KM away from Ring Road of Kathmandu. The unmanaged and extending urbanisation has been touching her village too. The increasing sales of her farm products esp. fresh organic green vegetables makes her happy. She doesn’t deal with retailers, but sells her products directly with customers whom she meet in the mornings. She takes her products in ‘doko’ – traditional bamboo basket to the city centre. The seasons of crop plantation and harvest makes her busy bee. She has a daghter and a son. She is a bit worried about her daughter’s future as she is not getting a job in the city and is growing having just reached the marriage age-18.

However, this article couldn’t include mini-stories of working women. The occupations that account the low percentage of women, still though that prevail in Kathmandu will be included in other articles.

How would we feel if we come to strike with the news that everyone of the village —all men, women, children even new bornes are infected with HIV!!!!!! I was really stunned by knowing the condition in 3rd National AIDS conference that was held in Kathmandu, Nepal.

It is the real scenario of one VDC of Achham district in Nepal. Achham is rural district of Nepal of which every men go to India for employment. Because of their ignorance they have unsafe sex with sex workers, result–HIV infection. When they come back home, they transmit infection to their wives. The issue is cross border migration. There are lots of organisations working together but the condition remains the same.

In Nepal, National Centre for AIDS & STD Control is the organisation which maintains the records about HIV & AIDS. The reported cases in october 2008 were 12,547. According to UNAIDS report there are more than 70,000 (The total population of Nepal is about 27,500,000 in an area of 147,181 sq.m2). Lets brain storm the difference in the detected case and undiagnosed cases, nearly 48,453 HIV infected are freely roaming around leaving their partners and peers to be infected with HIV & AIDS.

The main reasons for HIV transmission in Nepal are poverty(around 40% are below poverty line), illiteracy( more than 40% are illiterate), high unemployment rate, lack of proper legislation for sex workers, lack of proper recording and reporting system, stigma and discrimination and many more.

The highly risk groups are sex housewives, clients of sex workers, sex workers, intravenous drug users, LGBTI groups,organ reciepient, children and others.

Nepal contibutes 0.5% of total infection in the world but it has a concentrated epidemic that HIV infection is very high in Intravenous drug users(around 40%), sex workers (around 28%) and clients of sex workers( about 20% ).

The situation is in vicious cirlce. Lets take a simple example, a village girl comes to kathmandu to persue her higher studies. Her parents cannot afford the expenses and she doesnt want to return to village because she has to fulfill her parents dreams. She doesnt get part time job, the easiest way to earn money—-be a sex worker. Then she starts visiting clients on regular basis, the vulnerability to be infected with HIV being 100%.

Lets think the real scenario, if the condition remains the same then the goals of MDGS seems be changed that is “All people infected with HIV by 2015″. I believe there is the same condition in developing countries where infection is overwhelming day by day. Lets hope the condition becomes simpler from complex and easier from difficult. Lets shoulder our obligations to protect human kind by being safe and encouraging others to be safe.

Strongly support the cause.
Join the movement !
Free and Emancipating Education is the right of every citizen!
This could lead the globe to sustainability; practically.

Fig :: Tragedy of the Commons depicted in system terms (Senge via Warwick).

Since the industrial revolution in the Western europe, the world has been following whatever the North (the developed nations) has been regarding. There have been accelerated death cases of polar bears, rising sufferings from the floods, droughts, diseases and hunger in the world since the Kyoto Protocol or since the Earth summit.

• Has there been significant changes that the world leaders forward in proud voice in some G8s?
• Absolutely not !

The present advanced society has come with the cost of the natural richness. And, each and every leaders, student, youth member, business, big business; are they ready for the reverse? this reverse is mandatory and need to be properly managed in order to assert the sustainability of the planet earth.

If the media-biased G*s, some Earth Summits, UN programmes and some bilateral/multilateral meets on the planet Earth continues with less examples of successful stories and more examples of global-changes sufferings, it can be confirmend that these are futile; the tragedy of the commons is happening.

** Let us use ICT, share what we do, innovations, experiences, challenges and rejoices to make Our Glocal Village more beautiful, prosperous, dynamic for ever and ever.

** Let us do some joint projects on education blended with sustainability

** Let us do some small but beautiful projects for clean development

** Let us promote peace and sustainable development from new angle

** Let us promote Global Partnerships from new angle

** Let us meet, share, explore, analyse and decide our path for sustainable future.

** Let us have rejoice while working.

** Let us be scientific and socialistic.

We have redefined the way of doing :: Global + Local = Glocal !

The Weblog initiated in May 2009 has come to present day with remarkable co operation of the Glocal People.

Join group on facebook: Our Glocal Village

If you are interested in contributing articles for this Weblog, please comment to this page with your e-mail address.

welcoming,

OGV Team.

These are the things that inspires being Nepalese youth student.

BUT, the use of student life and campuses as building the political career, seeking interests of political parties and disturbing the academic environment makes us somehow sad.

Nepalese Youth, in some volunteering organisations exhibit very inspiring motif, that Together We Can change the World. This is actually the Glocal application as Nepalese Youth and the Youth of the rest of the World are linked more by the ICT and more cohesions. Even in the sector of volunteerism and sharings, we might have experienced some leg pullings.

Whatever, lets raise energy, commitments and voices : Youth of the World, Unite !!

More recently Nepal got a new movie “mission paisa” in cinema halls. This is another step in cinema industry of Nepal which prioritizes violence in its duration. I extremely hate this. Yes, stunt directors like Nikhil Uprety and others do have certain skills, but please please try to make movies of some adventures against natural disaster or some wild beast.

Why do these people show human to human violence on screens ?

why to respect people without creativity or imaginatory abilities? if there are some with some new against human to human violence, welcomed at Nepali cinema !!