Water: Ripple Effects – Innovation Forum Draws Global Humanitarian Leaders to North Texas

March 10, 2013 - PRLog -- Dallas, TX (www.eandhweek.org): The 3rd annual Engineering & Humanity Week (E&H Week) will take place in Dallas from April 6-12, 2013. E&H Week is a global forum bringing together world leaders in an effort to share information to help meet the challenges of the developing world.

The program will provide in-depth exposure to global economics, cultural awareness, collaborative leadership, and principles of sustainability.  “Through the power of engineering—steeped in practical solutions, collaboration with partners, and a commitment to the principles of humanity—we will work to meet the challenges of the developing world,” says Stephanie Hunt, the E&H Week’s founder and chairwoman.

Event highlights include the following:

At Fair Park:

Hear from British adventurer and ecologist, David de Rothschild, and view his one-of-a-kind catamaran, the Plastiki.  This unique vessel was made from 12,500 recycled water bottles, bonded with an earth-friendly glue developed from sugar and cashews.  

David made maritime history in 2010 when he sailed this 60-foot catamaran 8,000 miles across the Pacific Ocean. The expedition was an engineering first, bringing global attention to the South Pacific garbage patch, a swirling mass of plastic trash twice the size of Texas. David is the Engineering & Humanity Week 2013 Visionary Award recipient

Hear world-famous hip-hop artist Emmanuel Jal. This Sudanese musician and former child soldier is a humanitarian advocate for social justice and human rights.  

Jal’s international hit We Want Peace featured strings by Peter Gabriel.  His message has garnered support from George Clooney, Alicia Keys, Richard Branson, Kofi Annan and others.  Jal is a former child soldier and Lost Boy from Sudan.  The documentary War Child about Jal won the ’08 Audience Award at the Tribeca Film Festival.  Jal is the Engineering & Humanity Week 2013 Humanitarian Award recipient.

At SMU:

·        A special short performance by Emmanuel Jal at the Barefoot on the Boulevard, a student music festival and sustainability celebration

·        Student Immersion Design Competition: Biomimicry + Water + Refugees

·        THE WATER TAP: A Water Distribution Camp

·        Student Water Bottle Challenge

·        Water Installation and Exhibits by students from SMU’s Department of Anthropology and Meadows School of the Arts

·        Seminar – So, You Think You Want to be a Disaster Relief Worker

·        Living on One – Conversation and documentary excerpts: The experience of two young film-makers who travelled to Guatemala and lived on a dollar a day

·        Water and Refugees – A Global Thought Leaders Panel

·        Water & Women: A Panel Discussion among Female Global Leaders

Engineering & Humanity Week is sponsored by Stephanie and Hunter Hunt, Southern Methodist University's Hunt Institute for Engineering and Humanity in the Lyle School of Engineering and the University of Oxford's Refugee Studies Center.

For further details, to attend the event or to request an interview, please contact:

Linda Mastaglio – 903.312.8651 – Linda@twi-pr.com

Alternate Contacts:

Kim Cobb – 214.336.2290 – cobbk@mail.smu.edu

Tracy O’Day – 206.932.1468 – tracy@tracyoday.com

About Engineering & Humanity Week (E&H Week)

E&H Week brings leaders together from across the globe -- and from many walks of life -- to explore opportunities to help less fortunate populations by providing in-depth exposure to global economics, cultural awareness, collaborative leadership, and principles of sustainability. This annual event focuses on topics in which engineering can be used to help improve the lives of refugees and other displaced and struggling members of humanity.

http://www.eandhweek.org

About the Hunt Institute

SMU’s Hunter & Stephanie Hunt Institute for Engineering and Humanity at the Lyle School of Engineering strives to change the standard of living for the world's poorest populations, both in the U.S. and abroad. The institute is helping to train a new generation of engineers in modern engineering applications—along with providing a deep exposure to global economics, cultural awareness, collaborative leadership and principles of sustainability.

http://www.smu.edu/Lyle/HuntInstitute

About University of Oxford’s Refugee Studies Center (RSC)

RSC is part of the Oxford Department of International Development (Queen Elizabeth House) at the University of Oxford. Its purpose is to build knowledge and understanding of the causes and effects of forced migration in order to help improve the lives of some of the world’s most vulnerable people.

http://www.rsc.ox.ac.uk

About The Return on Innovation Project (ROi)

ROi is an active network of innovators, partnering with communities around the world to inspire sustainable solutions. Our partners include the University of Oxford, UNHCR (the United Nation’s Agency for Refugees), Southern Methodist University, and Paul Quinn College.