Clinton Global Initiative University: “After reviewing hundreds of progress reports, we have identified your commitment as one of the most outstanding. Given the scope of your commitment and your dedication to action, we would potentially like to present your commitment to attendees at CGI U this year.”

We are proud of our team and excited for this excellent opportunity!

View pictures from our all day workshop held at Princeton University!

Day 1 (Dec 26): em[POWER] Project Bangladesh meets with GUC board and Project Manager of Bangladesh

This meeting represented an introduction to some members of em[POWER]’s onsite partner, Gram Bangla Unnayan Committee (http://www.grambanglabd.org/), that included AKM Maksud and Khandaker Reaz Hossain. It also included Sejan Bari, our new Project Manager as well as a recent graduate of Electrical Engineering from AIUB. We spent the few hours on introduction, progress thus far, and my itinerary for the overall trip.

Day 2 (Dec 27): em[POWER] Project Bangladesh looks at Fair Trade Bangladesh partnership with Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) and Prokritee!

-       Meeting with Mennonite Central Committee (http://asia.mcc.org/bangladesh)

This meeting steered our initial model that em[POWER]’s been built upon in a new direction. It was an unexpected meeting that was simply to be used to learn more about HIV counseling program that MCC is providing for GUC. MCC partnership would lead to collaboration for recycling program, agriculture program, job creation program, composting program, and water purification plans.

-       Meeting with Prokritee (http://www.prokritee.com/)

Prokritee (meaning “nature” in Bangla) is a service based agency that provides managerial, product design and development and marketing assistance to organizations in Bangladesh.

Output from meeting: identify a fair trade product and processingà Prokritee will market and distribute the product for us. Suggested to Suraiya Chowdhury (Director of Design of Prokritee) that the product that we would target would be glass.

Day 3 (Dec 28): Em[POWER] Energy Group Project Bangladesh meets with Waste Concern’s Maksud Sinha

Output from Meeting: collaboration on 3-R strategy, incentive programs, and potential support and guidance on program using point of contact (Shah Monirul Kabir)

Day 4 (Dec 29): Project Bangladesh is making great strides!

Financial planning meeting with Onsite Project Manager, Sejan Bari, and a great meeting with Department of Environment… getting closer to taking next steps in implementation

Day 5 (Dec 30): in Dhaka, Bangladesh: first visit of em[POWER] US staff in Matuail Landfill in Jatrabari with Women’s Co-op/waste picker, Trash Traders, and Van drivers…we have made great developments!!

Output from the meetings: dimension and design of the sorting facility, need for eco-based latrine, shower area, rest area, storage space for inorganic material, and providing vocational education

-       Source separation at household level is possible through house owner association and discussing isolation of inorganic and organic; we developed relationship with van drivers and they have agreed to help.

Day 6 (Dec 31): in Dhaka, Bangladesh: Sports Day and Picnic at Matuail

The students of the onsite school were given new books for next year.  A sports day was also held which included the 100m dash and musical chairs. Phillip Matthew Birkey from the MCC was also present.

Day 7 (Jan 1st): in Dhaka, Bangladesh: Meeting with Mr. M A Gofran, senior biogas consultant of Grameen Shakti

Meeting Output: Energy requirments and biogas plant facility sizes and costs for onsite facilities were discussed in detail.

Day 12 (Jan 6th): in Bangladesh: all day workshop/meeting with GUC, em[POWER] Interns, and other guests went smoothly!!

Meeting Output:

Better understanding of the National 3R strategy was gained from presentation by em[POWER] Bangladesh Interns. The key components of the future onsite facilities were determined in the groupwork afterwards. Tasks were delegated to participants.

We hope you enjoyed reading what Nasir was up to during in Bangladesh! Check back for more updates and plans soon!

We are, however, still trying to raise more money for our project implementation goals, so don’t forget to donate to em[POWER] and help a great cause!

http://www.globalgiving.org/projects/empower-wastelands/

Em[POWER] nonprofit 501c3 is supporting the exploration of new innovations related to Duckweed, identifying new international/national locations for duckweed growth/harvesting, along with working to establish collaborations to expand the project’s potential locally in the US and abroad. In general we are pursuing the developing of the “Water Purification to Energy” strategy for deployment internationally and to be tested locally. Water Purification to Energy is growing duckweed for biofuel. It is a process that makes use of the synergy (interdependence) between a community in need of clean water and distributed sustainable energy, with systems enabling economic growth and environmental improvement. “Water Purification to Energy” is based on the idea of capturing an unused resource that is a byproduct of a critical process, specifically being water treatment. Ideally the energy or resources captured that were previously wasted can be used to improve social and economic situations for communities near waste water ponds, living in impoverished conditions. Access to clean water and a sanitary environment could be enhanced by this process, which would directly improve public health. In the United States, the opportunity resides initially with reducing the sediment in retention ponds, which is a potential cost savings for water treatment centers in regards to dredging and burning the sediment. Additionally the continual removal of duckweed helps purify the waste water. The duckweed itself can feed an ethanol or potentially a biodiesel production system, all as a parasitic process using existing waste water infrastructure for harvesting the duckweed.

For more information: please see project page

To learn more about the competition and Social Good Summit: Social Good Summit 2011

2nd annual summit: Mashable, 92nd Street Y, and the United Nations Foundation present the second annual Social Good Summit. Held during UN week, the Summit is where big ideas meet new media to create innovative solutions. The Summit unites a dynamic community of global leaders to discuss a big idea: the power of innovative thinking and technology to solve our greatest challenges. The most innovative technologists, influential minds and passionate activists will come together this September with one shared goal: to unlock the potential of new media and technology to make the world a better place.

Please donate on to the organization to help them reach their goal of $5,000 by the end of August 2011:

http://www.crowdrise.com/DreamsforKachraKandi/fundraiser/thaakatfoundation

Please attend their fundraising event as well: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=221845797862280 

Urban Sketches – Mazahir (1/2)

Urban Sketches – Mazahir (2/2)

The Idara Al-Kahir website