Strategy and vision

Our Approach

Technology for Inclusive Impact - Engineers Without Borders Canada

In our increasingly tech-driven world, many remain excluded from its benefits. At Engineers Without Borders Canada, we recognize that technology alone can’t drive real and lasting change. True progress requires a holistic approach, considering cultural, behavioral, and political factors. We value insights from those who understand these issues, and believe that they are key to effective solutions. We share the tech community’s vision: technology should uplift people and the planet. With this ethos, we leverage engineering and technology to create a more equitable and sustainable future. Join us in making engineered technology a force for good – for people, and for the planet.

Woman with grains

Our vision is to engineer an equitable and sustainable future for marginalized people and the planet.

10%

Annual increases in aid we're challenging the government to commit to.

Our mission is to create systemic change through community-driven collaboration. We mobilize the engineering community and leverage technological innovation to address urgent and important global challenges, both within Canada and beyond.


The influence of engineering and technological advances in our everyday day lives is pervasive, often taken for granted. Yet a significant portion of the global population remains excluded from these advantages, sometimes deliberately. Our extensive experience in global development has revealed that relying solely on technological ‘fixes’ falls short. Achieving meaningful change requires a comprehensive approach, encompassing cultural, behavioral, and political systems while valuing input from those directly affected.
At Engineers Without Borders Canada, we believe that socially-engaged engineers and technologists aim to transcend profit and recognition, and wish to focus on enhancing the lives of the many, without harming the planet’s ecosystems. Our commitment is to leverage engineering and technology to create a more equitable world and improve lives while safeguarding our planet’s vital systems. Join us in championing technology for the greater good.


Engineers Without Borders Canada strives for a future where technological solutions lead to equitable and sustainable advancements, especially for marginalized communities. EWB’s vision revolves around our strategic goals:

At Engineers Without Borders Canada, our first goal is optimization. We focus our efforts on addressing urgent and important global challenges where engineering can drive significant change. Our approach incorporates scientific knowledge and engineering principles to create practical solutions that enhance well-being. Beyond working on these challenges, we act as super-connectors, coordinators, and managers, uniting partners at various levels. We concentrate on long-term development solutions, tackling critical issues such as climate change mitigation, decarbonization, resilient post-humanitarian engineering, sustainable infrastructure, and technologies for improved health, education, and employment opportunities. Our commitment extends to identifying key policy levers and employing systems thinking to craft socially impactful solutions.

In our second goal, innovation takes center stage as we leverage evolving engineering and technological knowledge for global development. We harness the strength of EWB University and Technical Institute Student Chapters in Canada and beyond, attracting and deploying the expertise of socially-engaged engineers and technologists. Collaborating with universities, technical institutes, and research centers in specific fields of Engineering & Technology is fundamental to our approach. Active engagement with Canadian engineering, technology, and resource sectors, along with associations, helps repurpose products and services to enhance well-being, reduce inequities, and protect ecosystems.

Localization emphasizes partnerships, collaboration, and local ownership. We prioritize working closely with key local stakeholders, including government ministries, universities, businesses, and communities. Our approach rejects the notion of imposing solutions and instead advocates co-development through a localization-centered inclusive strategy, forming the core of our International Fellowships. We aim to ensure that our efforts align precisely with local needs and priorities, with active participation from local communities, especially from those who are least heard. Our empowerment strategies encompass diverse approaches, including decision-making power, capacity-building, community involvement, and self-determination. Engineers Without Borders Canada aspires to be a leader in promoting best practices for localization within the international development landscape.

Our fourth goal revolves around advocacy, as we aim to become the conduit and voice for Canada’s socially engaged engineers and technologists and those who support them. We passionately advocate for policy changes and systemic interventions on local, national, and international levels to effectively address global challenges. Our strategy involves identifying and prioritizing engineering and technology-focused advocacy efforts, engaging public figures, and targeting substantial policy victories periodically and consistently. We are committed to creating inclusive spaces where diverse experiences, perspectives, and knowledge converge. Actively seeking and amplifying the voices of historically marginalized individuals and fostering cross-sectoral, multi-disciplinary participation are integral to our advocacy efforts, including engineers, technologists, and other socially-engaged communities. Through advocacy, we strive to develop solutions that authentically reflect the diverse needs of society in our complex and interconnected world.

Join us in the steps we’re taking towards creating an equitable and sustainable world for all, harnessing the power of engineering.

Donate Now

Help us build a better world

Donate Now