As time goes by, the world keeps on revolving. Regarding this perspective, engineering plays a substantial role in ensuring that technological and infrastructural development continues to spread to every part of the world. Hence, greater developments are associated in regions where engineering is widespread. This is why there is a distinction between developed and developing countries. In the latter nations, a non-profitable group of engineers called Engineers Without Borders (EWB) has come up to offer engineering aid in a humanitarian way. Its vision is for a world that is free of poverty where engineering resources and knowledge are freely available to everyone. However, with such engineering aid, there may arise various issues of social justice. This paper describes such issues regarding an area called Timor Leste in order for the EWB engineers to understand how to formulate the best engineering solutions in the area.
Research shows that it is essential for scientists and engineers to understand the history and culture of the community they are working with (Riley, 33). This helps the engineers to have a positive impact in the community. In other words, people come from different backgrounds and have different problems; hence, there needs to be a certain level of understanding of each other's problems for effective solutions to take place.
Timor Leste, also called East Timor, is a small country in South-east Asia. It is one of the poorest nations in the world with a fragile economy and very poor living standards among the majority if its citizens (CAVR et al, 4). As a result, the provision of energy resources is a huge responsibility for the EWB engineers taking up the EWB challenge. These engineers collaborate with the community to address humanitarian issues regarding water supply and sanitation as well as fuel energy, biomedical, ICT, and infrastructural development. This enhances independence, prosperity, and health in the impoverished nations (Moss et al, 6).Moreover, EWB integrates values such as sustainability, respect, quality, learning, and being community-oriented in its work. By so doing, it helps its engineers to address the immediate problems of the people of East Timor without compromising their way of living or encouraging social injustice. In fact, the members of a community are the most valuabke resources for EWB.
[...] This has created the emergence of water-borne diseases in the area since soil bacteria and other microorganisms infest the water. Thus, the people of East Timor have to ensure that they boil their water first before drinking. This increases their use of charcoal fuel that carries with it significant health and environmental concerns. Regarding this issue, modern engineering can help construct a water treatment plant in the area in order to ensure that these people have access to clean drinking water. [...]
[...] Social justice issues in Timor Leste Introduction As time goes by, the world keeps on revolving. Regarding this perspective, engineering plays a substantial role in ensuring that technological and infrastructural development continues to spread to every part of the world. Hence, greater developments are associated in regions where engineering is widespread. This is why there is a distinction between developed and developing countries. In the latter nations, a non-profitable group of engineers called Engineers Without Borders (EWB) has come up to offer engineering aid in a humanitarian way. [...]
[...] For instance, the use of charcoal as cooking fuel is a common aspect in Timor Leste. Despite it being cheap, it has detrimental consequences on the environment as well as on a person's well-being. Thus, engineers' efforts to provide access to modern energy sources reduce the health and environmental consequences of using wood as the primary energy fuel in the region. However, these modern energy sources are costly and seem to increase the poor living conditions of the Timorese people. [...]
[...] Conclusion Engineering has the potential to curb numerous social injustice issues in a developing country. However, more engineers have to emulate the EWB who have a strong desire to help the disadvantaged with their expertise. Nonetheless, engineers have to understand that expertise alone cannot cause a sustainable outcome. The paper shows that they also have to involve ethical skills in order to ensure that they engage in social justice work. Works cited AngloAmerican Group Foundation. (2013) The EWB challenge: plan Timor Leste EWB challenge, retrieved from, accessed May Australia and the CAVR. [...]
[...] pdf> accessed May Riley, Donna. (2008). Engineering and Social Justice, retrieved from, accessed May Stokes, Lindsay. (2012). [...]
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