During times in which the world’s borders are becoming increasingly hard and  fast, people without borders are gaining importance. Accordingly, there are more and more groups that use “without borders” in their name, associations of people whose professions have become a more broadly conceived calling to work on behalf of the community. Doctors Without Borders, for example, is an international medical aid organization that helps people in need, victims of catastrophes and armed conflicts. Reporters Without Borders, on the other hand, is committed to safeguarding freedom of the press and the right to express divergent opinions. Engineers Without Borders is active worldwide cooperatively carrying out technical development projects.

These organizations have one thing in common—they transcend borders in deploying their knowledge, time and enthusiasm in order to accomplish some purpose. But what motivates them? And is it possible by means of knowledge transfer to contribute to correcting the disequilibrium that characterizes the world order?

ENGINEERS WITHOUT BORDERS

Engineers without Borders Austria is a non-profit organization which carries out projects in the field of technical development all over the world. Our solutions give people access to basic infrastructure, in order to improve their quality of life sustainably. The local conditions and the available resources in the project area are always paramount in the entire planning and implementation process. By working closely with the local population both, custom-tailored solutions as well as sustainable added value are ensured.

Credit: Klaus Dieterstorfer