Technology challenging poverty vision A world free of poverty and injustice in which technology is used to the benefit of all. Practical Action aims to eradicate poverty in developing countries by developing and using technology, and by demonstrating results, sharing knowledge and influencing others. mission 4 Intelligence and passion to eradicate poverty We live in a rapidly changing world. Technological advances are increasing our productivity and income, our quality of life and our life expectancy… in the developed world, that is. The truth is that technological development is focused on meeting the needs of rich consumers. Scant attention is paid to the vital needs of people in the developing world. Practical Action aims to challenge this. We work together with poor communities, developing and using appropriate technologies to provide practical answers to poverty. Practical Action draws on over forty years’ experience. Back in the 1960’s a small group of inspired people, led by the economist and author of Small is Beautiful, Dr E F Schumacher, established Practical Action (the Intermediate Technology Development Group). Their work was based on Schumacher’s very simple but, at the time, ingenious and revolutionary idea: ‘Find out what people are doing and help them do it better.’ Since then, Practical Action has gone from strength to strength, pioneering participatory technology development alongside poor communities in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Another of Schumacher’s ideas that was ahead of its time was his recognition that the Earth has finite resources, and that if we do not develop within our means we will be in peril. At Practical Action we have always been committed to promoting sustainable development as we use technology to challenge poverty. Today, the urgency of this approach has only increased. self-sustaining. We actively share knowledge and seek to influence the policy and practice of others to build greater benefits for all. Our world is deeply divided. The inequality between rich and poor has never been so stark. In Africa half a million children die each month from the effects of poverty. Our world is fragile too. Humanity faces the twin challenges of climate change and environmental degradation – and, of course, we have all seen that those living in poverty are the first to suffer the consequences. The world needs to change. Practical Action’s vision is of a world free of poverty and injustice in which technology is used to the benefit of all. We strive towards this vision by working together with poor communities to help them become Jenny Borden, Chair "The ways that brought us success in the past will not necessarily bring us future success. We need to challenge ourselves... about who we will be, what we will do and how we can best fight poverty." Dr E F Schumacher
Practical Action,