aBOUT US
In 1933, Rabindranath Tagore, an internationally acclaimed poet, philosopher, social reformer, wrote a short essay entitled: “Can Science be Humanized?” In that essay, Tagore drove the point home that:
Knowledge is not enough – be it scientific or philosophical – unless we have been able to transform it into the well being of those who need it most.
With that motto as the guiding principle, “Society for Technology with a Human Face” was conceived and founded in 2006 to serve the impoverished communities in India and other neighboring countries. Science and technology are the primary tools that we use to address and mitigate water, sanitation and education problems in building strong, self-sufficient communities.
Society for Technology with a Human Face (STHF) focuses on water, sanitation, and education issues around the world. Access to clean water, proper sanitation, and excellent education do not reach hundreds of millions of people each year. STHF works on these issues by using a human rights lens and follows the philosophy of Rabindranath Tagore (pictured at right), bolstering sustainable solutions derived and controlled by communities.
STHF helps improve the basic quality of life around the world with the hope of generating new knowledge and new wealth. The arsenic removal system designed by Dr. Arup SenGupta’s team at Lehigh University for rural communities in India is now being used in arsenic affected areas in the United States. This flow of knowledge goes in the opposite direction than typical engineering innovations; most science and technology are developed in the West and transferred to the “Rest” without contextualizing the borrowed project. SenGupta’s system moved in the other direction. Moreover, the engineering feat to solve a health problem (high levels of arsenic) generated social, cultural, and economic wealth by providing the platform for community organization (e.g., the formation of water councils, pictured below right, to collect a small fee for the clean water) and entrepreneurship (e.g., water councils using its profit to micro finance other community projects, and the creation of a water-bicycle to bring water from the central filtration system to homes, see picture at left).
STHF creates a platform to stimulate an intercultural dialogue around the world where human dignity and individuality are revered. STHF sees water, sanitation, and education as moral, human right issues, and hopes to encourage other foundations and individuals to do the same.
STHF instills the power of education in communities to attain self-sustenance among all people. Education is central in development; yet education must be specific to the community it serves. STHF shares in the belief of Education for All, but more so in contextualization as paramount for the success of educational practices worldwide. Through education, communities around the world can begin to re-imagine their world, feel the power of empathy and care, and become active and empowered citizens.
STHF serves as a springboard for the implementation of external projects that embody the spirit of the Rabindranath Tagore. Therefore, STHF not only runs its own projects but also supports other non-profits who exemplify Tagore’s message of peace.
We recognize that the STHF is an organization of modest means while its goals are exceedingly ambitious. Nevertheless, in agreement with the spirit of Tagore’s life-long endeavors, we reiterate his words, “it is always better to light just one candle at a time than cursing the overwhelming darkness.”
With that motto as the guiding principle, “Society for Technology with a Human Face” was conceived and founded in 2006 to serve the impoverished communities in India and other neighboring countries. Science and technology are the primary tools that we use to address and mitigate water, sanitation and education problems in building strong, self-sufficient communities.
Society for Technology with a Human Face (STHF) focuses on water, sanitation, and education issues around the world. Access to clean water, proper sanitation, and excellent education do not reach hundreds of millions of people each year. STHF works on these issues by using a human rights lens and follows the philosophy of Rabindranath Tagore (pictured at right), bolstering sustainable solutions derived and controlled by communities.
STHF helps improve the basic quality of life around the world with the hope of generating new knowledge and new wealth. The arsenic removal system designed by Dr. Arup SenGupta’s team at Lehigh University for rural communities in India is now being used in arsenic affected areas in the United States. This flow of knowledge goes in the opposite direction than typical engineering innovations; most science and technology are developed in the West and transferred to the “Rest” without contextualizing the borrowed project. SenGupta’s system moved in the other direction. Moreover, the engineering feat to solve a health problem (high levels of arsenic) generated social, cultural, and economic wealth by providing the platform for community organization (e.g., the formation of water councils, pictured below right, to collect a small fee for the clean water) and entrepreneurship (e.g., water councils using its profit to micro finance other community projects, and the creation of a water-bicycle to bring water from the central filtration system to homes, see picture at left).
STHF creates a platform to stimulate an intercultural dialogue around the world where human dignity and individuality are revered. STHF sees water, sanitation, and education as moral, human right issues, and hopes to encourage other foundations and individuals to do the same.
STHF instills the power of education in communities to attain self-sustenance among all people. Education is central in development; yet education must be specific to the community it serves. STHF shares in the belief of Education for All, but more so in contextualization as paramount for the success of educational practices worldwide. Through education, communities around the world can begin to re-imagine their world, feel the power of empathy and care, and become active and empowered citizens.
STHF serves as a springboard for the implementation of external projects that embody the spirit of the Rabindranath Tagore. Therefore, STHF not only runs its own projects but also supports other non-profits who exemplify Tagore’s message of peace.
We recognize that the STHF is an organization of modest means while its goals are exceedingly ambitious. Nevertheless, in agreement with the spirit of Tagore’s life-long endeavors, we reiterate his words, “it is always better to light just one candle at a time than cursing the overwhelming darkness.”
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