Global Innovation Challenge: 2016
Team Veritas: 2016 Global Innovation Challenge Winners
Team Veritas, Global Innovation Challenge 2016 Winners
Global Innovation Challenge (GIC) 2016 participants assessed problems and developed innovative social, economic, technological, and public-policy solutions to meet the sanitation needs of one of the world's most vulnerable populations: the 360 million children and adults with disabilities worldwide.
GIC winning teams were funded by the Randwood Foundation and the HealthyWorld Foundation.
Project Updates
Global Innovation Challenge: 2016
Background
In 2015, the United Nations adopted 17 Sustainable Development Goals to “end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity for all.” Using a five-day workshop format, Global Innovation Challenge: 2016 will focus on UN Sustainable Development Goal 6: Water and Sanitation for All, with an emphasis on meeting the sanitation needs of one of the world’s most vulnerable populations: the 360 million children and adults with disabilities worldwide.
Among the greatest challenges in the world today, sanitation solutions require innovative thinking from diverse perspectives. As such, Global Innovation Challenge: 2016 is open to undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students from all majors: anthropology to architecture, English to engineering, media to management, political science to public health. Students will participate in team-building exercises and will develop innovative proposals.
Program Materials
Experts in Residence
The Community for Global Health Equity invited three international colleagues to UB who have expertise in the fields of water, sanitation, and hygiene and research and policy for people with disabilities. 2016 experts offered contextual guidance and support to students and faculty throughout the Innovation Challenge.
Ashabrick Nantege Bamutaze
Senior Training and Development Officer, Appropriate Technology Centre for Water and Sanitation
Mukono, Uganda
Asha's training and work experience focus around research, geography, the environment, and public health. She developed an interest in issues of equity and inclusion as a result of field experiences where she witnessed the unspeakable challenges people with physical disabilities go through in an effort to access water and sanitation. Since 2011, she has been engaged in a number of activities to develop experimental technological innovations to address the plight of vulnerable people needing access to water and sanitation.
Mukono, Uganda
Asha's training and work experience focus around research, geography, the environment, and public health. She developed an interest in issues of equity and inclusion as a result of field experiences where she witnessed the unspeakable challenges people with physical disabilities go through in an effort to access water and sanitation. Since 2011, she has been engaged in a number of activities to develop experimental technological innovations to address the plight of vulnerable people needing access to water and sanitation.
Mahesh Chandrasekar
Director, Research and Advocacy, Dream a Dream
Bengaluru, India
Mr. Chandrasekar specializes in advocacy, policy, program development and training. As Director for research and advocacy at Dream a Dream, he leads the policy influencing initiatives in life skills, child development, youth development and education. He has contributed to critical policy amends as the lead of civil society networks such as - International Disability and Development Consortium (IDDC), BOND Disability and Development Task Group and Community Based Rehabilitation India Network. His extensive work with impoverished communities in urban and rural areas is based on the principles of equity and dismantling structural barriers.
Bengaluru, India
Mr. Chandrasekar specializes in advocacy, policy, program development and training. As Director for research and advocacy at Dream a Dream, he leads the policy influencing initiatives in life skills, child development, youth development and education. He has contributed to critical policy amends as the lead of civil society networks such as - International Disability and Development Consortium (IDDC), BOND Disability and Development Task Group and Community Based Rehabilitation India Network. His extensive work with impoverished communities in urban and rural areas is based on the principles of equity and dismantling structural barriers.
Reena Sen, PhD, MA
Executive Director, Indian Institute of Cerebral Palsy
Kolkata, India
Dr. Sen is a teacher by profession and has worked intensively in the classroom with children with cerebral palsy with varying degrees of abilities. This has provided excellent opportunities for her to learn about all aspects of basic management of cerebral palsy and neuro-motor disabilities. During 1984-87 she lived in Kochi where she founded Raksha, an NGO that continues to thrive as a nodal centre for disability in Kerala. Her area of specialization is literacy and intervention for specific learning difficulties; she works for all issues related to equal access and opportunities for marginalised groups, particularly persons with disability to high quality education. Apart from her work with persons with cerebral palsy, she coordinates IICP’s work with mainstream schools helping them to meet the needs of students who have learning, emotional and behavioural problems through assessment and guidance, and training practitioners and policy makers.
Kolkata, India
Dr. Sen is a teacher by profession and has worked intensively in the classroom with children with cerebral palsy with varying degrees of abilities. This has provided excellent opportunities for her to learn about all aspects of basic management of cerebral palsy and neuro-motor disabilities. During 1984-87 she lived in Kochi where she founded Raksha, an NGO that continues to thrive as a nodal centre for disability in Kerala. Her area of specialization is literacy and intervention for specific learning difficulties; she works for all issues related to equal access and opportunities for marginalised groups, particularly persons with disability to high quality education. Apart from her work with persons with cerebral palsy, she coordinates IICP’s work with mainstream schools helping them to meet the needs of students who have learning, emotional and behavioural problems through assessment and guidance, and training practitioners and policy makers.