Undeniably one of the major social challenges for all of humanity, water has turned out to be as precious as gold for many nations even though it covers three quarters of the planet. Hoping to heighten awareness and educate young people on world-wide issues associated with potable water, three divisions of the Montréal chapter of Engineers Without Borders (McGill University, Concordia University and the École Polytechnique Montréal) have been touring the classrooms of high schools and colleges since January 2004 to promulgate the Eau pour le Monde – Water for the World initiative. During this interactive and innovative activity, the students encountered have to create, in teams, a miniature water filter using simple materials, as is the practice in developing countries. In fact, each team represents a country and must thus come to terms with unequal financial resources, often illegible instructions and several other obstacles encountered in the different countries represented. In its first year of activity, the Eau pour le Monde – Water for the World initiative reached thousands of students in Montréal while heightening awareness of human development, social inequalities, the importance of the wise use of technology, the preservation of resources and responsible consumption.
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