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1. OBLIGATION TO BIND WITH SOCIAL PROGRESS
It is compulsory to bind engineering with common good, with social progress; it has been done and it’s being done by a big number of engineers. Many distinguished professionals constitute good examples of it.
The commitment with sustainability (economical, environmental and human/social) must be a transversal attitude in all the branches of engineering; we must advance in the definition of the human/social aspect, at this moment in time more blurred, and to put special attention on it.
It is convenient to promote in technology companies CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility), not as a simple image or fashion question, but as a result of the conviction that the simple search of oneself’s economical benefit does not guarantee success and that the generation of wealth at the service of the common good must also be considered.
2. VITAL NECESSITY OF CONSIDERING CITIZENS’ RETICENCES
From engineering we must approach better to public opinion. This must be convinced of the utility of engineering, that must be included in a binomial of respect - control of nature, with the aim of putting it at the service of progress. Particularly, the NIMBY phenomenon (“Not in my backyard”) can be dealt with communication and information: communicating the utility of projects planned for each affected person and for the community where it belongs; informing with abundance and clearly, putting forward that the solutions for complex problems are not usually unique and simple, and that the consecution of these requires time. In front of a complex challenge that is dealt with engineering, this one must have relationship with all the implicated fields, must listen to all the implicated voices, and must never promise what cannot be done. The expert authority is not enough to justify decisions in the public field. We must take into account now the social preferences, giving them voice and time.
3. NEED TO SETTLE ETHICAL REFERENCES
Technoethics must be taken into consideration. Engineering must try an attempt to take down central elements and reports that consider the possible tributes of technology at the service of the advance to the perfection of humanity. It is compulsory that engineering arouses a group of questions that look for answers about the keys to make the technique drive people to a better situation. Until science does not finish with technology, its anthropological value is not complete.
4. DUTY TO PAY ATTENTION TO COMPLEX PANORAMA
The connection of engineering with social reality generates tensions and worries in several spheres. We must not close our eyes to the fact that in the professional exercise of engineering real conscience problems may appear. It is not strange that internal conflicts arise in the professional’s mind when in the framework of public administration it is regulated, granted or denied an authorization, when a big decision must be made in a short period of time, when in communication there are exaggerated expectations, when because of uncertainty submission can appear, when interpellations compress about eventual, lateral and undesirable effects, when the organisation or the establishment where we work contravene rulings or technical recommendations…
New dilemma arouse in disciplines such as robotics or bionics, or in front of uses previously unknown of information and communication technologies. Another significant framework for the appearance of dilemma is biotechnology, for instance in front of Genetically Modified Organisms, that arouse great concerns among citizens by their eventual effects on health, on environment and on specific economical relationships. The perception is varied according to the personal situation (producer, retailer, consumer…) or the countries (more rejection in Europe than in USA).
We have to obtain, consider and contribute with “objective” information for a better work at the new sceneries of complexity, respect the independences and continue searching through investigation.
5. COMMITMENT WITH VALUES IN THE PROFESSIONAL EXERCISE
It is essential to go into education in values in depth in university for future engineers and to encourage them to the reflection around them. It is vital to advance to the establishment of ethical codes, by their character and effects. Me bust continue generating progress in the descent of the index of corruption and bribery.
6. OBLIGATION TO INCREASE THE PRESENCE OF WOMEN
A pending challenge is the major incorporation of women in engineering. It is worrying the loss of feminine talent, despite the good aptitudes of women -that contrast with their short visibility- probably because of problems of industrial organisation, because of their resignation to power. Maybe solutions must not be searched in a specific conciliation of their industrial life, but in the general rationalization of timetables (regulation of pauses…). In any case men and women have different strong points. It is difficult to beat great challenges if we do not join their potential. It also necessary to count on women because of their better position in front of new sceneries (major globalised collaboration, availability to share information, ethic values more deeply rooted…).
7. NEED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION FOR DEVELOPMENT
It is specially worth to be paid attention the role that engineering must have in international cooperation. The world appears divided in countries that hold knowledge and those that suffer poverty. Companies with high technological content have a great responsibility when reducing this partition. Soon instability, division and unpredictable projects to achieve it make them fail. They must adapt to the culture of each country and respect the basic principles for the effectiveness of the help (orient to results, align with public institutions, be transparent and report it, to be coordinated). In people training it must be set out that engineering can let us achieve some of the aims of XXIst century (supression of poverty, gender equality, eradication of child mortality…) despite that engineering is not explicitally in its formulations.
Specially alarming are the number of hunger, and its tendency to worsen, in a short period of time. Three key elements in the struggle against it: resources, technology and political will. We have enough resources, we have the necessary technology: the problem lies in the political will of facing the problem and in the correct definition of the aims: it’s not only about growth but about development; it’s not only producing more but to do it where it is necessary; it’s not only to unify but to respect diversity and traditional knowledge (as shown in numerous historical and recent examples). In short, the formulation of the struggle against poverty cannot be left in the hands of the market and the commercial profitability, but requires political decisions, with the participation of all the society and making possible the required financing. There are encouraging signs (agricultural discoveries, formulation of happiness index, international agreements about genetical resources…), but we must become aware of the responsibility of the current generation, engineering particularly, for the collaboration on human development, specially with those more needed.
