Eric Tan NH,
Founder, IntegraCD Advisor

 

 

A recipient of four academic awards, Eric Tan NH (BA, MA, PhD) is a lecturer and teaches microenterprise development, slum studies and international development.

His field experiences include living in Pakistan and North India for six and half years. Since 1981, Eric’s vision has been empowering low-income communities in Asia.

Because of its community approach, the FAITH Garden (Food Always In The Home) won the third prize in Community In Bloom 2005. Organized by the National Parks, Singapore, the event attracted participation from many schools, hospitals and housing estates. The Minister of Development, Mr. Mah Bow Tan congratulated Eric Tan and his team.

As Advisor to Vision Network Society, he is consulted on the technical aspects of integral community development (IntegraCD). Today, Vision Network trains facilitators for integral community development in Indonesia, Myanmar, Sabah, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka and Mongolia. Since 2000, the team has facilitated several community projects in Asia, including a post-tsunami project in Indonesia.

The Self-Reliant House , built by VNS, was featured in three Indonesian television stations and three Indonesian newspapers (9 to 11 Apr 2006). The Governor of South Sumatra flew by helicopter to officiate the opening ceremony of the Self-Reliant House. The vision is to inspire rural and suburban families to be proud owners of self-reliant houses with bountiful vegetable gardens. As the name implies, t he Self-Reliant House is a small, simple and sustainable house using concepts like the FAITH Garden, appropriate technology and microenterprise development. A small house but with a big impact in poverty alleviation, the Self-Reliant House has the potential of reducing rural-urban migration.

n Aug 2006, Vision Network successfully processed biodiesel (AgriDiesel) from vegetable oil. The Member of Parliament, Mr. Ong Kian Min and the Singapore public witnessed the occasion at Temasek Polytechnic. Subsequently, Eric Tan and his team were featured in the Singapore Chinese newspaper, 25 Dec 2006 (Lian He Zhao Bao).

At the official opening of Commonwealth Secondary School, 11 July 2008, the Minister for Environment and Water Resources, Dr. Yaacob Ibrahim ( Singapore) acknowledged the innovative contributions of Vision Network to the constructed treatment wetland . As an integrated eco-system, the constructed treatment wetland enables plants, fishes, microbes and the environment (soil, sun and air) to treat wastewater which is recycled for other purpose. The event was also reported by The Straits Times, 12 July 2008.

He has written articles such as:

Peace Among Nations: By What Means?

How Did The Robin & Owl Resolve Their Conflict?

From War To Farming

Bird Flu, Bird’s Nest & Self-Reliant House

Transforming Communities Through Poverty Alleviation

Buildings & Peacebuilding

Eric’s hobbies include swimming, running marathons and climbing mountains.

As Singapore Air Force Officer (NS), he practiced civil engineering until 2007. It was during his time in the SAF (Singapore Armed Forces) that he had the vision of training peacebuilders for global challenges .

He is married to Rhonda Bian and they have a teenage daughter, Aletheia.