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St. Kitts and Nevis will this August play host to the Caribbean ICT Roadshow. A regional initiative of the Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU), the 20-country Roadshow is promoting the adoption of Information and Communications Technologies, or ICTs, as a catalyst for Caribbean development and integration.
According to Bernadette Lewis, Secretary General of the CTU, the purpose of the ICT Roadshow is to “promote ICT innovation as sustainable basis for Caribbean development at a time when the region urgently needs alternatives to traditional sources of economic activity.”
The St. Kitts and Nevis ICT Roadshow will feature the CTU’s 5th Caribbean Internet Governance Forum (CIGF) and Technical College. ICT practitioners from across the region and beyond will be coming for the event which will be held from August 24 – 28, 2009 at the Marriott St Kitts Resort.
“The Roadshow has been developed to raise awareness of the innovative approaches possible and necessary though the use technology” says Bevil Wooding, the Program Director for the Roadshow.
Mr. Wooding is also the Chief Knowledge Officer of the Caribbean-based non-profit Congress WBN, a CTU partner in the organisation of the Roadshow. He added “Caribbean countries must accelerate the pace of ICT adoption if we are to successfully meet the unique challenges facing the region. Our institutions, our culture, our security and our communities are under assault. Caribbean leaders at every level need to be presented with the viable and practical options ICT provides for social and economic advancement.”
The 5th CIGF is being co-hosted by the Internet Society (ISOC). Sebastian Bellagamba , ISOC’s Regional Bureau Manager for Latin America stated “The Internet Society serves the needs of the growing global Internet community. From commerce to education to social issues, our goal is to enhance the availability and utility of the Internet on the widest possible scale. We are pleased to work with the CTU on this initiative. ”
According to Ms Lewis, “the ICT Roadshow is designed to foster a spirit of innovation and encourage a new approach to the development of ICT-based solutions. As we traverse the twenty countries on our schedule we will be gathering information. We will also be collecting recommendations that come out of the round table discussions. These positions, recommendations, observations, hindrances, barriers and the successes and the things that foster innovation will be fed into the CTU’s policy making activities.”
The Caribbean ICT Roadshow will visit 20 countries over a 10 month period and culminate with a regional ICT symposium in the second quarter of 2010. The Internet Society (ISOC) is the co-convener of the 5th Caribbean Internet Governance Forum. Other support partners for the Roadshow include the American Registry of Internet Numbers (ARIN), Congress WBN (C-WBN), the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the Latin American and Caribbean Internet Addresses Registry (LACNIC) and Packet Clearing House (PCH). Columbus Communications is the Platinum Sponsor for the Caribbean ICT Roadshow.
ABOUT THE CTU
The CTU is a policy formulation body, acting in an advisory capacity to the governments of the region. The organisation was established 20 years ago by regional heads of government to advise the regional governments on matters related to ICT.
The CTU is involved in the harmonization of policies across the Caribbean for the development of the ICT sector. It is governed by a council of ministers from the telecommunication and information ministries of the regional governments. Its membership base comprises governments, private sector and civil society organisations.
ABOUT ISOC
The Internet Society (ISOC) is a nonprofit organisation founded in 1992 to provide leadership in Internet related standards, education, and policy. With offices in Washington D.C., USA, and Geneva, Switzerland, it is dedicated to ensuring the open development, evolution and use of the Internet for the benefit of people throughout the world.
The Internet Society has more than 80 organisational and more than 28,000 individual members in over 80 chapters around the world. Through its sponsored events, developing-country training workshops, tutorials, public policy, and regional and local chapters, the Internet Society serves the needs of the growing global Internet community. |
