The following is an edited version of a presentation at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre at the launch of FLOW?in Barbados.
Columbus’ entry into the information and communications technology (ICT) market I believe opens yet another door of opportunity for the citizens of Barbados in their pursuit of that information society and ICT enabled Caribbean development.
The revolution in ICTs has precipitated rapidly and phenomenal changes compressing the dimension of distance and time, making it possible to communicate potentially with every other human being across the face of the earth in real time and providing access to the information of the ages at the click of a mouse.
This ICT revolution has changed the world irrevocably and these changes demand a comprehensive response from Caribbean countries; their governments, their businesses, their organizations and citizens if they are to survive and thrive and be competitive in this 21st Century globalized world.
The response must have at its core, an enabling environment that provides affordable, equitable access to the technology, an understanding of the technology, its potential to transform and the necessary systems that must accompany the introduction of the technology.
There must be a willingness to discard those processes of the past which are ineffective and incompatible with the capabilities of 21st Century technology.
And of course, creativity and innovation must be there to leverage the potential of the technology.
In our work at the Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU) we have found that there is a basic lack of understanding of the ICTs and how they can be incorporated to transform work and life.
Too often the technology is acquired without the education of what is required to leverage its full potential.
Support systems must be put in place, staff must be trained and made aware of the imminent changes, there will be a need for business process reengineering and it would helpful too, if mechanisms are put in place to measure impact of the introduction of the technology.
We see it all the time; people, organization, governments are in possession of very sophisticated devices and systems and barely scratching the services of their capabilities.
Consequently, there is little transformation and their return on the investment in the technology is minimal.
If Caribbean countries, including Barbados, is to migrate to a knowledge economy there must be a critical mass of citizens who understand the technology and are able to use them effectively.
There must therefore be a programme of exposure, awareness building and education in appropriate language, taking nothing for granted and presenting the technology in the context of the sphere of the audiences’ activities.
• Bernadette Lewis is the secretary general of the Caribbean Telecommunications Union.
