Bahamians must equip themselves to bridge the “digital divide” between the developed and the developing world, Minister of Trade and Industry Leslie Miller said at the opening of the Brand New Hope Curriculum Development Summit on Thursday.
“This divide has been recognized at all levels as one that must be bridged if all human beings are to benefit from the wealth of opportunities posed by advances in information and communication technologies,” he said.
Brand New Hope is an education initiative of the CEO Network.
President of the CEO Network Deborah Bartlett said that the purpose of the initiative is to expose students to the multiplicity of careers available through technology.
She also said that its purpose is to encourage corporate and technology leaders to focus on the development of the technological designers of tomorrow and to assist with closing the digital divide in developing countries.
Ms. Bartlett said that the way Bahamians look at doing business must be revisited. “The future of The Bahamas lies in the hands of people that are prepared to go beyond the borders of traditional business and industry,” she said.
CEO network has recruited a number of American partners in the programme namely Mary Klamer an educator at McDonnell Middle School in Gwinnett County Georgia. IBM Executives Deborah Gunn and Gordon Burnett and the Director of E-Commerce at Clarke Atlanta University Marcellus Jackson are also contributors to the programme.
Through the CEO network and its partnerships, Brand New Hope has been able to distribute approximately $80,000 in funding to Bahamian schools, Ms. Bartlett said.
Minister Miller said that because the Bahamas is actively participating in international negotiations that pertain to globalization, initiatives such as Brand New Hope have become necessary.
He said that there remained a number of disparities in the world but he suggested that technology might be the most significant in removing these disparities.
Mr. Miller stressed that his government recognizes the importance of preparing Bahamians and the economy for the acceleration of trade integration associated with globalization.
He also said that an important objective of the government is to have the highest quality technological infrastructure available in the telecommunications sector.
“The government has invested and continues to invest significantly in the computerization and modernization of our schools to enhance the computer skills of our students,” he said.
By Julian Reid, The Bahama Journal
