Thursday, January 29, 2004

COLLABORATION
GLOBAL MANDATE, URGENT CHALLENGE

Dr. Noel J. Brown

"Bridging the Digital Divide"
Symposium on Public - Private Partnership in Technology Education
(Bermuda 28-30 January 2004)

EXCELLENCIES

HON. MINISTERS

CORPORATE PARTNERS

DISTINGUISHED COLLEAGUES, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN

ITS A DOUBLE PLEASURE FOR ME TO BE HERE THIS MORNING

-- FIRST TO SALUTE YOUNG BERMUDANS FOR DISTINGUISHING THEMSELVES SO WELL AT THE UNITED NATIONS LAST DECEMBER

-- AND TO CONTRIBUTE SO CREATIVELY TO GLOBAL EFFORTS TO BUILD A CULTURE OF PEACE AND TOLERANCE AMONG THE PEOPLES OF THE WORLD

-- THESE YOUNG PEOPLE PROVIDE A GLIMPSE OF BERMUDA’S FUTURE AND THE PROMISE HELD THEREIN

-- THEY ALSO REVEALED BEYOND ANY DOUBT THAT PRUDENT INVESTMENTS IN BERMUDA'S YOUTH IS A SOUND INVESTMENT IN BERMUDA’S FUTURE.

-- THEIR DAZZLING PERFORMANCE IN YESTERDAY’S ‘SHOWCASE’ PROVIDED A CLEAR AFFIRMATION OF THIS FAITH.

-- IT IS ALSO A PLEASURE TO BE ABLE TO COMMEND THE INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION COLLABORATIVE FOUNDATION AND ITS TEAM OF ABLE LEADERS FOR THEIR INNOVATIVE AND PIONEERING WORK IN THE FIELD OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION, WITH THEIR STRONG COMMITMENT TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SKILLS AND CAPACITIES NECESSARY TO MEET THE CHALLENGES OF THE NEW CENTURY -- A DIFFERENT KIND OF WORLD

-- IN A MERE FIVE YEARS THEY HAVE SUCCEEDED IN TRANSFORMING A VISION INTO PRACTICAL ACTION

-- AND ACTION INTO CONCRETE PROGRAMS THAT WILL UNDOUBTEDLY HAVE SIGNIFICANT GLOBAL IMPACT.

-- IN THE PROCESS ALSO THEY HAVE INTRODUCED A NUMBER OF NEW DYNAMICS THAT COULD SERVE BOTH AS MODEL AND DRIVER FOR GLOBAL INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION. HERE I REFER TO THE CONCEPT OF PUBLIC/PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS, NOT SIMPLY AS A NOBLE ASPIRATION, BUT AN “INCLUSIVIST WORKING ARRANGEMENT” INVOLVING SOME 60 PLUS STAKEHOLDERS WITH DEMONSTRATED POSITIVE EFFECTS.

-- YESTERDAY WE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO MEET SOME OF THESE PARTNERS AND TO SENSE THE LEVEL OF THEIR INTEREST AS WELL AS THEIR PASSION FOR THE CAUSE. THEY WERE ABLE TO ENGAGE THEIR GUESTS IN A SPIRITED DIALOGUE THAT WAS AS REFRESHING AS IT WAS INFORMATIVE AND CERTAINLY MAY HAVE IDENTIFIED THE NECESSARY ELEMENTS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF STRATEGIES FOR SIMILAR PARTNERSHIPS ELSEWHERE.

-- BUT THIS PARTNERSHIP REVEALED SOMETHING ELSE

-- THE NECESSITY OF “SUSTAINABLE COMMITMENTS” WITH IMPORTANT LESSONS FOR THE GLOBAL SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT REVOLUTION.

-- WITHOUT SUSTAINABLE COMMITMENTS OF THE KIND WITNESSED IN BERMUDA SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IS JUST ANOTHER WELL INTENTIONED SLOGAN.
-- WITHOUT EDUCATION’S LIBERATING FORCE, ESPECIALLY EDUCATION DEDICATED TO SOLVING REAL WORLD PROBLEMS “SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT” WILL TURN OUT TO BE JUST ANOTHER GLOBAL ILLUSION.

-- THAT IS WHY THE BERMUDA EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY COLLABORATIVE (BTEC) IS WORTH CAREFUL STUDY AND WHY ITS POSSIBILITIES SEEM SO EXCITING.

-- AT HEART IT IS COMMITTED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES AND HUMAN CAPITAL -- THE ONE RESOURCE THAT IS AVAILABLE TO ALL SOCIETIES -- AND HERE THE CREATOR SEEMED TO HAVE BEEN VERY DEMOCRATIC

-- THINK ABOUT IT THERE IS NO SOCIETY WITHOUT SOME LEVEL OF HUMAN RESOURCE AND THE PRESENCE OF A HUMAN CREATIVE GENIUS WAITING TO BE EXPRESSED.

-- IN THE END THIS IS THE KEY TO WEALTH GENERATION, DEMOCRACY AND GOOD GOVERNANCE.

-- SHOW ME A COUNTRY THAT INVESTS GENEROUSLY IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF ITS HUMAN RESOURCE AND I WILL SHOW YOU A COUNTRY THAT IS WELL ON THE ROAD TO PROGRESS AND PROSPERITY.

-- IN THIS REGION, I BELIEVE BARBADOS COULD MAKE SUCH A CLAIM AND BRAZIL’S ECONOMIC DYNAMISM HAS BEEN CREDITED IN LARGE MEASURE TO ITS INVESTMENTS IN ITS HUMAN RESOURCES.

-- IN A PERCEPTIVE ARTICLE RECENTLY, JEFFREY SACHS, PROFESSOR OF ECONOMICS AND DIRECTOR OF THE EARTH INSTITUTE OF COLOMBIA UNIVERSITY, WAS MOVED TO OBSERVE:

“BRAZIL IS FINALLY ACCEPTING THE GLOBAL KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY. FOR MOST OF THE 20TH CENTURY, BRAZILIAN ELITES THOUGHT THAT NATURAL RESOURCES – CATTLE, COFFEE, FRUIT JUICES AND SOYBEANS – WERE ENOUGH. UNDER CARDOSO’S REFORMS, ENROLLMENT RATES IN SECONDARY EDUCATION SOARED FROM 15 PERCENT IN 1990 TO 71 PERCENT IN 2000 AND QUALITY AND ATTENDANCE AT BRAZIL’S UNIVERSITIES ARE RISING AS WELL.

CARDOSO APPOINTED A SERIES OF OUTSTANDING MINISTERS OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND THE GOVERNMENT STEPPED UP PUBLIC INVESTMENT IN RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT – A KEY COMPONENT OF EAST ASIAN COUNTRIES “SUCCESS.” (LULA, PREDECESSOR DESERVE KUDOS, MIAMI HERALD 31.1.04)”

-- BERMUDA’S EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY COLLABORATIVE IS ALSO COMMITTED TO SOMETHING EVEN MORE IMPORTANT -- ‘SUSTAINED CAPACITY FOR LIFE LONG LEARNING.’

-- AT THE UNITED NATIONS TODAY “CAPACITY BUILDING” HAD BECOME ALMOST A “DEVELOPMENT MANTRA” -- BUT HOW SUSTAINABLE ARE THESE EFFORTS.

-- FINALLY BTEC NOW HOLDS THE DISTINCTION OF BEING A RECIPIENT OF THE ‘SEAL OF ALIGNMENT' BESTOWED BY ISTE.

-- THIS IS A UNIQUE HONOUR AND BERMUDA IS THE ONLY COUNTRY IN THE WORLD SO FAR TO HAVE RECEIVED THIS FOR ITS CURRICCULUM EXCELLENCE.

-- A BERMUDA FIRST

-- AND KNOWING DIANNE, IT WON’T BE THE LAST

-- THIS WEEKEND, BERMUDA PLANS TO SHARE ITS EXPERIENCE WITH EDUCATORS FROM OTHER CARIBBEAN NATIONS. HOPEFULLY THIS IS BUT A PRELUDE TO SIMILAR OUTREACH TO THE LARGER WORLD COMMUNITY.

-- AND I BELIEVE THE WORLD IS READY AND WAITING, ESPECIALLY AS YOU CONTEMPLATE THE NEXT FIVE YEARS

-- THOSE OF US, WHO, LIKE RON LATHAM, OPERATE AT THE GLOBAL LEVEL, KNOW THAT THERE ARE “MANDATES” OR AT LEAST INVITATIONS FOR COLLABORATION AND OPPORTUNITIES READY TO BE EXPLOITED.

-- LET ME CITE FIVE:
1. THE GLOBAL COMPACT FOR A NEW MILLENNIUM

-- AT THE DAVOS 2000, WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM, THE SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE UNITED NATIONS CHALLENGED THE PRIVATE SECTOR TO JOIN THE WORLD COMMUNITY IN A NEW GLOBAL COMPACT T0 ADVANCE CERTAIN SHARED VALUES, WHOSE PROMOTION WOULD SERVE THE COMMON INTEREST:

A. HUMAN RIGHTS

B. FAIR LABOUR STANDARDS AND

C. ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY

-- OBVIOUSLY THIS STRUCK A SENSITIVE CHORD AS THE RESPONSE BY CORPORATIONS WAS SO OVERWHELMING THAT A NEW MECHANISM HAD TO BE CREATED IN THE SECRETARY GENERAL’S OFFICE TO MANAGE THE PROCESS.

-- THIS WOULD SEEM LOGICAL ESPECIALLY AS WE LEARNED YESTERDAY, THAT 56 OF THE LARGEST ECONOMIES INTHE WORLD ARE COMPANIES, AND MANY POSSESS THE KIND OF INFLUENCE AND LEVERAGE TO DETERMINE THE SHAPE OF THE GLOBAL ECONOMY AND THE POLITICAL STRUCTURES AS WELL.

-- WHY NOT INTRODUCE THE BERMUDA EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY MODEL TO THE SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE UNITED NATIONS?

-- WHY NOT A GLOBAL COMPACT FOR “GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION” BASED ON THE BERMUDA MODEL.2. THE MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS:

-- IN SEPTEMBER 2000 SOME 147 HEADS OF STATES AND GOVERNMENTS AND 191 NATIONS IN TOTAL, THE LARGEST GATHERING OF WORLD LEADERS EVER, ASSEMBLED AT THE UNITED NATIONS TO DRAFT A HUMAN AGENDA THAT WOULD EFFECTIVELY ADDRESS THE CHALLENGES OF THE 21ST CENTURY AND HELP FULFILL THE MISSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS TO THE PEOPLES OF THE WORLD.

-- IN THE PROCESS THEY REAFFIRMED THEIR FAITH IN THE ORGANIZATION AND ITS CHARTER AS INDISPENSABLE FOUNDATIONS FOR A MORE PEACEFUL PROSPEROUS AND JUST WORLD AND EMPHASIZED CERTAIN VALUES AS ESSENTIAL TO INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS IN THE 21ST CENTURY.

-- THEY ALSO ADOPTED A PLAN OF ACTION -- THE “MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS” WHICH INCLUDED TARGETS AND TIMETABLES.

-- THE PLAN ESTABLISHED AMONG ITS PRIORITIES, “DEVELOPMENT AND POVERTY REDUCTION” AND EXPLICITLY CALLED UPON GOVERNMENTS AND CIVIL SOCIETY TO “ENSURE THAT THE BENEFITS OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES, ESPECIALLY INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES ARE AVAILABLE TO ALL”

-- IT FURTHER CALLED UPON GOVERNMENTS “TO DEVELOP STRONG PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND WITH CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS IN THE PURSUIT OF DEVELOPMENT AND POVERTY ERADICATION.”

-- WHAT IS SIGNIFICANT HERE IS THAT THE MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS MAY YET TURN OUT TO BE THE LAST MAJOR GLOBAL CONSENSUS TO BE ADOPTED BY THE UNITED NATIONS FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE.

-- THEY ALSO REFLECT THE FACT THAT THESE COMMITMENTS WERE MADE BY GOVERNMENTS AT THE HIGHEST LEVELS ABOVE WHICH THERE ARE NO HIGHER EARTHLY AUTHORITY.

-- IF THIS NEW VISION FOR HUMANITY IS TO BE REALIZED AND THE “PLAN” IS TO BE SUCCESSFULLY IMPLEMENTED, THEY HAD THE POWER TO DO IT.

-- NEXT YEAR THERE WILL BE A MID-DECADE REVIEW

-- PERHAPS THE BTEC INITIATIVE COULD SOMEHOW BE REFLECTED AS A SUCCESSFUL EXAMPLE OF PUBLIC/PRIVATE SECTOR PARTNERSHIP.

3. THE INTERNATIONAL LITERACY DECADE

-- IN 2003, THE UNITED NATIONS LAUNCHED THE INTERNATIONAL LITERACY DECADE. THIS LIKEWISE WOULD SEEM TO PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION.

-- LITERACY TRADITIONALLY DEFINED, HOWEVER, WOULD NOT EQUIP RELEVANT POPULATIONS WITH THE TECHNOLOGICAL FLUENCY TO DEAL EFFECTIVELY WITH THE CHALLENGES OF A HIGHLY COMPETITIVE WORLD

-- A DIFFERENT KIND OF WORLD.

-- THAT IS WHY WE MUST BEGIN TO TALK ABOUT ‘LITERACY’ AND NEW MODES FOR LEARNING TO EQUIP SUCCEEDING GENERATIONS WITH THE TOOLS AND SKILLS NECESSARY TO MEET TOMORROW’S CHALLENGES.

-- BTEC INITIATIVE NOW HOLDS THE POTENTIAL OF PARTNERING WITH UNESCO IN ITS ENDEAVOUR.4. WORLD SUMMIT ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT (WSSD)

-- IN SEPTEMBER 2002, WORLD LEADERS ASSEMBLED AT JOHANNESBURG TO REVIEW COMMITMENTS MADE AT RIO A DECADE EARLIER AND A DRAFT PLAN OF IMPLEMENTATION FOR A PROSPEROUS AND SUSTAINABLE HUMAN FUTURE, IN KEEPING WITH THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVESOF AGENDA 21 ADOPTED AT THE “WORLD CONFERENCE ON ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT” (WCED) THE ”EARTH SUMMIT” IN 1992.

-- IN THE PROCESS THEY RECOGNIZED THE KEY ROLES THAT THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND CIVIL SOCIETY MUST PLAY AND EVEN OPENED THE PROCEEDINGS FOR NEW AND CREATIVE PARTNERSHIPS WITH THESE GROUPS.

-- THE RESULT WAS THAT AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE SUMMIT, SOME 200 PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENTS WERE SIGNED IN SUCH AREAS AS WATER AND SANITATION, HEALTH, ENERGY AND AGRICULTURE.

-- IN THE PROCESS ALSO SEVERAL BILLION DOLLARS WERE COMMITTED. THESE COMMITMENTS WILL BE REVIEWED AT A PARTNERSHIP FAIR AT THE UNITED NATIONS NEXT APRIL.

-- THE PROCESS REMAINS OPEN, HOWEVER, AND THE TIME MAY HAVE ARRIVED FOR CONSIDERATION OF ‘GLOBAL PARTNERSHIPS FOR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION’ WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF THE JOHANNESBURG PLAN OF IMPLEMENTATION AND THE MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS

-- BTEC MIGHT WISH TO GIVE THIS SOME CONSIDERATION.

5. WORLD SUMMIT ON THE INFORMATION SOCIETY (WSIS)

-- IN GENEVA LAST DECEMBER THE ITU AND THE UNITED NATIONS CONVENED THE WORLD SUMMIT ON THE INFORMATION SOCIETY.

-- SOME OF THOSE WHO ATTENDED CONSIDERED THE RESULT TO BE MIXED AT BEST.

NEVERTHELESS THERE ARE SEVERAL FACTORS WORTH PONDERING

o INFORMATION EDUCATION HAS NOW BEEN ELEVATED TO A GLOBAL PRIORITY

o A SECOND MEETING WILL BE HELD IN TUNIS IN 2005, HENCE MOMENTUM

o A DECLARATION AND PLAN OF ACTION WERE ADOPTED WHICH SEEM HIGHLY RELEVANT TO THE WORK OF BTEC:AT WSIS REPRESENTATIVES OUTLINED A “COMMON VISION“ OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY AND COMMITTED THEMSELVES TO BUILDING “A PEOPLE-CENTERED, INCLUSIVE AND DEVELOPMENT-ORIENTED INFORMATION SOCIETY WHERE EVERYONE CAN CREATE, ACCESS, UTILIZE AND SHARE INFORMATION AND KNOWLEDGE ENABLING INDIVIDUALS, COMMUNITIES AND PEOPLES TO ACHIEVE THEIR FULL POTENTIAL . . . .” (A.I)

“OUR CHALLENGE IS TO HARNESS THE POTENTIAL OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY TO PROMOTE THE DEVELOPMENT GOALS OF THE MILLENNIUM DECLARATION, NAMELY THE ERADICATION OF EXTREME POVERTY AND HUNGER, ACHIEVEMENT OF UNIVERSAL PRIMARY EDUCATION . . . .” (A.2)

THEY EXPRESSED THEIR FULL COMMITMENT “TO TURNING THIS DIGITAL DIVIDE INTO A DIGITAL OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL, PARTICULARLY FOR THOSE WHO RUN THE RISK OF BEING LEFT BEHIND AND BEING FURTHER MARGINALIZED” (A.10)

IN A DRAFT PLAN OF ACTION REPRESENTATIVES OUTLINED A NUMBER OF TARGETS WHICH THEY HOPED COULD BE ACHIEVED BY 2015 -- OF PARTICULAR RELEVANCE TO THIS SYMPOSIUM WAS THE GOAL “TO ADAPT ALL PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOL CURRICULA THAT MEET THE CHALLENGES OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY, TAKING INTO ACCOUNT NATIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES.” (B6.G)

THEY ALSO EMPHASIZED THE NEED FOR INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION AMONG ALL STAKEHOLDERS, AS WELL AS, THE NEED TO “BUILD ON AND ACCELERATE PUBLIC/PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS” ESPECIALLY WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF THE UN’s GLOBAL COMPACT AND THE MILLENNIUM DECLARATION.

FINALLY, A DIGITAL SOLIDARITY AGENDA WAS ALSO ENVISIONED WITH THE AIM OF “PUTTING IN PLACE THE CONDITIONS FOR MOBILIZING HUMAN, FINANCIAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL RESOURCES FOR INCLUSION OF ALL MEN AND WOMEN IN THE EMERGING INFORMATION SOCIETY...”

(D.27)THE FINANCIAL CHALLENGE;
IF THE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY REVOLUTION IS TO SUCCEED, IF THE DIGITIAL DIVIDE IS TO BE CONVERTED INTO DIGITAL OPPORTUNITIES, THEN NEW AND CREATIVE FINANCIAL STRATEGIES COMMENSURATE WITH THE CHALLENGE MUST BE DEVELOPE D AND SUSTAINED.

WITHN THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL COMMUNITY, IT IS CUSTOMARY TO THINK OF GOVERNMENTS AS THE PRIME SOURCE OF FUNDING FOR LARGE GLOBAL CAUSES AND OFTEN “DONOR CONFERENCES” ARE CONVENED FOR THIS PURPOSE. BUT PERHAPS THE TIME HAS ARRIVED TO BROADEN THE CIRCLE OF FUNDING TO INCUDE OTHER COMMUNITIES WITH RESOURCE LEVELTHAT COULD SIGNIFICANTLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
BTEC WITH ITS PUBLIC/PRIVATE SECTOR PARTNERSHIP AND ITS FIVE-YEAR COMMITMENT REPRESENT ONE MODEL. BUT THERE MAY BE OTHERS. THE UNITED STATES FOR EXAMPLE HAS A WELL ESTABLISHED AND UNIQUE TRADITION OF PRIVATE DONOR FUNDING.

IN 2000 FOR EXAMPLE, PHILANTHROPIC GIVING AMOUNTED TO MORE THAN $150 BILLION. AND THAT’S THE U.S. ALONE. FEW OTHER COUNTRIES HAVE A SIMILAR TRADITION OF SUCH GIVING. BUT PERHAPS THE TIME MAY HAVE ARRIVED TO TAP THESE SOURCES.

WHY NOT ENCOURAGE THE DEVELOPMENT OF A ”GLOBAL GIVING COMMUNITY” -- WHY NOT ORGANIZE A PHILANTHROPIC SUMMIT, CHAIRED BY SAY, THE CHAIRMAN OF AOL AND BILL GATES FOR EXAMPLE, TO EXPLORE THE FEASIBLITY OF A GLOBAL INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION FUND. THIS WOULD BE DESIGNED TO SUPPORT AND “SUSTAIN” THE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION REVOLUTION. IT WOULD ALSO SEEM TO PRESENT A CHALLENGE TO THE INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION COLLABORATIVE FOUNDATION AS IT CONTEMPLATES ITS NEXT FIVE YEARS.


-- A FEW THOUGHTS FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION

-- THANK YOU.

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