The future of Caribbean countries is being threatened by rising crime, porous borders; the effects of climate change; flight of intellectual capacity and the dismantling of preferential trade arrangements for agricultural products.  These challenges have been further compounded by the contagion of the global financial crisis and the resulting deepening economic fragility. As a consequence, there is a move in the region to identify new sustainable models for development. Caribbean leaders have recognised that information and communication technologies (ICT) present new opportunities for fostering social and economic development.

The Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU) has embarked on an initiative designed to educate, raise public awareness and establish strategic programmes to foster innovative and beneficial use of ICT in Caribbean countries for national and regional development. The initiative, the Caribbean ICT Roadshow, integrates ICT capacity building with meaningful activities which will deliver tangible benefits to the citizens of the region and lay a foundation on which knowledge-based societies and economies may be built.

The Caribbean ICT Roadshow was officially launched on 28^th July, 2009, in Grenada, by The Hon. Tillman Thomas, Prime Minister of Grenada and CARICOM Head of Government responsible for Science and Technology. In his address at the launch, the Prime Minister noted the challenges faced by the region and the opportunities presented by ICT to mitigate their effects and to foster national and Caribbean advancement.

From August 2009 to June 2010, the Roadshow visited Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Curacao, the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the Republic of Suriname, Montserrat, the British Virgin Islands and St. Lucia, with a programme designed to deliver tangible benefits to the citizens of the region and lay a foundation on which knowledge-based societies and economies can be built.

While each Roadshow was customised to reflect the special circumstances of the countries visited, the following core elements were addressed throughout the region:

1. ICT capacity building
2. ICT innovation and entrepreneurship
3. Building ICT policy and regulatory capacity
4. Network Operators’ Issues
5. Fostering local content development,
6. Encouraging collaborative work in ICT
7. Fostering responsible use and ICT innovation in Youth

Interspersed with these country visits were ICT stakeholder meetings in the five (5) countries as well as an Executive Lecture Forum in St. Lucia and a series of IXP Workshops in the British Virgin Islands, Grenada, St. Maarten and Trinidad & Tobago.

The Roadshow adopted a unique approach, which linked the dissemination of information to activities that reinforced the message and initiated activities that will produce tangible benefits in

the long term. The very highly interactive country Roadshows featured the following modules:

Without exception, the first nine ICT Roadshows were enthusiastically received and highly commended by CTU members, ICT stakeholders and citizens for the insight provided and the prospects of real and sustainable benefits accruing to their countries. They noted the timeliness, necessity of the initiative and the effectiveness of the various programmes in improving public awareness, educating, mobilising ICT communities and prompting action in ICT development.  In addition the Roadshows have unearthed not only obstacles to the effective use of ICTs but also a considerable reservoir of ICT innovative talent in the region.

The benefits of the Roadshow were clearly demonstrated in that:

• The elements of a National ICT strategy and a framework for developing one were presented in some countries enabling their administrations to begin the process.
• Stakeholders in the English-speaking countries were convinced of the need for and committed to the establishment of local IXPs in so much as there is now a race on to  have the first IXP in the English speaking Caribbean.
• There was a real commitment by stakeholders to collaborate on ICT issues for mutual benefit and to participate in the CARIBNOG programme.
• ICT communities were mobilised to strengthen and support ICT development in each country.
• Stakeholders, introduced to the work of the organisations that direct the development of the Internet, expressed interest in participating in their activities.
• The seeds of a local content industry were planted through the training of youth in content creation.
• Young people were made aware of the dangers of cyberspace, while parents and guardians were educated on their role in the children’s ICT development.

The value of the Roadshow is summed up in the following comments from some of the participants.

• "...it's been a long time since we've had so many IT professionals in one room in Belize...if nothing else you have at least motivated some of us to try again...we did indeed have an IT association in Belize, it had just become dormant..........the Roadshow has motivated a number of us who were on the board of that organisation to revive it again.” - IT Professional, Belize

• "I thoroughly enjoyed the days... it’s now for the actions to be implemented." - ICT Innovator, Antigua and Barbuda

• "It was a gathering of talent and ambition and this was without a doubt an added value for the development of the Island... I learned more about ICT in two days than I did in the last two years. .... For this I thank you and am eternally grateful." – MP, Curacao

• "I learnt how to create my own podcast and of the dangers in cyberspace" Student - St. Vincent and the Grenadines

Based on the outcomes of  Caribbean ICT Roadshows, there is no doubt that the initiative is filling a void in the Caribbean ICT landscape. It has been very effective in educating and raising awareness on ICT innovation and has mobilised ICT Stakeholders to commence work on a number of beneficial ICT activities that will foster ICT enabled development. Following are examples of some of these activities.

The 2010 Roadshow programme commenced in March and will culminate in Trinidad and Tobago in November 2010 with an ICT Symposium at which a comprehensive report highlighting recommendations for fostering ICT innovation and development will be presented and ICT innovators will be recognised.

Click here for an overview of the 2009 and 2010 Roadshows that have taken place to date.

Click here to see where the Caribbean ICT Roadshow will visit next.