UNDP rep says more must be done for underprivileged to access technology

More has to be done to level the playing field for those wanting to enter the ever-expanding technological sphere.

This was the brief message delivered by Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Limya Eltayeb during the 3 Days, 3 Minutes, 360 Degrees Media Innovation Challenge held on Tuesday at UN House, Marine Gardens, Christ Church.

The initiative, which aims to explore how emerging technology can be used for innovative content creation to produce immersive 360 videos and experiences in Caribbean spaces, involved 15 participants from the Ministry of Youth, Sports, and Community Empowerment Next Steps Training Initiative.

At the closing ceremony, Eltayeb told the attendees that although there have been enormous advancements over the years as new technologies emerged in several fields, the UNDP was very concerned about the lack of equal access.

She insisted that more work needs to be done to help the underprivileged.

“We all know that technology and the Internet, mobile phones, [are things] that we can use for good. It is also an industrial revolution that can keep others outside; that can exclude those who do not have access or the right abilities; that can exclude those who are not connected to the Internet; that can exclude those that are geographically outside of WiFi and Internet connectivity; it can exclude those that cannot afford it; it can exclude those that have differentiating abilities and cannot see and cannot hear,” Eltayeb said.

“So at the centre of everything we do, yes, we want to progress quickly but we also want it to be an inclusive progression. We want it to be a progression that allows everyone to contribute [to] society.”

She added that a focus on job and skills training is needed for equitable development within developing countries.

“Let us not assume that everybody out there, even though they are equipped to deal with the technologies that come out, have the skills to make it a business, have the skills to really be competitive, have the skills to really ensure that they have the skills sets of the future in the market of the future.

“I think that is at the heart of this partnership between the Ministry of Youth, Sports, and Community Empowerment and UNDP within the Next Steps Training Initiative,” the UNDF official said.

Head of Experimentation at the UNDP Accelerator Lab for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, Dr Shamar Ward, praised the participants for their work over the three days of the innovation programme.

He added: “At the Accelerator Lab, we test new ways of working to address social and environmental challenges. With this innovation challenge, we want to point out how 360 immersive content can impact the viability of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) especially in tourism, and accessibility for persons with disabilities. We are pleased to partner with the Youth Affairs Division to explore this exciting potential, while at the same time increasing the marketable skills of young content creators.”
(SB)