Congress WBN to host Technology and Leadership Forum in Africa A multi-sectoral delegation from Trinidad and Tobago will this week travel to Southern Africa to share technology development experiences with counterparts at an international conference organised by Trinidad-based non-profit, Congress WBN (C-WBN).

The delegation travels this week to Harare Zimbabwe for the C-WBN Forum for Ethical Nations Development, an international conference themed “Strategies for Economic Development & Social Transformation through ICTs”. The conference was organized by C-WBN, with the support of the Governments of Trinidad and Tobago and Zimbabwe. It will take place on September 15th and 16th, 2010.

The TT delegation  includes Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Public Administration, Ms Arlene McComie; CEO of the Trinidad & Tobago ICT Company, Mr. Cleveland Thomas; Managing Director of Teleios Systems and Deputy Chairman of the e-Business Round Table, Mr. Ronald Hinds; and Secretary General of the Caribbean Telecommunications Union, Ms. Bernadette Lewis. C-WBN has invited officials from the TT Government, the Trinidad Chamber of Commerce and the Caribbean Telecommunications Union to join in showcasing Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean’s achievements in e-government and ICT. Once in Harare, they will hold meetings with high-level Government officials from several Southern African states.

These Caribbean ambassadors are putting a positive spotlight on Trinidad and Tobago and the wider region. Their efforts prove that which we sometimes take for granted can in fact bring value to others across the world.

Zimbabwe ICT Minister, Nelson Chamisa, expressing his country’s strong support for the event, stated that Zimbabwe was looking forward to learning more from the Trinidad and Tobago experience.

In May 2010, Chamisa was among several Zimbabwe Government officials who travelled to Trinidad to observe the local public sector reform process and Trinidad's ICT initiatives, through a country visit facilitated by C-WBN President and Founder, Dr Noel Woodroffe. The Zimbabwe Government delegation were impressed by Trinidad and Tobago's technology initiatives.

Speaking about the upcoming international conference in Southern Africa, Dr Woodroffe revealed that over the past decade Congress has worked extensively across the African continent conducting leadership seminars, male empowerment initiatives, community projects and other development interventions.

“The Forum in Zimbabwe continues C-WBN’s demonstrated commitment to values-based development at home and across the nations,” Dr Woodroffe stated.

According to its website, C-WBN is comprised of eight sectors of strategic operations involving networks of professional groups, educational institutions, businesses, churches, individual national leaders and university students. The nonprofit organization, established in Trinidad in 1993, now operates in over 90 nations and promotes what it terms 'ethical initiatives for nations development'.

“We depend heavily on technology for our global operations, and we have learnt that when hinged to a clear vision, technology can be a powerful catalyst in advancing national development," said Bevil Wooding, C-WBN Chief Knowledge Officer.

Wooding, who was recently appointed by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) as one of only seven global gatekeepers of the Internet, is the man responsible for C-WBN's global technology initiatives. Wooding played a key role in crafting the agenda for the event and coordinating the event in Zimbabwe.

"We will be drawing from our experiences to highlight why development has to be set within context of leadership vision and ethical stewardship of  national resources," he stated.

This unique joint initiative between the governments of Trinidad and Tobago and Zimbabwe is expected to bring tremendous benefit to both countries.