CKLN News Update                 October  2014
JREN - CKLN to host Campus Security Videoconference - October 24

CKLN is collaborating with the Jamaica National Reserach and Education Network, JREN, to host a videoconferecne on Campus security and personal safety at 9.00 a.m. on Friday, October 24, 2014 at the University of Technology (UTech), Kingston, Jamaica.

 

At least eight (8) other Caribbean countries will be joining the conference using C@ribNET and will host security representatives of various universities and colleges from across the Region. This is an opportunity to engage with relevant and high-profile panelists in sharing lessons learned and best practices in campus security and student and faculty personal safety.

 

The overall objective of the video-conference is to stimulate the establishment of a Community of Practice among campus security professionals across the Region, leveraging C@ribNET and its NRENs in providing solutions to the many challenges involved in securing campus security and student and faculty personal safety.  

 See more  

 

Link for LIVE STREAM      AGENDA

 

CKLN Supports Federation Services Workshop - Oct. 27-30, 2014

The Caribbean Knowledge and Learning Network, CKLN is collaborating with the Trinidad and Tobago NREN, TTRENT, to facilitate a Federation Services Workshop at the Ministry of Tertiary Education and Skills Training in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago from 27th - 30th October 2014.

 

The Federation Services workshop has three main goals that contribute to strengthening NRENs:
  1. Federation Policy Development
  2. eduroam service deployment for the Roaming Operator + Campus
  3. SAML federation deployment (for campus, federation and interfederation)
The workshop will be facilitated Mr Brook Schofield, Project Development Officer from TERENA organization with support from the ELCIRA Project. Most of Mr. Schofield's recent work is on dissemination of eduroam, which works hand-in-hand with federated identities (See more about eduroam here).
See more ....
CARICOM Agencies Commit to
Connect to C@ribNET

 

The Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH) is the second CARIOM Agency (in addition to CKLN) to become connected to C@ribNET and will be followed by five (5) other CARICOM agencies before year-end.


The connection to C@ribNET link will enable CIMH to access and share large data and metadata in the globally and use of High Performance computers for doing modeling and weather forecasting. C@ribNET's reliable, high-bandwidth connectivity, greater speed, timely delivery, and very high levels of resilience will enable CIMH staff, researchers and other users to benefit fully from advanced data-sharing techniques and collaboration tools.


The other CARICOM agencies planning to connect to C@ribNET are the
Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), CARICOM Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS), the Caribbean Agriculture Research and Development Institute (CARDI), the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) and the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA)
Caribbean Child Advocates Use R&E Networks to Contribute to 21st Pan American Child Congress

A number of Caribbean child rights, family development advocates and children will have the opportunity to make significant inputs to the 21st Pan American Child Congress being held in Brazil in December. They will be part of a Caribbean Virtual Forum on Child Participation to be held on November 18, 2014.

 

CKLN is collaborating with the Caribbean Child Development Centre at the Mona Campus of the University of the West Indies, the Inter-American Children�s Institute (IIN) using facilities at the Open Campus (UWIOC), and the University of the Republic (Uruguay) which are connected to C@ribNET, the Caribbean's regional research and education network, and the Latin American network, RedCLARA.

 

Participants from Antigua, Bahamas, Belize, Barbados, Dominica, Jamaica, Trinidad, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent will make recommendations to go forward to the 21st The Congress which will take place in Brasilia, Brazil on December 10 - 12, 2014 under the theme " Violence against Children: Building Peaceful Environments"

 

The Virtual Forum will be from 12 noon-3pm (Jamaica Time) on Tuesday November 18. The event will be streamed live.

 

For further information contact Ms. Ceceile Minott at the Caribbean Child Development Centre or Colleen Wint at CKLN.  

Development of a Caribbean Disaster Database Portal

The CKLN is pleased to partner with Disaster Risk Management (DRM) professionals in a Sub-Committee to spearhead the development of a Caribbean Disaster Database Portal.

The 'Enhancing Knowledge and Application of Comprehensive Disaster Management' (EKACDM) Initiative is a five-year Project whose ultimate outcome is the implementation of the CARICOM Enhanced Comprehensive Disaster Management (CDM) Strategy and Programme Framework (2007) to reduce the impacts of natural and technological hazards and the effect of climate change on men, women, and children in the region by emphasising disaster loss reduction through risk management. One of the key outputs is the establishment of a data portal to manage and share knowledge across CDM networks in the Caribbean.
Partnerships Needed to Address
High Bandwidth Costs in the Region - CKLN CEO

Mr. Ken Sylvester, CEO of CKLN made an urgent request during his presentation at CANTO's (Caribbean Association of National Telecommunications Organizations) 30th Annual Conference & Trade Exhibition in the Bahamas in mid-August under the th

eme  "Strategic Alliances for Sustainable Broadband Development".

In his presentation to The Public Private Sector Dialogue on the Single CARICOM ICT Space (PPDSICTS) inaugural meeting, Mr. Sylvester invited CANTO to help frame a Public-Private-Partnership with CKLNA in order to address the high cost of Broadband in the Region compared to other countries in the world which is one of the critical barriers to the success of regional ICT development.
Heads of CARICOM Institutions Endorse Communications Plan
CARICOM jigsaw
The end of August saw a number of Communications Operatives from CARICOM agencies coming together for the first time. Meeting virtually, they considered Communication, which was identified as a critical enabler and one of the top priorities in the implementation of the CARICOM Five Year Stretegic Plan. Attending on behalf of the CKLN was Colleen Wint, Communications and International Relations Manager.
 
One of the critical objectives of the meeting was to lay the groundwork for a communications proposal to present to the Heads of CARICOM Institutions. The CARICOM representatives presented the outcomes of the innaugural Communications meeting to the heads of institutions on September 15, 2014. This resulted in a very lively, positive and productive discussion with heads of Institutions, who enthusiastically endorsed the key recommendations, including the establishment of an ongoing network of Communications operatives, much greater co-ordination and collaboration, shared planning of Communications priorities and the need for consistent co-branding.
 
The Strategic Plan for the Community (2015-2019): Repositioning CARICOM was approved by CARICOM Heads of Government at their recent Meeting in Antigua and Barbuda, and is designed to improve the quality of life for citizens in the region.  (See the CARICOM Website for The Strategic Plan and Top Priorities)

The network of communications operatives will continue to focus on the details of the implementation of Plan and report on progress. 
Ken Sylvester (Right) CEO of CKLN gave a briefing on the region's R&E network, C@ribNET, to a delegation from Guyana in September. At left, Mr. Yoganand Indarsingh, Head MIS Unit , Ministry of Education,  Center, Ambassador Elisabeth Harper, Director General, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Also present was  Ms. Barbara Reynolds, Deputy Vice Chancellor, University of Guyana.
Useful Links
Because information and communication technology cut across so many sectors, CKLN will share a few links that we think are relevant and of interest to various groups in the Region and which are earmarked for strengthening using C@ribNET.
 
These will be shared in a separate communication, and will provide some links  under the headings of Health, Education, Culture, Agriculture, Security, Research, Disaster and Risk Management. If you have upcoming training or other information that you would like to share, feel free to contact us.

Thank You
CKLN Team