Unveiling the Impact of Equiano on St. Helena's Information Networks

Slide Note

St. Helena, often considered peripheral, plays a crucial role in global information networks. The Equiano project aims to study its impact on education, business, and health. While the island's remoteness remains unchanged, advancements like Equiano have enhanced accessibility and communication flows, fostering better links with off-island information agents and expertise. These developments signify a significant shift in information accessibility and connectivity for St. Helena.

ada_kre Follow

Uploaded on Sep 28, 2024 | 0 Views

Download Presentation

Please find below an Image/Link to download the presentation.

The content on the website is provided AS IS for your information and personal use only. It may not be sold, licensed, or shared on other websites without obtaining consent from the author. Download presentation by click this link. If you encounter any issues during the download, it is possible that the publisher has removed the file from their server.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

Bridging the Digital Divide Equiano and St Helena: The story so far Drew Whitworth, University of Manchester, 7/8/24

NOTE FOR DREW Press record!!

Project timeline Sep. 2020: G Drabble turns up in Manchester Early 2021: SHRI funding Nov. 2021: Visit 1 Jan/Feb 2023: Visit 2 2025: visit in Jan + Ascension Plus, archive studies (see next slide) May 2024: visit 3 TODAY ??

Scope Evidently there have been times when St Helena, far from being peripheral, has been an essential node in the world s information networks - but have these benefits typically trickled down ? The reasons why Equiano was built and, thus, the impact it will have, stem from political and economic forces SHRI call was to study the impact of Equiano on St Helena s education, business and health There is a landscape of information about the Island, that has been laid down since 1502 . But the Island does not exist in total isolation, whether in space or time

Remoteness v accessibility But its accessibility has seen significant changes over time, for better or worse The remoteness of the Island is never going to change Informationally, then but only in that way Equiano has obviously made St Helena more accessible.

Better communication flows Getting information on and off St Helena has become easier faster cheaper and more flexible (e.g. no need to get up at 4.30am to do it) Not just Netflix . Spaces like Google Drive, Google Forms etc (SHRI) Zoom here we are now, after all SHG s link to London Also, downloading updates and keeping machines secure

Better links with off-island information agents, and expertise - and more stable ones (note the example of the counselling psychologist). Lots of training, CPD, upskilling going on, at least in certain places although others can t take up the opportunity as they are running on empty (said about PAS parts of the hospital) Much more activity in combination with other Overseas Territories

Attention economy Even pre-cable there have been increased levels of interest in the island we are more visible Off-island agents have more to work with Streaming of events (UK-based interviewee mentioned Festival of Lights) Jonathan Cam? Not just tourists, but also potential investors see JR feedback How to generate CAPITAL though? Note JT s points about St Helena island info site what do people want to know about SH? useful marketing info .

Saints are still a bit quiet. averse to speaking up and being heard in the world . An interviewee who had just moved to the Island noted how pre-arrival sources of info about the island were created largely by expats. Businesses are starting to see the benefits of advertising at a local level but maybe more could be done off- island .

Things so far then better accessibility compensating for remoteness. But note this recurring theme: We are still doing the same things we are doing before, but it s just easier We have achieved faster internet but are otherwise carrying on as we were.

On-island blockages Probably, attendees are well aware of these Consider the historical parallels, though . investments made, but which brought no benefits for the locals . meaning, the local knowledge-building infrastructure

Data protection legislation, a revised Telecoms Ordinance and the completion of the fibre network are all obvious steps that need taking if things are to move forward from here (but you know this) There is a lack of some needed technical skills and expertise . e.g. in networking, info systems design etc. Though these are more accessible from external sources there is still a need to develop expertise (CAPITAL) on the island

Lack of spaces virtual/technological and otherwise to share info and work together to generate capital Lack of spontaneity, e.g. in teaching (eclipse example) (digital nomads .? [some said this term didn t go down well with people ] but you need this for remote working even if it s just Saints) IT has gone medieval on security new practicesbeing held back

Capacity is somewhat unbalanced, some homes paying for 30Gb package but not using anywhere near this. Others still cannot afford the unlimited package, and: the project was supposed to be about everyone having the same access. It needs to be unlimited data for everyone, every household. You want to create bigger packages for businesses, that s fine, but we need an unlimited, affordable package, let s say about 45-50 . I think some level of social assessment needs to be done now. Can we ascertain the number of households on SH who can afford the unlimited package? How many cannot?

Mobile doing well These are the flourishing parts of the infrastructure Apps like iRecord or the mental health one (both the impact of research ) Social media much more used, including by Police, cybersecurity awareness, Chief and other Ministers posting regularly (and people have noticed) More engaging more timely We can reach audiences much more quickly [via SM] and we ve seen an increase in our bookings.

WhatsApp is much more used, as weve got much improved mobile data. That for me has been a bigger game changer than the home internet to be honest. The ability to take a WhatsApp call from someone while I m out and about, at the Coffee Shop for example. the trouble is, that on these systems [desktops] nothing has changed. I was still trying to get on to the UK Parliament site for instance. Anything that verifies you re a human, little quirks, it still doesn t work, never has. Little expansion of SHG s use of mobile, though lagging behind? 400 people still come into town to collect pensions and benefits on a Thursday. Community sisters can t take notes on devices in the field, have to come back to town to do it. even in an emergency we can t respond on the spot, we have to come back to the office.

Perceptions as a visitor My view But let s also note this guest house owner: guests coming to SH will always be perplexed by the amount of Mb they were using up, how quickly and the cost of it. What I m really happy about, and anyone in the hospitality industry, is no longer having to explain Sure s terms and conditions . Every guest has access to unlimited wifi whether they re staying for a week or a month. It s part of our advertising. There s a lot of competition out there, we want to attract people to us [& not just competition on SH, but with other tourist destinations]

Education And note his staff development angle not just accessing expertise off-island but also developing it on SH. Phil Toal s distance learning model Digital literacy of staff generally needs developing (& at Pilling too) Chromebooks project [I will be focusing on these particularly when I return in January]

Primary school (Pilling, at least) doing some new things, a bit more freely but still limits and blocks Changes to practice happened because we had a big debate about homework, before, they were so exhausted with homework from year 2 that by the time they needed to do it in year 10 and 11 they were fed up. It gives the parents a bit more responsibility now, getting away from paper-based children fight the parents, parents fight the children, but no one fights when they have to go on their phone it s the same learning, they just don t see it as learning. That way, the cable has already been a big plus.

We are linking with other organisations, like the St Helena National Trust, sharing stories about whale sharks, children in Tristan, Ascension we re trying to do a live link with Tristan, it s all about coordination. Or in the Caribbean. The idea is there, the NT are leading on it, children in St Helena will talk to the children overseas, like a big forum, will tie everybody in, they can give their views on a whale shark, maybe get that in place by the next whale shark festival next February. They are more aware of world events, they feel a lot more connected to the world, children are a lot more connected with family overseas, I hear them talk about it. They did feel isolated, or used to, now they can contact each other whenever, wherever

Moving forward Work towards being a smarter island, smarter decision-making Ministers SHG Whitehall Research Experts (when necessary) Indigenous knowledge Local & visiting businesses Education, lifelong learning Saints

Focus the development of new jobs on ones relevant to the island s needs e.g. cybersecurity? tele-health? info analytics? (see the example of the skills gained through archive & Cloud Forest work) What value can the Island add to the world s knowledge? Become a centre of excellence for the managing of remote communities? (SH has expertise to offer the Falklands, right now IR is helping someone on Pitcairn) Improved links with OT network (including Jersey see Phil Toal here ) are very noticeable they understand the context (information needs), so they re the best links . (resources in a community of practice , building a supportive digital habitat )

We must assume, in the present climate, that Whitehall will be cutting costs . how to compensate? A more hybrid view of it cf. what one official said when I enquired whether he d have a successor or not (again, the links with other OTs may be the most important ones here) This might improve the regular loss of institutional memory .. e.g. recruitment problems (& note last change in head of PAS) The cable could smooth the transition between SH and elsewhere things will pass along it in both directions.

Moving on Lots of things intersecting e.g. immigration policies, investment policy, data protection, modernising the bank HENCE plan for foresight planning exercises in January The social assessment mentioned by one interviewee is recommended and PAS needs as much support as it can be given, from the whole community.

An optimistic conclusion Generally, for the island, given what we ve. been through in the last five years, Covid and so on, this has been one of the biggest achievements for the government in delivering something for the island. We haven t delivered green energy yet, or an affordable air service, or a shipping service with affordable freight rates that allow economic development. But even though we re not completely done with the cable yet, what we did in October has made the biggest difference.