by Kevon Browne
St. Kitts and Nevis (WINN)—The St. Kitts and Nevis National Commission for UNESCO hosted the SIM Caribbean Cybersecurity for Older Adults Hybrid Workshop in St. Kitts, aimed at empowering older adults with the knowledge and practical tools needed to confidently and safely navigate today’s digital world.
The workshop explored Cybersecurity for Older Adults, Digital Safety: Legal Protections & Penalties, Digital Health & Mental Health Management and Mastering the Zoom Platform.
Hon. Isalean Phillip, Minister for Ageing et. al., emphasised during the workshop the need for older people not to be excluded from opportunities to learn about emerging and pervasive technologies.
“Giving you this information during this workshop today is an effort for us to make sure that you are protected in your homes where the government can’t necessarily directly legislate. It safeguards your mental health by reducing isolation and fear. It strengthens legal capacity and access to justice by helping seniors and persons with disabilities to understand their rights and to report abuse. It also supports economic inclusion by giving older persons the confidence that is needed to ensure you can access pensions, healthcare and services, all services that are being transitioned online as part of our digital transformation.
Digital transformation is no longer optional. The Deputy PM mentioned that and I have to restate it because that is the reality of the world we live in today. If we are truly to be inclusive, if we are truly to ensure that no one is left behind, we must take the initiative to offer opportunities like this to ensure that persons are educated and at least have some basic information to know how to protect themselves and to how to confidently use online systems.”
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education et. al., Hon. Dr Geoffrey Hanley said that the workshop is about empowerment, safety, and leadership for seniors in a digital age.
“Quality education builds media information literacy and media information literacy gives seniors the power to distinguish facts from falsehood in a world flooded with misinformation, to navigate digital spaces safely protecting yourself and your pension from scams and cyber crime and thirdly to participate fully in society from online banking to telehealth from voting to speaking out on issues that affect your community. An educated senior is not a passive consumer of technology. An educated senior becomes a confident user and careful guardian and a mentor for the next generation.”
Source [Edication Media Unit]
H.E. Nerys Dockery, Secretary General of the St. Kitts and Nevis National Commission for UNESCO, highlighted the growing need for young people to navigate online spaces responsibly and thoughtfully in an increasingly connected society.
