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Click here to view Day 1 of the 8th Growth and Resilience Dialogue
Click here to view Day 2 of the 8th Growth and Resilience Dialogue
The 8th Growth and Resilience Dialogue with social partners was held under the theme, Creative Disruption and Innovation: Pathways for Transformative Change and Sustainable Growth. The two-day conference convened on Thursday, 11 April and concluded Friday, 12 April 2024 at the Sir Cecil Jacobs Auditorium, ECCB, Basseterre, Saint Christopher (St Kitts) and Nevis. The momentous event was also streamed live via ECCB and collaborating institutions social media platforms.
The Opening Ceremony comprised dignitaries, partners and participants from the OECS member countries, the University of the West Indies and The World Bank. In addressing the packed auditorium and the online attendees at the Ceremony, Governor of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank, Timothy N.J. Antoine set the stage for the two-day event by stating, “if you doubt that the Caribbean region is capable of innovations, look no further than the innovations that would be featured in this year’s Dialogue”.
Day One of the Dialogue engaged attendees in two (2) insightful masterclasses:
Day One culminated with five finalists’ presentations for the ECCU Creative Disruptors and Innovators Contest. Three exceptional young innovators from the region emerged as winners. In third place was Shaqueed Benjamin who walked away with the prize of $8,100.00 for his project on Business Solutions for Creatives. Clemvio Hodge impressed the judges with his Disrupting Culture and Tourism on Anguilla initiative and came in second; his prize was worth $10,800.00. In first place was Stephan Joseph whose Smart Tanks project earned him first prize of $21,600.00.
On Day Two, participants were afforded the opportunity to join in on discussions on the topic Unlocking potential: Exploring Entrepreneurship in the OECS. There were live AI demonstrations in health care, agriculture, education, finance, entrepreneurship and the creative arts.
The attendees kicked off the day with the Riverside Chat on The Business Side of Creativity, led by artist and entrepreneur, Calvert Jones. The proceedings for the rest of the day included AI activities and demonstrations on AI in Education, Generative AI, AI in Healthcare and Agriculture, and AI in financial services. The presenters included:
The objectives of the Growth and Resilience Dialogue include, but are not limited to:
In her closing remarks on Day Two, Deputy Governor of the ECCB, Dr Valda Henry implored the participants to be bold, not only in their aspirations but also in their actions. To be resilient in the face of obstacles and relentless and restless in the pursuit of the transformation of our region.
The Dialogue was first held on 1 March 2017 at the ECCB Headquarters in Saint Christopher (St Kitts) and Nevis and has been successfully held to present date, in partnership with the OECS Commission, The World Bank and The UWI (which became a partner in 2021).
The Dialogue has provided a platform for sharing analyses, experiences, lessons learned, and innovative solutions based on domestic and global trends to address economic and financial fragility and build lasting resilience in the OECS region. The target audience for the GRD, which was exclusively virtual in 2021 and 2022 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, includes representatives of member governments, public and private sectors, official opposition parties and the wider public.
For more information on the 8th Growth and Resilient Dialogue and to view the videos emanating from the two days, visit: https://www.eccb-centralbank.org/about-the-8th-grd-2024
