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December 2001 update report on the EDSAT-Americas Introduction: The following is a report on the status of the EDSAT-Americas project at the close of 2001. For a video tape summary of the highlights of the 2 ½ hour video conference go to the World Bank’s Web page at www.worldbank.org/gdlnlac, scroll down to “news” in English, and click on neto-edsat hemispheric video conference. For further information on the project, email, netoedsat@oas.org. Thank you,
As per the submission of the EDSAT-Americas report to the Ministers at
the Quebec Summit, as well as a commitment to the sponsors of the Technical
Planning Team Montego Bay meeting, including the Inter-American Development
Bank (IDB), EDSAT-Americas Technical Planning Team was obligated to present
a report from the Montego Bay meeting to include the Next Steps to the
Ministers of Education, September, 2001 in Uruguay. Regretfully, due to the
tragic events of September 11, many countries participating in the EDSAT-Americas
project, including lead Ambassador Ishmael of Guyana were unable to attend
the Ministers Uruguay meeting. In a desire to fulfill this obligation, NETO/EDSAT-Americas was pleased
to develop a partnership with the World Bank Global Development Learning
Network. As a first step in the partnership a two-way video conference was
planned for the Ambassadors, Ministers, and other guests to present and
discuss the EDSAT-Americas Montego Bay report, along with the Next Steps.
The OAS/NETO/EDSAT-Americas Technical Planning Team is pleased to welcome
WBGDLN as a partner, along with the US Department of Education, and others
to this important Summit Follow-up activity. At the outset. NETO/EDSAT-Americas established a Video Conference Working
Group with 23 members for planning, which included, WBGDLN, IDB, related OAS
Units, including the Office of the Summit Follow-up, representatives of four
Permanent Missions, the private sector and educational organization
representatives and the lead Ambassador and Chairman of NETO. Regular,
frequent and intense meetings were held. Those not in attendance received
immediate information by Email on the status of plans. The Secretary
General’s Chief of Staff, as well as others, received regular agendas and
status reports. The following is a Summary Report of the EDSAT-Americas Technical
Planning Team Video Conference, two and a half hour live video conference
which emanated from the World Bank’s President’s Executive Conference Room,
World Bank Headquarters, Washington. DC. A 5 to 7 minute Video Documentary
is being developed, with the support of the WBGDLN, on the status of
Distance Education in the Western Hemisphere. The final agenda included seven in-country sites plus the Washington, DC
site. Those in attendance at the World Bank’s Washington Headquarters
included, thirteen Ambassadors and approximately 50 people in attendance.
Although seven in-country sites were planned, five were connected,
including, Dominican Republic, Argentina, Honduras, Peru, and Trinidad &
Tobago. The two sites unable to connect were, Jamaica and Guyana. However,
the Jamaican Minister of Education was in attendance and reported from the
Washington site, and the Guyana report was also made from Washington. In the final analysis, between the live in-country sites with a Vice
President, Ministers, and Heads of Commissions or Directors, all reporting
for their Ministers, and Ambassadors in Washington, eleven of the sixteen
EDSAT-Americas’ countries submitted reports on the status and importance of
Distance Education in their country, and overwhelmingly supported the
attached Resolution to move forward swiftly with Next Steps. Along with the thirteen Ambassadors in Washington, and those who later
commented in the meeting for their countries, the Washington Site included
opening speakers: David de Ferranti, Vice President for Latin America and the Caribbean Countries: Along with welcoming, pointed out 5 major points of why the World Bank was pleased to be involved with the OAS/NETO/ EDSAT-Americas initiative. The most critical being education, distance education and the hemispheric significance of the EDSAT-Americas initiative as Summit Follow-up. Assistant Secretary General, Luigi Einaudi, reiterated OAS’ support and partnership in the EDSAT-Americas initiative with comments on the importance of EDSAT-Americas’ democratic process as a public/private venture. The Assistant Secretary General also commented on timing and the need to move the project forward. Mr. John Bailey, Special Assistant to the Under Secretary, US Department of Education, ( It is noted that the Secretary of Education was unable to attend due to unannounced security measures applied at random to US Cabinet officials.) Mr. Bailey spoke on behalf of the Secretary and Under Secretary on the importance of regional cooperative distance education initiatives such as, the EDSAT-Americas and previously announced that he will serve on the EDSAT-Americas Technical Planning Team. Congresswoman Donna Christen-Christensen, US Virgin Islands, for the Congressional Black Caucus and herself:
IN COUNTRY SITE INFORMATION Background: All sites with planned live participation received two briefing packages
by fax or email, including, agenda, speakers’ background materials and
information, draft resolution, facilities and procedures for the video
conference, sample letter of invitation, media information, contact names
and numbers. All materials’ packages were in Spanish and/or English. All
in-country site speakers were asked to make a four minute report on the
importance and status of distance education to their country. LIVE IN COUNTRY SITES AND SPEAKERS INCLUDED: DOMINICAN REPUBLIC - Vice President & Minister, Milagros Ortiz Bosch ARGENTINA – Dr. Edith Litwin, Director, Teacher Training National Program, speaking for Minister, Dr. Andres Belich PERU – Dr. Alberto Patino, President, Commission on National Distance Education, speaking for Minister, Dr. Nicolas Lynch HONDURAS- Dr. Jose Ramon Calix, Minister of Education TRINIDAD and TOBAGO- Mr. Emmanuel George, Permanent Secretary, Speaking for Minister Ganga Singh WASHINGTON SITE – Mr. Burchell Whiteman, Minister of Education, Jamaica Ambassador Lisa Shoman, Belize Ambassador, Alternate Representative Luis Guardia, Costa Rica Ambassador Esteban Tomic, Chile Alternate Representative, Luis Valencia, Ecuador Alternate Representative, Deborah Yaw, Guyana Countries Also Represented – Ambassador Denis Antoine, Grenada Ambassador Oscar Curry Paniagua, Domincan Republic Ambassador Juan Enrique Fischer, Uruguay Ambassador Henry Illes, Suriname Ambassador Laura Elena Nunez de Ponce, Honduras Summaries of the EDSAT-Americas countries’ status reports on their
National Distance Education programs and plans are being compiled and will
be made available after the first of the year. All representatives spoke of
the increasing importance of the use of information and communication
technology for broader access and use of the teacher training programs,
accessing the hard to reach rural and agricultural communities, and of equal
concern the limitation of expanding these educational and instructional
programs in communities of greatest need because of costs. Along with the important reports from the sites and Ambassadors in
Washington, the final round of comments on the resolution was opened up by
Vice President, Dr. Milagros Ortiz Bosch of Dominican Republic, reiterated
by Dr. Edith Litwin, Director of National Teacher Education for Minister
Belich of Argentina, as well as others. Their questions and comments focused
on the question, “How can EDSAT-Americas provide a permanent system during
the initial period” to establish an equitable and affordable hemispheric
interconnected system for education, health care and other public services? It is important to note that this urgency and need to have something
concrete, up and going was widely discussed during the Technical Planning
Team Montego Bay meeting, as well. More often than not, it was discussed in
small groups, outside of the main agenda. In response, the Next Steps, as
seen in the attached document, call for “establishment of an OAS
Ambassadors’ Special Committee, in collaboration with NETO/EDSAT, OAS, other
international organizations, the private sector and civil society
organizations to explore options for structure, operations and financing of
a non-governmental, hemispheric mechanism to interconnect education and
health care institutions and other public services…” with plans to complete
a “report with proposed options for the Ministers’ consideration of the
EDSAT-Americas’ countries, no later than February 28, 2002.” As an immediate step in answer to the question, what can be put in place
“permanently” during the initial start up phase, of the EDSAT-Americas
initiative, and the overwhelming support for the resolution: Ambassador Odeen Ishmael of Guyana, lead Ambassador for the EDSAT-Americas
Technical Planning Team, is pleased to announce invitations to the EDSAT-Americas’
OAS Ambassadors to serve as a Special Committee, in collaboration with
representatives of OAS, CITEL, IDB, the WBGDLN, the private sector and other
international organizations to explore structure, operations and financing
of a non-governmental, hemispheric mechanism to operate and manage
interconnected satellite and land-based infrastructure for education, health
care and other public services; and further the OAS Ambassadors’ Special
Committee will be prepared to present a report, with proposed options to the
EDSAT-Americas’ Ministers, no later than February 28, 2002. Respectfully submitted, December 7, 2001 Ambassador Odeen Ishmael and Shelly Weinstein
National Education Telecommunications
Organization/Education Satellite
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