Meaningful connectivity ensures that all people and communities have access to the Internet and affordable and reliable digital technologies, contributing to bridging the digital divide, promoting equal opportunities, and empowering the most vulnerable groups. This will be the main theme of the next Strategic Dialogue of the BELLA II project, which will take place on 29 November in Cartagena, Colombia.
The workshop "Strategies for Promoting Inclusive Connectivity" is part of the Digital Alliance Days and the first High-Level Policy Dialogue of the Digital Alliance organized by the European Commission, which will take place in this Colombian city from 27 to 29 November.
The general objective of the workshop is to promote an open dialogue that contributes to the reflection on the problems related to inclusive connectivity and the identification of potential solutions that contribute to transforming it into an efficient and effective strategy, carried out in the framework of the EU-LAC Digital Alliance to reduce the digital divide in Latin America and the Caribbean.
The BELLA II dialogue will seek to sensitize participants to the importance of inclusive connectivity in promoting social and economic equity, share success stories, present the main challenges and barriers to meaningful connectivity as well as possible strategies, policies, and innovative technical solutions to extend connectivity to remote or disadvantaged areas. The workshop will also seek to provide a space to share lessons learned and encourage the participation of guests in the expansion of inclusive connectivity.
The workshop will bring together decision-makers, policymakers, connectivity providers, universities and research centers, representatives of National Research and Education Networks (NRENs), multinational organizations, companies, and financial institutions.
The Dialogue, which will last four hours, will include a presentation of the BELLA II project, a conference on inclusive connectivity, and a space to address the digital challenges of universities and NRENs, among others, in addition to the parallel working sessions.
The BELLA II Open Strategic Dialogue in Cartagena will be the fourth in a series to be held during the implementation of the project, which aims to help bridge the digital divide and strengthen and consolidate the digital ecosystem in Latin America and the Caribbean to address the region's challenges in science, technology, innovation, and education. Previous dialogues were held in Brussels on July 18, in El Salvador on October 10, and in Panama on November 15, as part of the TICAL 2023 conference organized by RedCLARA.
