About the Jamaica Pitch Tank Competition Awardees – August 2020.
As challenging as these times may be, there is much to be optimistic about. When we look back, we will see not just the human and economic loss inflicted by the virus, but an important gain: a growing global awareness of the value of trust and collaboration.
By bringing to a halt most of our used-to-be routines, these challenges forced upon us, changes to the way we work, learn, and relate with one and other.
And this brings us closer together to what “trusting” in one another means to Humanity nowadays.
Education has shifted and now relies more than ever on trust. If we are still working, successful remote working demands a greater level of trust. Reopening the economy also relies heavily on trust and the way people will collaborate to avoid spreading the virus.
Trust in our institutions and societies and in the decisions that our leaders take every day. Trust is the cornerstone of how we contest these given circumstances and especially how we move forward.
So let´s move forward, let´s think about how we can build the future, how are we going to rebuild our societies and at the same time, lay the foundations of a more inclusive economy and a more equal world.
According to the World Economic Forum, the lockdown has hurried the arrival of the “future of work”; and despite the challenges of technological disruption and a shift in the structural economic fabric, we must also recognize this moment as an opportunity to better «re-build back” and lay the foundations of a more inclusive economy and a more equal world.
At the Trust for the Americas we are sure we can collaborate in this endeavor by training people (what we call upskilling and re skilling), as well as identifying the opportunities that the jobs of the future will provide to thousands of young people today. But what we are most confident of, is that we will only be able to succeed in building a better and more egalitarian future if we use all our creativity combined with innovative ways of working.
Today we made a big step forward in the way Jamaica is going to face that future by identifying dozens of young innovators that have put their creativity and inspiration to work and have reached incredible levels of innovation whilst looking for answers to local and regional challenges.
Together with important organizations and partners we identified dozens of talented young innovators that propose solutions to environmental concerns like climate change and pollution. From books recycling to stopping the deterioration of shoreline and reduction of local fish stocks.
Special thanks to all the institutions involved in this endeavor:
Organizers:
Institute of Law & Economics
The Trust for the Americas
Supporting partners:
Citi Foundation
Organization of American States
Collaborators (judges):
HEART Trust NTA
Jamaica Social Investment Fund
Ministry of Education
Youth & Information
The Mico University College
We are awarding today innovations focused on harnessing the power of big data and A.I. From fighting racial bias ingrained in the development and use of face recognition software, to an app that aims to make retail chains more efficient.
We learned about projects that aim to contribute to reducing our energy consumption by transforming urban layouts with rooftop gardens.
Proposals also sought to impact people’s lives on an individual level with eco-friendly and organic products, and volunteering platforms.
Some proposals aimed at contributing to their immediate environment. From ultraviolet irradiation devices that contribute to sanitization efforts, to crash prevention apps.
All of these proposals reflect the motivations and concerns that drive our youth and pose as a clear illustration of what happens when talent and creativity meet opportunity.
This is the best way to share a message of hope and empowerment during these challenging times and to invite the youth to continue been the force that drives change in Jamaica.
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Special thanks to Quimey Del Rio, who collaborated with the content and concepts of this post.
Photo by Ameen Fahmy on Unsplash
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