To affiliate the rural community with Fourth Industrial Revolution (4th IR) challenges, taking immediate right steps for the upcoming changes in the production, management and ruling sectors and to welcome 4th IR, Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC) organized Digital People’s Colloquium at Dhaka on 12th and 13th December, 2018 .
The purpose of the Colloquium was to understand the bewildering nature of the fourth industrial revolution standing upon the multi-dimensional concept.
We already have entered in the new generation of technologies – named as the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). This new generation of technological advancements is merging our physical, digital and biological worlds unlike any time before. This is a huge transformation is a big challenge for the world including Bangladesh. To address and understand the new era of the fourth revolution with emphasizing media, information and society; for the coming days.
To overcome these challenges, BNNRC with the support of Friedrich Naumann Foundation (FNF) Bangladesh and Free Press Unlimited, arranged the two days colloquium, to identify the changes and challenges in the life and livelihood of the people living in rural areas and take effective action on how the community media will work to address them.
A total of 100 participants including journalists, media practitioners, academia and representatives of different development organizations, including the representatives of the 18 community radio broadcasters, station managers, and representatives of community radio initiator organizations with local online journalists.
The two-day long colloquium was split into six sessions. Each of the sessions emphasized the challenges and the various approaches to address the challenges of the upcoming 4th revolution in the era of the fourth industrial revolution. Answers to different questions of participants under each session added precise clarity to each subject matter of the sessions.
The first day of the colloquium was moderated by the Chief Executive officer of BNNRC, Mr AHM Bazlur Rahman. The first sessions were- Fourth Industrial Revolution: Challenges and opportunities for shaping rural life, where the panellist were Mr. TIM Nurul Kabir, Member, Global Advisory Council of Top-Level Domain.ORG and analyst Technology and Socio-Economy; along Syed Almas Kabir, Chief Executive, Metronet Bangladesh Ltd. and President Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS).
Welcoming the 4th IR, Mr Bazlur Rahman described that three significant megatrends can be observed in the case of the fourth industrial revolution: Physical, Digital and Biological. And the impact of the Fourth Industrial Revolution will be significantly in five areas: Economy, Business, National, Society, and Individual.
The speakers in the first session mainly discuss the challenges of different sectors and the problems and possible actions due to the four stages of the industrial revolution. Syed Almas Kabir said that Fourth Industrial Revolution builds on the Digital Revolution, representing new ways in which technology becomes embedded within societies and even the human body. The Fourth Industrial Revolution is marked by emerging technology breakthroughs in a number of fields, including robotics, artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, quantum computing, biotechnology, The Internet of Things (IoT), 3D printing and autonomous vehicles.
He pointed that, in the era of the fourth industrial revolution, the changes in our way of life are many, like the Internet of Things (IOT), Big Data, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and 3D printing. Some challenges such as the introduction of artificial intelligence (AI) or robot in the readymade garment industry, this sector will be facing severe damage. Millions of garment workers will be unemployed. So from now on, keeping these issues in mind, he called on everyone to achieve alternate and twin-time work skills. And the matter is requested to reach rural communities through community media.
Internet, whether good or bad, it has influenced human civilization, mentioned Mr. TIM Nurul Kabir, second speaker of the session. The maximized use of internet and data, the data set becomes extremely large and unmanageable with the existing tools also counts for major threats for humankind.
As a solution, he said that Internet Governance plays a crucial role to make the new era better for people of every sphere. The more people we are able to access and engage in using the universal tool, the more we’ll be able to draw betterment from this transformation. Personal data held by the companies can be utilized along 4thIR, not only thinking of it as a major threat.
In the second session, Smart Agriculture: Climate Change and Adaptation, Smart Supply and Demand Chain were discussed by Mr. Nazrul Islam, Agriculture Expert and Syed Tamjidur Rahman, Chief Executive Officer, Change Maker.
Mr. Nazrul Islam, Agriculture Expert discussed agricultural adaptation in the fourth industrial revolution. Physical dependency will take over mechanical dependencies such as satellite, drone and sensor. This causing unemployment and inactiveness among workers, so farmers are in dire need to get introduced with new power technology in the field of agriculture and gaining alternative skills to get adapt within the era.
Syed Tamjidur Rahman said, 4IR would change the shape of agriculture production, processing, storage and delivery; it will also change the demand for food, through alternative proteins and personalized nutrition, for example; promote linkages along the food value chain, through mobile service delivery, big data, the Internet of Things and blockchain-enabled traceability; and create effective production systems, through water sensors, gene-editing (GMO) and other scientific advances that make agriculture more precise and high-yielding. The robotic farm fully intelligent machine-operated will cultivate by unmanned autonomous tractors, sow seeds, fertilizer, pest control through drone, aerial photography through satellites.
The fourth industrial revolution will bring technology can be used- to increase production by using short-term and limited manpower. Along with that, how the use of social networking or online platform can support farmers to reach the consumer's demand directly and what are the requirements of alternative skills to be ensured by the farmers.
In the third session, the theme of this Colloquium was Rural Business, Social Enterprise and Digital Economy E-Commerce, Agent / Rural Banking, Mobile Banking.
In this session, the panellist mainly focused on how the rural community has to create own opportunity, with the available support from different banks and corporate institutions and decrease the dependency. Agent banking has been creating scope for money transaction without physical mobility, as Mr. Shamsuddin Haider Dalim, Head of Corporate Communication and PR Corporate Communications, bKash Limited emphasizes on Mobile Financial Service (MFS). It creates a convenient platform both who are involved with bank transaction and who are indifferent to the banking process.
Mr Firoj Chowdhury, Principal Officer, Agent Banking, AB Bank Limited describing the concept of Agent Banking, pointed at the alternative form of financial service branch-based banking to a third party agency. Within just one-and-a-half years of its inception, agent banking of fourth industrial era, this has been able to attract a huge number of clients, forcing most government and non-government organizations and commercial banks to take up this transaction process.
The opportunity is, those living in remote areas will have better access to capital exchange. Marginalized people need to adapt to this change, by getting acquainted with the process.
Syed Tamjid ur Rahman: CEO, ChangeMaker, linking the digital economy with the Community Media, mentioned that since these services are providing opportunities to bring the idle money in the national economy, we must prepare the rural people to use these opportunities as much as possible.. Community Radios need to know more about this digital economy and help spread the messages to the rural people about the appropriate use of these systems. In this regard, he suggested that the community radio operators can develop a partnership with the financial service providers/banks to jointly work on this. He also suggested that the community radios, because of their wider social acceptance can also work as agent banking for the banks and MFS service providers and earn money to sustain their community radio activities.
Smart Village / Smart Community: challenges, opportunities & way forward, Digital Safe Safety and Security was the topic of the fourth session. The discussion panel was deliberated through Mr. Md. Abdul Wahid Tomal, General Secretary, E-Commerce Association of Bangladesh (E-Cab) and Mr. Minhaz Uddin, Lecturer, Department of Mass Communication and Journalism, Jagannath University.
Mr. Tamal specified that it is necessary to build a smart village / smart community to keep pace with the fourth industrial revolution. Smart city in the urban area uses different types of electronic data collection sensors to supply information which is used to manage assets and resources efficiently. Such as smart transaction, smart water supply, smart communication etc., has to be introduced in villages to keep pace with the transformation of the world. In the new era, new opportunities where traditional networks and services are enhanced by means of digital, telecommunication technologies, innovations and the better use of knowledge.
In that case, the use of the ever-new and accessible technology should be ensured in all matters of the communication system, education, infrastructure and lifestyle. Besides, a smart village / smart community has to ensure urgent demand for solar power, community hospital, improved cooking oven, sanitation facility, technical initiatives, infrastructure development, water supply and child care centres etc.
Information and communication technology and social media have brought many benefits to our lives as well as many dangers. Citing some of the recent violent incidents, Mr . Minhaz Uddin said social network sites, not only provide easy access to communication, but also hamper our safety and security. He emphasized to acknowledge and understanding rules and regulation of using social sites along being cautious in sharing personal matters.
He explained how Spreading “fake news” has been a part of our life. Rumours, confusion or similar propagation, fully or partially distorted information or data, despite knowing that it is false, assisting its function is considered a crime. Bangladesh now has stringent ICT Act and strict provisions in the Digital Security Bill to ensure the country's security from digital crimes and ensure the security of people's lives and assets.
On the second day, the subject matter of the first session was Cyber Security, Misinformation & Fake news, interfaith and Social Harmony: Privacy, Pornography, Use of Internet and Social Media, where the discussion panellist were Prof. Dr. Gitiara Nasreen, Department of Mass Communication & Journalism, University of Dhaka; Prof. Dr. Abu J M Shafiul Alam Bhuiyan , Department of Television, Film and Photography, University of Dhaka; Mr. Nazar E. Zilani, Theological Communication Expert.
Dr. Gitiara Nasreen said that we are still unaware of the correct number of mass media communication, specially newspaper and online news portal. Putting the light on that, she said, this is the reason for spreading fake news and information. But, as being a responsible citizen we have to be assured and cross checks before accepting any news or information. Especially, before posting or sharing them at social media sites.
Fake news is a type of yellow journalism or propaganda, which has to be controlled. The false information is often caused by people with vested interest paying sources for stories, an unethical practice called chequebook journalism. In this new era, fake news is written and published usually with the intent to mislead in order to damage an agency, entity, or person, and/or gain financially or politically, often using sensationalist, dishonest, or outright fabricated headlines to increase readership. Similarly, click-bait stories and headlines earn advertising revenue from this activity.
Discussing Cyber Security and Privacy and Pornography, Prof. Abu J M Shafiul Alam Bhuiyan said family as parents have to play the main role in it. He emphasized that we cannot stop the internet base Fourth Industrial Revolution. Keeping pace with that, we have to utilize the parental option in laptop or mobile, for the safety and security of children. Emphasizing the fourth industrial revolution challenges, he pointed few main challenges, Collecting Information, Processing Information, Disseminating Information, Consumption of information; and Cyber Security such as Personnel security, Intuitional security, National security.
Creating unbelievable uncertainty, transition and controversy, interfaith is an inseparable category to take into account said Mr Nazar E. Zilani. He also said that the fourth industrial Revolution is transforming the relation with Individual, Government and Institution affecting the global, national and local governance and daily life. In this fourth revelation, the family and the society need solutions, with emphasizing tolerance, as the main essence from every religion. So, we have to increase our mutual trust and tolerance in the community.
At the last session of colloquium, Digital Access, Inclusion and Adaptation, SDGs, Innovation and Accountability, STEM, TVET(Technical and Vocational Education and Training) , Smart Reskilling, Community Data – titled session was panelled by Ms. Tahmina Haque, Lecturer from Dept. of Mass Communication and Journalism, Dhaka University; AHM Bazlur Rahman, CEO, BNNRC and Mr. Omar Mostafiz , Program Manager, FNF Bangladesh.
In this session the discussers highlighted that, along with business, media and industrial sector, timely and appropriate changes should also be ensured in academia and research to combat the challenges of the 4THIR. Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) has to be included in every sector of education and practice through capacity and skill development.
What separates STEM from traditional science and math education is the blended learning environment and showing students how the scientific method can be applied to everyday life. It teaches students computational thinking and focuses on the real-world applications of problem-solving.
STEM develops a set of thinking, reasoning, teamwork, investigative, and creative skills that students can use in all areas of their lives. STEM isn’t a standalone class—it’s a way to intentionally incorporate different subjects across an existing curriculum.
Concluding the session, the speakers proposed the participants to be innovative and deep observant to tackle the transformation by themselves and helping others in their community to welcome this fourth industrial revolution.
Technology is transforming our lives profoundly. With the synergetic effect of innovations like artificial intelligence, robotics and blockchain we are on the verge of a technological revolution that will change the way we live and work on a fundamentally different scale.
With each of the three previous revolutions - the steam engine, the era of scientific thought and mass production, and the rise of digital technologies - the world has changed profoundly. And this is happening now for the fourth time. Now technologies drive the Fourth Industrial Revolution such as cloud computing, social networking, mobility, Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI), coupled with increased computing power and data are altering our society.
In the 21st century, journalism has become instantaneous. The digital world has reformed media houses to produce multilingual and multiplatform content. The days of selling newspapers and watching broadcast television are gone. Media houses can no longer rely on print to bring in revenue.
Digital disruption is transforming broadcasting however the content is at the centre of this change in the media industry. The value in the industry depends on who best leverages it to attract an audience. Overcoming the challenges, traditional broadcasters still hold a competitive advantage over others.
This colloquium was designed to support the rural people and community media, for ensuring the survival in the forth industrial revolution. In the coming days, community media representatives will improve in vocational education, information and technology with updated knowledge and practice, along engaging the rural community with it. Overall, to bring out an adaptive attitude for challenges of community media, information, and entertainment in the era of the fourth industrial revolution, the colloquium served its aim to account the context-sensitive challenges and opportunities.
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