Mandeville, Jamaica – (JIS) Alternate Executive Director for the Inter-American Development Bank Caribbean, Ambassador Dr. Richard Bernal, has said that Jamaicans must be prepared to take advantage of the various changes taking place in the world.
Dr. Bernal, who was addressing Northern Caribbean University’s (NCU) graduation ceremony held at the institution’s main campus in Mandeville, said that these changes must be embraced and used for personal growth as well as for the development of countries.
“A more global world is coming and there is no point in trying to insulate yourself from it. There is no point to deny that reality. You must see this as a challenge, which you must embrace, not a challenge which you must fear, not a challenge which you must try to avoid, but an opportunity, which you can use at your advantage,” Dr. Bernal stated.
He added that while changes can have negative effects, with the right approach, they can become an advantage. “Certainly, change is something that can be unsettling to many, but it also creates opportunities. If you have the outlook, the disposition, the skills and the initiative, you can transform change into development,” he outlined.
The IDB official urged the graduates not to merely adjust to change, but develop the necessary skills so that they can be proactive in addressing these changes.
“Your outlook must be one of transformation; it must be one of furthering development. Your personal development is going to require that attitude, that disposition where you continue to learn in every way possible and at every opportunity, because the key to development in our present circumstances and in the immediate future is going to be how as individuals and as a society we can acquire knowledge, generate knowledge and share knowledge among each other. This is true for companies, organizations and countries,” Dr. Bernal stated.
