The 911 terrorist attacks were a defining moment that changed the world forever. The consequences of this significant moment have produced a paradigm shift in the economic and political landscape of the world.

This event has and will alter our time-honoured tradition of taking our way of life for granted. What can Bermuda learn from the tragedy?

This tragic moment reinforced some old values such as love of family and friends, heroism, generosity of spirit as well as showed very vividly not only the potential for malicious manipulation of modern communication, but more importantly the positive, life affirming role technology can have in our lives. The globalisation to which the technology revolution and the Internet gave rise has the power to unite humanity in ways that was never once thought imaginable.

Modern communications like the Internet should also be used to enhance a better understanding and tolerance of people of different religions, cultures, races, economic and social status. This form of communication provides us with an opportunity to unlock the secrets of our respective cultures.

In the 21st Century, the Internet will provide a great forum for the open exchange of ideas, which is so essential to the progress and the well being of the world in general and Bermuda in particular.

It is imperative that we recognise, celebrate, and reward the men and women whose innovations, initiatives, and participation enhance the desire and means of the broader community to use the Internet to gain and make use of knowledge that will expand the understanding of ourselves and the world around us. This should improve the quality of life for all.

The Internet via the computer will play an important role in widening educational opportunities as well as facilitating the free flow of ideas. There is no doubt that the virtual classroom will expand and enhance education.

The Internet, which belongs to no one, has the promise of turning the whole world into a giant classroom where all knowledge can be shared. This forum of learning will allow people from anywhere in the world to have access to an almost limitless range of knowledge which they can absorb at their own pace.

If Bermuda can rise to the challenge by making our educational system a virtual world through the use of computers and the Internet where every child, by right, has equal access and equal opportunity, we can become an egalitarian knowledge-based country where accomplishment and satisfaction are measured by the achievement through the application of knowledge.

In this rapidly changing and complex world which demands that we meet present and anticipated challenges, we must not merely focus on the present and the future to the complete exclusion of the past. Forgetting the past can endanger the present and the future.

Failing to recognise past achievements distorts how we view everything, our achievements, our families, our country, and our human relationships. If we do not pass on our accomplishments, young Bermudians will not have a historical compass to guide them in making common sense decisions about the present and the future.

The past is important because Bermudians that have gone before us created a solid foundation economically, socially, and politically which today makes Bermuda probably the finest country in the world to live, raise our families, and take advantage of the global opportunities.

Positioning ourselves so that all of our people can take advantage of this great technological revolution is an imperative in order for everyone to share equally in the opportunities that are and will be available.