Promoting Literacy Worldwide
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International Literacy Day falls on 8th September. The day seeks to raise the importance of literacy to all countries and cultures. This year’s theme focuses on promoting literacy for a world in transition.
International Literacy Day was originally designated by UNESCO in 1966. At the time, the United Nations (UN) wanted to emphasize to the public the importance of literacy as a matter of dignity and human rights and to advance the literacy agenda towards a more literate and sustainable society.
Since 1967, International Literacy Day celebrations have taken place annually around the world to promote this agenda. Each year has a particular theme. The focus for this year has been placed on promoting literacy for a world in transition to build the foundation for sustainable and peaceful societies.
The UN’s sustainable development goals include advancing literacy
This year marks the mid-point towards the 2030 Global Agenda for Sustainable Development and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Goal 4 – to ensure quality education for all – the Un calls for education financing to become a national investment priority. Furthermore, measures such as making education free and compulsory, increasing the number of teachers, improving basic school infrastructure and embracing digital transformation are essential. One of the seven measurements of Goal 4, (4.6) states that by 2030, we must ensure that all youth and a substantial proportion of adults, both men and women, achieve literacy and numeracy.
By resolving to achieve this agenda, countries and partners around the world envisioned a future world that is peaceful, just, inclusive, and free from poverty, hunger, and inequalities. However, the UN has said that the achievement of these 17 goals is currently in deep trouble. Despite the progress in many areas, it says, “a preliminary assessment of the roughly 140 targets with data show only about 12 per cent are on track; close to half, though showing progress, are moderately or severely off track and some 30 per cent have either seen no movement or regressed below the 2015 baseline.”
The UN says that the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic along with other challenges such as climate change, digitalization, widening inequalities, polarization of societies and conflicts have delayed progress. However, it is working to ensure that the international community recommits and refocuses on achieving all 17 goals it has committed to, including ensuring basic literacy for all.
How to advance the literacy agenda
It’s important that we all do what we can to support literacy locally, nationally and internationally. This might mean:
- working with local charities to support reading in school initiatives or other local literacy schemes,
- donating to national or international charities which are dedicated to improving literacy in disadvantaged communities or marginalized groups, or
- donating books to charities which share them with people in need.
To develop your own knowledge on the subject, you can tap into the UN’s resources for literacy development. This includes:
- an article about why education matters around the world,
- an infographic about progress about the UN sustainable development goal for quality education, and
- a video of Malala Yousafzai, UN Messenger of Peace, speaking to the UN General Assembly about Financing the Future: Education 2030.
What next?
You can find more interesting articles about reading and literacy elsewhere on our blog:
