[Reading-hall-of-fame] UN Message for IL

[tsticht at znet.com]

September 1, 2005

A Message for International Literacy Day From UN Secretary-General Kofi
Annan

Tom Sticht
International Consultant in Adult Education

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan recently released a statement for
International Literacy Day September 8, 2005. In his message he states,

"In this year that marks the start of the United Nations Decade of Education
for Sustainable Development (2005-2014), the theme of International Literacy
Day is the role of literacy in sustainable development.

Literacy is a key lever of change and a practical tool of empowerment on
each of the three main pillars of sustainable development: economic
development, social development and environmental protection.

Experience and research show that literacy can be a major tool for
eradicating poverty, enlarging employment opportunities, advancing gender
equality, improving family health, protecting the environment and promoting
democratic participation. A literate home environment is a boon to child
development, having a positive impact on how long girls and boys stay
enrolled in school and how effectively they learn. In recent years, many
literacy programmes have become increasingly oriented towards local needs,
especially through a focus on community development and environmental
protection. Such approaches seek to provide an enriched version of literacy
that goes beyond the basic mechanics of reading and writing to embrace life
skills and relevant content."

The Sustainable Development (SD) movement is an international effort to
focus environmental and human resources development activities on actions
which improve the present conditions of life without limiting the
possibilities of improvements by and for the benefit of future generations.

In adult literacy development there are three different aspects of SD:

(1) The education of adults to conserve and preserve natural resources for
the benefit of present and future generations, this is the major
environmental focus of SD.

(2) Additionally,  in adult literacy education SD refers to instruction that
will help adults use, sustain, and continue to develop their new literacy
skills outside the classroom and in the homes, communities, and workplaces
where they live everyday. This relates to the emphasis in Functional
Context Education (FCE)  on the use of authentic materials that will help
students  transfer new knowledge and skills from the classroom to the world
outside the classroom. In Secretary-General Annan’s words, this is "literacy
that goes beyond the basic mechanics of reading and writing to embrace life
skills and relevant content ."  This emphasizes the need for
"post-literacy" activities in many communities such as the development of
newspapers, "how to" manuals, books, etc. so that adult new literates will
have something to read outside of the classroom. It also calls for lifelong
learning opportunities so that adults can sustain and continue to develop
their literacy skills.

(3) Finally, in the field of adult literacy education, SD also refers to the
intergenerational transfer of language, literacy, and positive attitudes
toward education and schooling  that generally occurs as newly literate
adults behave differently with their children and create "A literate home
environment" as UN Secretary-General Annan states. This helps children
acquire literacy which in turn sustains and contributes to the further
literacy development of the community.

Secretary-General Annan closed his recent statement noting that, "As the
foundation of learning throughout life, literacy is at the heart of
sustainable development. Yet today there are an estimated 800 million
illiterate adults, two thirds of whom are women. More than 100 million
children are not in school. It is clear that support for literacy continues
to fall well short of need. On this International Literacy Day, let us
recall that literacy for all is an integral part of education for all, and
that both are critical for achieving truly sustainable development for all.
"

Reference: UN message available online at www.nald.ca under Headline News

Thomas G. Sticht
International Consultant in Adult Education
2062 Valley View Blvd.
El Cajon, CA 92019-2059
Tel/fax: (619) 444-9133
Email: tsticht at aznet.net