|
Message
from the Director-General of UNESCO on the Occasion of
International Literacy Day 8 September 2001
We
are celebrating today the first International Literacy Day
of the third millennium. We must never forget that literacy
is indeed a cause for celebration: for individuals and their
families and for society at large. Humankind has achieved
spectacular progress in regard to literacy: there are now
close to four billion literate people in the world.
Moreover, many of today's rapid technological advances are
focused on information and communication, which are central
to the practice of literacy. The new information and
communication technologies offer the prospect of many new
and fascinating opportunities to literate persons.
Given
the pleasures and benefits that it brings, it is not
surprising that the typical imagery of literacy is of
opening doors or windows, of light and space, of
boundlessness. Literacy is inseparable from opportunity, and
opportunity is inseparable from freedom. The freedom
promised by literacy is both freedom from - from ignorance,
oppression, poverty - and freedom to - to do new things, to
make choices, to learn.
As
we celebrate International Literacy Day, however, we cannot
fail to recognize that literacy continues to be unevenly
distributed within and between societies. As a result, the
rewards of literacy are unavailable to hundreds of millions
of people whose increasing poverty, exclusion and
marginalization render the learning society not merely a
distant dream but perhaps an unimaginable one. This
situation is all the more intolerable because the
technology, expertise, experience and resources to build a
literate world are available today. The scale and complexity
of the task of achieving literacy for all are certainly
daunting. There is too much at stake, however, to allow
ourselves to become dispirited. We must actively cultivate
and strengthen the resolve, commitment and solidarity
necessary for fulfilling this vital task, confident in the
knowledge that we will thereby change the world for the
better.
A
United Nations Literacy Decade will be considered for formal
approval by the United Nations General Assembly later this
year; UNESCO is expected to be nominated as the lead agency
for this important development. The UN Literacy Decade will
provide a framework for generating renewed momentum towards
literacy for all and for developing a new vision of literacy
that embraces not only the learning needs of adults but also
those of children and youth. Within this vision, there is a
clear recognition that the solutions for different
educational problems are inter-connected. In particular, the
growth of adult literacy, especially of women and female
youth, is essential for universalizing access to primary
education and improving its quality and relevance. Thus,
'Education for All' and 'Literacy for All', along with
'Universal Primary Education' and 'Lifelong Learning', are
not competing slogans but are processes whose goals must be
pursued simultaneously and whose dynamics are closely
linked.
Similarly,
it is inconceivable that poverty eradication can make much
headway in the absence of major advances in literacy. This
becomes abundantly clear when we recognize that literacy is
not just about the mechanics of reading and writing but is
about personal dignity, the right to participate, the
empowerment of the marginalized and the excluded, and the
opportunity to learn in a variety of ways and settings, both
formal and nonformal. Literacy is vital for generating the
adaptability and resourcefulness required for sustainable
human development; this is evident, for example, in efforts
to build livelihoods in conjunction with environmental
protection, and in the area of preventive health education,
especially concerning HIV/AIDS.
Today,
therefore, we celebrate literacy as a value in itself that
is closely linked to basic human dignity and full
citizenship of one's country and of the world. Literacy is
also a vital means for securing other benefits and achieving
other goals. Touching every aspect of our lives and also the
lives of those around us, literacy is truly transformative.
On
International Literacy Day, UNESCO traditionally bestows
awards to particular individuals and organizations whose
work in support of literacy has been outstanding. We realise,
however, that the fight against illiteracy is being waged by
hundreds of thousands of people, professionals and
volunteers, whose quiet but persistent work is
indispensable. We dedicate this day to their efforts and
achievements.
UNESCO
calls upon people and governments everywhere to give
increased and sustained support to the drive for literacy
for all. Through increased literacy, all of our lives are
enriched.
Koïchiro
Matsuura.
|