Happy
International Literacy Day…unless of course you are illiterate, in which you
should get someone to read it to you! …was that inappropriate?
Literacy is “the
ability to read and write one's own name and further for knowledge and
interest, write coherently, and think critically about the written word.”
Historically, literacy was a characteristic of the elite. Evidence of this
exists from ancient times, to 12/13th century England, to slave
times, and even in present day! A 2006
article stated that 42% of Canadians are “semi-illiterate, this is compared
with the 14%
of Americans as of 2013. We don’t often think about such issues as being a part
of the Western world, but as you can see from these statistics, it’s very real.
Thankfully, there are programs geared to helping adults in North American read
and write. However, these numbers are significantly higher in many areas of the
world, such as Africa, which has the highest rate of illiteracy on the global
scale. Is this an issue of state decision, or a lack of support from the global
community? Shouldn’t we all have the opportunity to learn, what we so
carelessly view as, basic skills?!
This is the very
purpose of International
Literacy Day. It was celebrated for the first time on this day in 1966! The
goal of this
Day “is to highlight the importance of literacy to individuals, communities and
societies.” It is amazing that after all this time we still have these issues.
So use today to appreciate the skill you so fortunately possess. Read a book.
Better yet, teach someone to read a book, be it a kid or an adult. Do it.
Change a life today. Its something so simple, you don’t even think about how
you do it yourself. Everyday.
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