Ei-iE

Education International
Education International

International Literacy Day: reading changes lives!

published 7 September 2012 updated 13 September 2012

International Literacy Day on 8 September is a reminder that literacy is a human right and the foundation of all learning. At EI, the 46th celebration of this Day, focusing this year on “Peace through Literacy”, is eagerly anticipated.

This year marks the end of the United Nations’ Literacy Decade, proclaimed in 2002 to galvanise government action worldwide against illiteracy.

Today, despite considerable effort and some major improvements over the past decade, 775 million people are still considered non-literate, 85 per cent of them living in 41 countries.

These figures fall far short of Education For All (EFA) goals established in 2000 for a 50 per cent improvement in literacy levels worldwide by 2015.

Reading contest

EI would like to announce that the Reading Changed My Life Contest, hosted by the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), and co-sponsored by EI, will be launched on 7 September.

The contest aims to highlight the importance of global literacy as well as the positive impact that literacy has on the life of every individual.

EI recognises that literacy is a vital key to success, with education the door to success. EI encourages participation in the promotion of peace and other human values through literacy, not only on World Literacy Day and via the “Reading Changed My Life Contest,” but on an ongoing basis.

The contest invites participants to share their stories about how reading has changed their life or the life of someone they know. Contestants will be in with a chance to win an e-reader, as well as photography or video equipment to be awarded by GPE.

The “Reading Changed My Life Contest” is open to anybody 13 years of age or older and submissions may be uploaded on ReadingChangedmyLife.org. Also through the Facebook.com/GlobalPartnership app or by tweeting to @GPforEducation with hashtag #readingcontest.

For more information, please visit: http://www.ReadingChangedmyLife.org or email: [email protected]