Literacy

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Rotary Interanational and the United Nations
share a common Goal to Reduce Illiteracy

During during the November 2010 Rotay UN day Elizabeth Fordham, education adviser for UNESCO, discussed the improvements the UN has made in adult and youth literacy worldwide.

"Adult literacy levels have risen 8 percent in the last 20 years. Youth is even higher," Fordham said. "While these trends are encouraging, much more needs to be done."

Fordham noted that 796 million adults worldwide can't read or write and that two-thirds of them are women. "The simple fact is a high proportionate of developing countries don't have the literacy levels for social and economic participation," she said.

She acknowledged Rotary's continued funding and awareness toward eradicating illiteracy.

"Promoting literacy for all is a goal close to the heart of both UNESCO and Rotary," Fordham said. "The denial of literacy is the denial of a basic human right, social inclusion, empowerment, and economic growth. It's a development imperative, not a luxury."

We recommend you visit the following links to learn more about literacy programs.

The link to the monthly literacy newsletter which can be found at http://www.rizones29-30.org/view/71

Clubs are encouraged by RI to work with the International Reading Association  at http://www.rotary.org/RIdocuments/en_pdf/factsheet_ira_en.pdf

Clubs are also encouraged by RI to work with the Dollywood Foundation's Imagination Library to conduct literacy projects worldwide at http://www.rotary.org/RIdocuments/en_pdf/factsheet_ira_en.pdf    

The link to the official Rotary Literacy site www.Rotary.org/literacy