UN Literacy Decade

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UNITED NATIONS LITERACY DECADE : 2003 – 2012

The goal of the United Nations Literacy Decade is to extend the use of Literacy to those who do not currently have access to it (over 861 million adults and over 113 million children who are not attending school and therefore not gaining access to literacy either).

The Decade was established for the following reasons:

	One in five people over the age of 15 cannot communicate through literacy or take part in the literate environment.
	Literacy is a human right. Basic education was recognized as a human right over 50 years ago, in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
	Literacy efforts up to now have proved inadequate, at national and international levels. The Decade is an opportunity to make a sustained collective effort which will go beyond one-shot programmes or campaigns.

The international plan of action incorporates the following to implement literacy for all:

	Policy change
	Flexible programmes
	Capacity-building
	Research
	Community Participation
	Monitoring and Evaluation

Learners will take a prominent role in designing literacy strategies for their own situations. Community based organizations, NGOs and civil society will provide channels for collective action.

Source: UNESCO website: “United Nations Literacy Decade 2003-2012”