International Literacy Day / Dia Internacional da Alfabetização

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Each year, September 8th marks the celebration of literacy and learning internationally. International Literacy Day (ILD)was proclaimed by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) on November 17, 1965 and was first celebrated in 1966.

Literacy is more than reading and writing– it is about how we communicate as a society. It is about social practices and relations, about knowledge, language and culture. (United Nations)

On International Literacy Day each year, UNESCO reminds the international community of the status of literacy and adult learning globally. Celebrations take place around the world.

Some 776 million adults lack minimum literacy skills; one in five adults is still not literate and two-thirds of them are women; 75 million children are out-of-school and many more attend irregularly or drop out.

According to UNESCO’s "Global Monitoring Report on Education for All (2008)", South and West Asia has the lowest regional adult literacy rate (58.6%), followed by sub-Saharan Africa (59.7%), and the Arab States (62.7%). Countries with the lowest literacy rates in the world are Burkina Faso (12.8%), Niger (14.4%) and Mali (19%). The report shows a clear connection between illiteracy and countries in severe poverty, and between illiteracy and prejudice against women.

So, The Power of Women's Literacy is the theme chosen for ILD 2010.

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2010 World Poetry Day 2010: "The Words of Nature, the Nature of Words"

Poetry Reading by Irene Sheri

World Poetry Day is on 21 March, and was declared by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) in 1999. The purpose of the day is to promote the reading, writing, publishing and teaching of poetry throughout the world and, as the UNESCO session declaring the day says, to "give fresh recognition and impetus to national, regional and international poetry movements. (from Wikipedia).

Doubling as International Year of Biodiversity and of the Rapprochement of Cultures, 2010 celebrates two essential facets of diversity: the heritage which is key to human life on Earth. From their distinctive perspectives, poetry and science embody humanity’s noblest quest: that which UNESCO’s Constitution identifies as "the unrestricted pursuit of truth". It is in this spirit that World Poetry Day (21 March) is observed at UNESCO through an afternoon devoted to the poetic vision of nature (Unesco).

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May 21 - World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development

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World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development is annually held on May 21 to help people learn about the importance of cultural diversity and harmony.

A major challenge of the Twenty-First Century is to make diversity out of difference, that is to say, to promote unity by cultivating – and not by reducing – human complexity.

The General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) adopted the Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity in Paris, France, on November 2, 2001. It was the 249th resolution adopted at the 57th session (.pdf link) of the United Nations General Conference. Although the declaration was the culmination of years of work, it was adopted in the wake of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. This reaffirmed the need for intercultural dialogue to prevent segregation and fundamentalism.

Read here the Message from Mr Koïchiro Matsuura, Director-General of UNESCO,on the occasion of World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development 21 May 2009.

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21 Feb. - The (Ninth) International Mother Language Day

21 February was proclaimed the International Mother Language Day by UNESCO on 17 November 1999. Its observance was also formally recognized by the United Nations General Assembly in its resolution establishing 2008 as the International Year of Languages.

International Mother Language Day originated as the international recognition of Language Movement Day, which has been commemorated in Bangladesh (formerly East Pakistan) since 1952, when a number of Bangladeshi university students were killed by the then East Pakistan police and army in Dhaka, formerly Dacca.

International Mother Language Day is Mother Language Day is proclaimed by UNESCO to save vulnerable languages and cultures, and promote multilingual culture around the world. Slowly, more and more countries and cities are observing the day with UNESCO.

Today 21 February 2008 is the occasion of a double celebration as it also marks the launch of the International Year of Languages with the slogan “languages matter!”

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