“In
2011 there were still 774 million adults in the world who lacked basic literacy
skills. Three-quarters of them were
living in South Asia, the Middle East, and sub-Saharan Africa, and two-thirds
were women,” reports a new book, What’s
Really Happening To Our Planet? The
Facts Simply Explained, by Tony Juniper (DK).
There’s
hope the problem will decrease as the newest generation gets an education.
Juniper
notes: “The past 30 years has seen substantial efforts from governments, charities,
and individuals to improve people’s prospects to enter employment, generate
income, and contribute to development.
“The
challenge in achieving universal literacy begins with the acquisition of basic
skills during childhood and access to primary education. This was one focal point for the Millennium
Development Goals – a set of eight goals set out in a UN invitation in 2000-
and today 91% of children receive primary schooling.”
Significant
problems still exist for women and in certain countries. For instance, in Somalia, only 50% of the men
can read and write. For women, only one
in four can do so.
Even
where there is success, there is failure.
In Mali, the adult literacy rate doubled in 15 years, but this still
means less than half of the nation is literate.
Niger
is the least literate spot in the world.
Only 19% - not even 1 in 5 – are literate. That rate improved by 33% over the past 15
years.
There
are 13 countries with a literacy rate below 50% for adults, with all but one
in sub-Saharan Africa (Afghanistan).
“Because
of several military coups and ongoing ethnic and sectarian violence,“ Juniper writes,
“literacy rates have fallen dramatically from 50% to 36%.”
We
know literacy is so important – to a country, family, and individual. We also know the book publishing industry is
dependent on having literate masses to market to. Barring certain physical or mental handicaps,
almost anyone could become literate.
It’s one of the few problems that can actually be solved directly by
money. More funds for education will
lead to more people learning how to read and to soar beyond a bare-necessity
level of functioning. Maybe 20 years
from now, as the planet’s adult population increases, we’ll see fewer
illiterates. Some aging, illiterates
will die and their replacements will come out of a system of education. But we need to intervene now to help more
than half a billion adults gain their freedom, by teaching them how to read and
write.
I
can’t imagine a world without books, newspapers, and magazines, and yet over
750 million people live without knowing the pleasures and advantages of
experiencing what is a basic right.
Volunteer
at your nearest school or literacy center.
Donate funds to overseas organizations that help bring the gift of
literacy to others. Educate yourself on
this problem and advocate for those without a voice. 774 million people can’t read this blog
post. It’s up to the billions who can,
to help those in need.
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