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International Literacy Day / September 8th
Watch the video and click the links
International Literacy Day is a grassroots event involving Canadians of all ages and backgrounds right across the country. At the community level, special activities are being planned to promote literacy and life-long learning and to celebrate local literacy achievements. Activities include learning centre open houses, community reading festivals, celebrity read-ins, literacy displays and fund raisers, and literacy awareness initiatives aimed at local media.
The importance of literacy to Canadians
Literacy is a broad-based issue that touches almost every aspect of people's lives. It is a key to personal development and economic opportunity, and a major factor in Canadians' ability to participate as full and active citizens in all areas of society. For these reasons, literacy is everyone's business.
On International Literacy Day, governments, business and labour groups, non-governmental organizations, communities and individuals are encouraged to recognize the importance of literacy and to play an active role in improving the literacy skills of Canadians.
Literacy unlocks the door to learning throughout life, is essential to development and health, and opens the way for democratic participation and active citizenship."
~ Kofi Annan
"These children and their parents know that getting an education is not only their right, but a passport to a better future - for the children and for the country."
-- Harry Belafonte
"As an empowerment right, education is the primary vehicle by which economically and socially marginalised adults and children can lift themselves out of poverty, and obtain the means to participate fully in their communities."
-- Koichiro Matsuura, UNESCO Director-General
The National Literacy Program, works to promote literacy as an essential component of a learning society and to make Canada's social, economic and political life more accessible to people with weak literacy skills. Activities are undertaken in partnership with the provinces, territories, non-governmental organizations and business and labour organizations.
A history of world-wide commitment to literacy
- International Literacy Day was established in 1965 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and is celebrated around the world each year on September 8. In 1990, the United Nations General Assembly gave a boost to world literacy by proclaiming International Literacy Year. This special Year signified the ongoing commitment of the world community to recognize and support literacy as a key to personal development and to the socio-economic progress of nations.