In 1966, UNESCO proclaimed 8th September as International Literacy Day (ILD) to remind the world of the importance of literacy for each and every citizen of the international community, but above all to remind the world of the constant need to intensify efforts and actions to achieve more educated societies. At Moneytrans we believe that this is the key to more inclusive development!
Engine of an inclusive development
This year’s International Literacy Day is celebrated worldwide and promoted by UNESCO as part of the right to education, as a guarantee of autonomy for young and old people, as well as the engine of more inclusive development. As its director said, to intensify efforts in the literacy of societies is to give each person the ability to be the owner of their own destiny.
“The ability of each of us to become actors in our own destiny depends on literacy. It is the first step towards freedom, towards liberation from social and economic constraints. It is the prerequisite for development, both individual and collective. It reduces poverty and inequality, creates wealth, and helps to eradicate problems of nutrition and public health”. – Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO Director General
Literacy and Multilingualism 2019
This year, International Literacy Day is about ” Literacy and Multilingualism “. The focus will be on the importance of language and its diversity throughout the world. Despite progress, literacy remains a problem that creates inequality between communities. However, within this situation, it is worth noting how human displacements have increased over the years, so the existence of multilingualism has become increasingly common in all countries. This is why it is now more essential to adopt linguistic diversity in education and, as a consequence, in the literacy process. The integration of multilingualism contributes greatly to making societies more developed, more inclusive and, above all, more tolerant, since they are nourished by the multiple cultures with which they coexist.
In this context of constant migration, many immigrants and refugees find a real obstacle between their own language and the language of the country of destination. This causes problems in integration as well as in promotion within the host country. This situation often leads this group to become part of the marginalized population, losing the great wealth that multiculturalism brings to society. This year, today is an opportunity to reverse these situations! An opportunity to reconsider how literacy can be more inclusive through multilingualism, appreciating its differences, sharing them and making them an element of union between different communities. A community that is able to express itself in several languages, also is able to understand other visions! Because, in short, literacy is a two-way bridge between different cultures. Let’s help build it!
A date you can’t miss
On 9th September this year, UNESCO is inviting the entire international community to a conference on “Literacy and Multilingualism” to be held in Paris on the occasion of this day, the main objectives:
- To gain in-depth knowledge of the current global contexts of “literacy and multilingualism” and to generate ideas for increased efforts.
- To analyse the main characteristics of “literacy and multilingualism” in a globalized and digitized world for policy improvement.
- To identify the main factors that enhance the integration and effectiveness of literacy and multilingualism programmes and policies.
- Examine environments and partnerships that contribute to literacy, based on the mother tongue and multilingual.
Help us to promote multilingualism in your environment!
At Moneytrans we want to improve the world by disseminating some initiatives that promote education, women’s empowerment and global integration.
We are not just a money transfer company, we are
