UN says literacy vital for overcoming poverty and disease and reinforcing stability
(September 09, 2011) With nearly 800 million people unable to read or write, the
United Nations on Thursday marked International Literacy Day with a warning that illiteracy
undermines efforts to eliminate a host of social ills such as poverty and sickness
and threatens the very stability of nations. In a message for the annual day, UN
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned, “Illiteracy exacerbates cycles of poverty, ill-health
and deprivation. It weakens communities and undermines democratic processes through
marginalization and exclusion.” “These and other impacts can combine to destabilize
societies,” he added. This year’s Day was observed under the theme “Literacy and
Peace.” Ban particularly drew attention to illiteracy among women and girls. In 2009,
roughly two thirds of the world’s estimated 793 million illiterate adults were female.
That same year, some 67 million primary school-aged children and 72 million adolescents
were denied their right to an education, he added. The UN’s Educational, Scientific
and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) noted that more than half the adults in 11 countries
are illiterate – 10 of these countries are in Africa alone. In India the current
literacy rate is around 70 per cent. The literacy level has been on the increase over
the years, but the country still has one of the largest illiterate populations in
the world. Christian educational institutions throughout the country play a major
role in promoting literacy and education.