Today: International Literacy Day

"Today is International Literacy Day. It's a day designated by the United Nations, and it was first celebrated in 1966. The point is to make sure that literacy remains a high priority on the agendas of each country — and for the whole world at large. UNESCO points out, 'Today one in five adults is still not literate and two-thirds of them are women.' Literacy campaigns are now often linked to women's rights movements." (The Writer's Almanac, http://writersalmanac.publicradio.org, 9/8/10). The Writer's Almanac goes on to note that the United States ties for 21st place on the list of most-literate countries, a startling and sad statistic. For those of us fortunate enough to have a high level of education and literacy, it is important to support global and local efforts to promote literacy for everyone.