International Literacy Day 2024; September 8th.

FORUM: ‘’Promoting multilingual education: Literacy for mutual understanding and peace.” International Literacy Day 2024. The ILD2024 will unpack issues related to literacy in multilingual contexts for achieving lasting peace and will explore possible solutions for enhancing policies, lifelong learning systems, governance, programmes, and practices. Human societies face the dual challenges of digital and green transitions. While technology promises progress, it also introduces ethical issues, particularly with AI, and accelerates digitalization's impact on climate change. Generative AI's rapid rise is outpacing regulatory adaptations, and the digital economy's extractive model and e-waste undermine sustainable development. Education systems must foster human-centered mindsets and digital competencies to align these transitions, ensuring technology supports sustainable and ethical goals. The UNESCO's 2024 Digital Learning Week aims to explore the linkages between these two transitions to promote the responsible use of digital technology in education. Follow the conversation with the hashtags #LiteracyDay; #LiteracyLearningSpaces; #8september.

EVENTS: On September 8th; The UNESCO will celebrate International Literacy Day 2024 under the theme, 'Promoting multilingual education: Literacy for mutual understanding and peace'. The ILD2024 will be celebrated in-person and online at the global, regional, national, and local levels. The global celebration will be held on September 9 and 10th in Yaoundé, Cameroon. It will include a global conference, the award ceremony of the UNESCO International Literacy Prizes, and side events, such as the annual meeting of Global Alliance of Literacy within the Framework of Lifelong Learning (GAL) and meetings of the Action Research on Measuring Literacy and Alternative Education (RAMAED), and the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities. It will also be an opportunity to shed light on the literacy agenda in Cameroon and Africa in the context of the African Union’s Year of Education and beyond. Join us in promoting literacy and shaping a brighter future for all. To register for the event, please contact: literacy@unesco.org. To watch the livestream click to the Webcast link.

AGENDA PROGRAMME

Tuesday 09 September 2024

8:00– 9:00 Registration/Coffee 9:00– 9:15 Cultural show 9:15–10:15 Opening ceremony of the Global Conference Keynote Speech 10:15–11:15 Award ceremony of the UNESCO International Literacy Prizes Master of Ceremony: tbd 11:15–11:30 Coffee break 11:30–13:00 High-Level Ministerial Panel on ‘why we need to invest in literacy: the cost of inaction’ This high-level Ministerial Panel aims to explore multiple benefits of investing in literacy and to consider the cost of inaction. Evidence shows that literacy empowers people and contributes to ensuring peaceful and sustainable coexistence of people on the planet. When linked with multilingualism, literacy can also enrich the human heritage that is premised on linguistic, cultural, and epistemic diversity. Yet, our world is still home to millions of children, young people and adults who lack basic literacy skills. How can the government make appropriate investments in literacy, considering competing priorities in the national agenda?

13:15–14:30 Lunch

13:00–13:15 Special session on a new project with the support of the Global Partnership for Education (tbc)

14:30–15:30 - Session 1: Enhancing policies and systems to promote literacy in multilingual contexts for a peaceful, just and sustainable world Promoting literacy for fostering mutual understanding and peace in multilingual contexts requires appropriate policies and systems, going beyond the integration of literacy in national policy documents (e.g. development strategies, education and lifelong learning policies, and language policies). This session will explore how national policy frameworks can be enhanced by strengthening the following three links: (1) literacy and ‘education for peace and global citizenship’; (2) literacy and ‘language and multilingualism’; and (3) literacy and ‘a lifelong learning ecosystem’.

15:30–15:45 Coffee break

15:45–16:45 Session 2: Effective programmes for promoting literacy and peace in multilingual societies This panel session intends to explore effective programmes that can strengthen the above-mentioned links with a particular focus on the ‘literacy and peace’ and ‘literacy and language’ links. The first focuses on the alignment or integration of ‘literacy teaching and learning’ and ‘education for peace, global citizenship, human rights, and sustainable development, especially in the areas related to SDG Target 4.7 and those covered by the 2023 UNESCO Recommendation through coordinated development of curricula and materials and capacity development of educators. Regarding the literacy and language link, this session will examine the effectiveness and challenges of first language-based, multilingual approaches to literacy development.

17:00–18:15 Session 3: Anchoring literacy efforts in a lifelong learning ecosystem This session will explore how the link between literacy efforts and a lifelong learning ecosystem can be strengthened by looking at different elements of such an ecosystem at national, city and community levels and in a virtual space. One element is conducive multilingual literate environments, in which people can become motivated to learn and can acquire, use and advance their literacy skills, including the availability of appropriate policies, qualification systems, learning opportunities, materials, and learning spaces, as well as the factors that can motivate people to learn, such as employment opportunities. Another element is appropriate governance based on whole-of-government and wholeof-society approaches to the promotion of literacy, involving multiple actors.

Tuesday 10 September 2024 9:00–10:30 ILD2024 National Celebration 10:30–10:45 Coffee break 10:45–12:15 ILD2024 Regional Celebration: ‘Literacy for the futures of Africa we want’ Agenda for the Global Conference on ‘Promoting multilingual education: Literacy for mutual understanding and peace’ International Literacy Day 2024 12:15–12:30 Closing Session of the Global Conference 12:30–14:00 Lunch

The second edition of Digital Learning Week will take place on 2-5 September 2024 at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris in the Room IX and Room II. The UNESCO's Digital Learning Week presents a unique opportunity to participate in dynamic and thought-provoking discussions, dialogue and the sharing of groundbreaking ideas, and to foster meaningful co-creation and collaborative efforts to advance the digital transformation of education and to “reimagine our futures together.”

WEBINARS: These one-hour online professional learning events organized by the International Literacy Association (ILA) deliver insight and practical resources from experts in the field of literacy. You'll gain dependable, research-supported ideas you can apply in your classroom, school, and district. Explore the ILA digital events!

Statement from the UNESCO Director-General on International Literacy Day 2024; September 8th.

Children learn to read and write best in their mother tongue. Yet 40 per cent of people lack access to education in a language they speak or understand. In Africa, 8 in 10 children start school in a language different from the one they speak at home.This is a major barrier to literacy that we cannot accept— when 3 out of 4 children in developing countries cannot read and understand a simple text by the age of 10, and when there are still 754 million illiterate adults worldwide, two-thirds of whom are women.Those struggling to learn in an unfamiliar language are sent the wrong message—the message that the education system does not recognize their language or their culture;that the opportunities made possible by education are not for them. To address this situation, this year’s International Literacy Day focuses on ‘Promoting multilingual education: Literacy for mutual understanding and peace.’ The benefits of multilingual education are well documented and evidenced by research. When children are offered education in their household language, more of them attend school, girls from rural areas stay in education longer, and all children acquire better thinking skills. Multilingual education also supports intercultural dialogue, social cohesion and peace.For language is a passport to communication with others: it connects us across cultures; it opens us to new ways of perceiving and interpreting the world; it strengthens understanding within and between peoples.This is one of the convictions enshrined in the new UNESCO Recommendation on education for peace, human rights and sustainable development. Adopted unanimously by our Member States in November 2023, this text underlines the importance of multilingualism for social cohesion and mutual understanding—and the power of education in imparting them. UNESCO has long supported efforts to build literacy and strengthen multilingual education. For example, we recently ran workshops and capacity building activities in Central African countries to promote and protect linguistic diversity. In Cameroon, we promoted the integration of national languages in school curricula.As celebrations for this year’s International Literacy Day kick off in Cameroon—one of the most linguistically diverse countries in the world—let us be inspired to continue our collective efforts to promote linguistic and cultural diversity as a foundation of peace.education. 

Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO Director General.

CAMPAIGN: Through literacy and education, they gain access to new opportunities, helping them overcome barriers and thrive in new environments. On this ILD2024, let's come together to champion education for all. Join us in building a future where everyone has the power to read and write!