Also this issue: Upland Breakdown -Patrick Rapa Black Tie Tailgate -Juliet Fletcher Cuba Libre Events -A.D. Amorosi

January 9-15, 2003

mixpicks

UNESCO and the Upcoming U.N. Literacy Decade

by Juliet Fletcher

While most of us consider anybody who finished The Cold Six Thousand to possess advanced literacy skills, now's an important time to be aware that the world picture looks a little different: Across the globe, at least a billion people are unable to read their native language, according to the U.N., and nearly two to three billion adults are "technologically illiterate." This phenomenon, termed by experts the "global digital divide," doesn't affect all developing countries equally; in fact, it's just as apparent between developed areas of nations and their rural, outlying areas.

As director of International Literacy Institute, a research center based at the University of Pennsylvania, Prof. Dan Wagner has championed the need for international efforts to close this divide. Recent studies by the ILI, in conjunction with UNESCO, the U.N.'s educational and cultural arm, explored methods for literacy assessment in Mexico, India, Nigeria and China. Last October, these efforts were backed by the U.S. Department of Education, which pledged three years of support to ILI. This week, Wagner will highlight the coming international initiatives in a lecture, "UNESCO and the Upcoming U.N. Literacy Decade (2003-2012): Problems and Possibilities." His hope is that the U.N.'s decade of commitment to literacy, kicking off next month, will be more than mere proclamation; his detailed perspective spells out the obstacles that must be overcome before learning is truly available to all.

Professor Dan Wagner will discuss "UNESCO and the Upcoming U.N. Literacy Decade (2003-2012): Problems and Possibilities," Thu., Jan. 9, noon, free, drinks provided (bring your own lunch), Friends Center, 1501 Cherry St., 215-923-1721.