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Youth and Adult Literacy andLifelong Learning

Global Campaign for EducationPO Box 521733, Saxonwold, Johannesburg 2132, South Africa

www.campaignforeducation.org

2009

This book is dedicated to the millions of adult learners worldwide who havethe courage to take on the task of improving their lives, and ultimately theircommunities by becoming literate.

We give special thanks to one of theoldest and most inspiring learners KimaniNganga Maruge, who died on the 15thAugust 2009, aged 90. Kimani joined the

fight for universal free education, whenhe was given the belated chance to goto school in 2003, when Kenya abolishedprimary school fees. He travelled to theUnited Nations, with the Global Campaignfor Education to deliver the Send MyFriend to School messages in 2005, andinspired everyone with his dedication anddetermination that Liberty is Learning

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Welcome from Kailash Satyarthi 5

Abbreviations 6

Global Campaign for Education 6

Global Action Week 7

2009 Action Week Theme 9

2009 Action Week Demands 10

Ongoing Campaign 2008 - 2009 10

Next year 2010: 1GOAL 13Campaigning Across the World:

Africa 15

Americas 27

Asia & Pacific 35

Europe 43

Middle East & North Africa 51

Who took part? 54 Get involved! 59

Contents

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Welcome to the Big Book 2009!Dear Big Book Reader,

Global Action Week this year attracted thelargest number of people worldwide to rallybehind the Big Read over 14 million people!

The impressive number of people who weremotivated to take part in the Big Read indicatesthe resilience of campaigners around the world,and the importance and urgency of achievingadult literacy and lifelong learning.

Since the Global Campaign for Education started,our joint efforts have resulted in many countriesabolishing primary school fees and 40 millionmore children being enrolled in school. Yet ashocking 776 million adults remain illiterateand without the chance of an education. Thisyear brought much attention to this being apriority. We will continue to intensify our effortsuntil we reach the 2015 Education for All goals.Education for everyone is achievable if every

government makes positive steps

We must write letters to our local representativesstarting from the lowest community level rightup to parliament. We must knock on doors andpresent our national leaders with our petitions.

This is why this years action was so significant. Itsability to bring together millions of people fromall walks of life and significantly, notable authorswho have achieved their dream through the useof literary talent.

The call for a literate world must now beembraced by all, not only because of its potentialto add to the worlds knowledge pool, but alsobecause of its rich contribution to culture andthe development of a civil society. The worldwould be a much better place if everyone wereliterate.

As you open the pages to see the amazingstories from different countries, think about howmuch more we can achieve if we pool our effortsin demanding that more people are literate. TheBig Read contains beautiful and inspiring storiesthat should be read every day for our childrenand also by adults to remind us the remarkable

journeys that different authors have taken andthe journey we as campaigners still need to taketo achieve that goal on literacy by 2015.

Thanks to everyone who made this year such asuccess and took part in the campaign.

Kailash Satyarthi

President of Global Campaign for Education

The Big Read

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Acronyms andabbreviations

6 Global Campaign for Education

Despite Education for All being promised by 2015 thereare 776 million illiterate adults, two thirds of whomare women, and 75 million children, of primary schoolgoing age, and 226 million adolescents of secondaryschool age, out of school. The latest Education for All(EFA) Global Monitoring Report stated that two-thirds

of all children arrive at primary school under-nourishedor with a disability that will likely impair their educationachievement throughout their lives. And as for adults,more than three-quarters of the worlds illiterate peoplelive in only fifteen countries, including eight of the ninehigh population countries: Bangladesh, Brazil, China,Egypt, India, Indonesia, Nigeria and Pakistan.

Progress in education has been greatly threatened bythe international financial crisis. Of the 43 countriesidentified by the World Bank as being at risk of highexposure to the crisis, 29 are already facing seriouschallenges in achieving the Education for All goals.UNESCO predicted a drop in 20% per capita of Africaspoor, threatening poor countries spend on education

with Mozambique, Ethiopia, Mali, Senegal, Rwanda andBangladesh, being most at risk. Likewise aid has beenreduced the European Union alone reduced their aidby $4.6 billion.

Giving everyone a good quality education, is absolutelycrucial for tackling poverty and achieving economic,

social and physical wellbeing for everyone. A personsearnings can increase by 10% for each year of seniorschooling they receive that can translate to a 1%annual increase in GDP if good quality educationis offered to the entire population. There are otherbenefits in health - seven million cases of HIV/AIDScould be prevented in the next decade if every childreceived an education. Likewise in mortality - a childborn to a literate mother is 50% more likely to survivepass the age of 5 years. There are also strong links tocombating hunger - gains in womens education madethe most significant difference in reducing malnutritionbetween 1970-1995, a more important role thanincreased food availability.

The Global Campaign forEducations work continuesThe Global Campaign for Education, founded in 1999, brings together major non-governmental organizations

(NGOs) and teachers unions in more than 120 countries. GCE promotes access to education as a basichuman right and raises public awareness to create the political will for governments and other leaders inthe international community to fulfill their promises to provide at least a free, public basic education for allchildren.

CBOs: Community-Based Organisations

CONFINTEA:International Conference on AdultEducation

ECCE: Early Childhood Care and Education

EFA: Education for All

FTI: Fast Track Initiative

GAW: Global Action Week

GCE: Global Campaign for Education

GPI: Gender Parity Index.

GIR: Gross Intake Rate

GER: Gross Enrolment Ratio.

GDP: Gross Domestic Product

GMR: Global Monitoring Report

GNP: Gross National Product

IFI: International Financial Institutions

IMF: International Monetary Fund

ISCED: International Standard Classification ofEducation

NER: Net Enrolment Ratio

NGO: Non-governmental Organization

ODA: official development assistance

OECD: organization of economic cooperationand development

VSO: Voluntary Services Overseas

WEF: World Economic Forum

WSF: World Social Forum

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Extracts from stories in the Big ReadHere are a few lines from some our favourite authors you can read their full stories in the Big Read

Nelson MandelaThe millions of ouradults who never hadthe chance to learnto read and write; thehundreds of thousandsof our youth displacedfrom education withoutany meaningful skills;the nations workers whomust ensure that our

country embraces the worlds new technologies we

can tap this power to build a better life by using everyopportunity to ensure that our nation learns.

Queen RaniaIve been looking foryou for months, Maha ofthe Mountains! After all,how could I not? A littlegirl from a tiny villageway up in the highlands,

walking to school all byherself? Oh yes, Maha,your name is well known,even in the capital city!Mahas face flushed.

Natalie PortmanIn that first decade ofthe twenty-first century,the decade commonlyknown as The Noughties,(alluding not to beingnotoriously naughty,but rather to beingnotoriously an era ofnaught), a countercultureof antireading youth

emerged. Dubbing their movement: Ill-lIT.

Desmond TutuI became a teacher and Ihavent regretted that. Itwas wonderful because Ithought back to my ownteachers and what they hadmeant for me. And reallytrying to get kids who inso many other aspects of

life were being told thatthey didnt really count to

become outstanding at whatever they wanted withinreason was humbling.

Alice WalkerIn the morning I startedasking questions aboutAfrica and started readingall the books Samueland Corrine have on the

subject.Did you know there weregreat cities in Africa,greater than Milledgeville

or even Atlanta, thousands of years ago?

Paulo CoelhoIm writing about you,thats true. But thepencil I am using is moreimportant than the words Iam writing. I hope you arelike it when you grow up.

Mary RobinsonI still remember thatmoment of excitementwhen I first realized I couldread.

I grew up in the west ofIreland and I was actuallyin church, holding a childs

prayer book. The priestwas reading one of theprayers. I suddenly realizedI could read the words. I

got terribly excited and nudged one of my brotherswho didnt think it was that interesting: I understand, Iunderstand!

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Angelique KidjoI was really a very lucky

teenager to have a fatherlike I did, who told me... If you want to be a singer,I mean a great singer, youhave to be educated. Youhave to be able to expressall the beauty of the worldin your music and yourlyrics. You need to learn. Iwill make a deal with you;

I am going to support your singing career but you have

to go to school and get a good education.

Dakota Blue RichardsEd the Stick Insect is avery special Stick InsectEds greatest ambitionis to go to school, butunfortunately, therearent schools for StickInsects. This is the story

of how Ed achieved hisdream.

Chimamanda NgoziAdichie

She looked at me with a greatintensity as I spoke. Later, asshe was teaching me how toplay nchokolo one evening,asking me to move some

stones between boxes drawnon the ground, she askedwhether I might teach her

how to read. I was startled. It did not occur to me thatshe could not read.

Michael MorpurgoMy name is Tomas Porec.

I was seven years oldwhen I first met theunicorn lady. I believedin unicorns then. I amnearly twenty now andbecause of her I stillbelieve in unicorns.

Devli KumariI started working at theage of five. I used tobreak bigger rocks intosmaller ones. My sistersand I used to load rocksinto trucks along witheveryone else.

Rowan Williams..the new world of thetext that mapsour losses and ourlongings, so that we canread humanity againin one another s eyes,and hear that the broken

soil is not all, after all, asthe signs join up.

Beverley NaidooIn class, when we read a

story, a poem, a novel ora play by Shakespeare,we were told what theauthor meant. Ourteachers told us to writedown what they said andlearn it. To them, teachingincluded teaching uswhat to think.

Ishmael BeahThe ability to readand learn new thingsinfused my childhoodwith possibilities andadded more magic tomy environment andactivities. After I startedschool, the leaves onthe side of the road toschool were no longer

just medicine; I also knew how they absorbed sunlightand water.

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Youth and Adult Literacy and LifelongLearning

Mary Phiri (not real name) is 48 years old and nearlyalways orders chicken and chips when she sits in arestaurant. She is not particularly fond of chicken andespecially chips but she cannot read a menu and isquite sure that a restaurant will have chicken and chips.Mrs OHara cannot read signposts. The 53 year old relieson bus touts at the intercity bus terminal in Lusaka,Zambia to know which bus to take.

Both Mary Phiri and Mrs OHaras lives are affectedby their inability to read and write and they are often

embarrassed and anxious because theyfi

nd it onerousto perform routines many people take for granted. Andyet urban living, especially, required a certain level ofliteracy skills because it is based on the premise thatinstructions to the public will be through written signs.Illiterate adults are more likely to pass the legacy ofilliteracy to their children and thus the cycle is repeatedand perpetuated. Like so many illiterate adults, bothMary Phiri and Mrs O Hara grew up in communitieswhich did not reinforce any impulse they may have hadto read and write.

This years campaigns theme, Youth and Adult Literacyand Lifelong Learning could not have come at a bettertime. This is a time when the numbers of out of school

children, youth and adults are soaring in some parts ofthe world. According to the latest Global MonitoringReport there are 776 million adults accounting for 16per cent of the worlds population without basic literacyskills. Of this number, two thirds are women. There arefears that if this trend is not checked then there will beover 700 million adults without literacy skills by 2015.This will be a tragedy because it is at this point whengovernments are expected to fulfil all the six Dakargoals including the goal on literacy.

Literacy is a fundamental human right andgovernments must be obliged to make it availableon a priority basis. The reason is quite simple: Thegains to any given society from educating its peopleby far exceed the cost of educating them becauseof the increased productivity of labour. Therefore aprogressive society must invest public resources ineducating its citizens.

But there are bigger questions to be asked.Governments around the world are run by literatepeople, so why is it that in a significant number

across the world, they preside over a large illiteratepopulation? The usual explanation to this state ofaffairs is that there is a lack of resources. This is not aconvincing argument. Why is there no money? Thereseems to be lots of money for everything else frommanufacturing weapons of war to bailing out ailingbusinesses. Why is it that education and specificallyliteracy programmes receive the least priority when itcomes to resource allocation?

Spreading literacy amongst the illiterate has a lowpriority for the literate managers of governmentsespecially in those countries which also score thelowest level of human development. There is a linkbetween poverty or low human development andliteracy and this is reflected in the fact that the regionsmost affected by illiteracy are Sub Saharan Africa andSouth and West Asia. But to classify this as regionalproblem will be self defeating, particularly in thisglobalised world. The social problems arising out of alack of education and in this case illiteracy should notbe confined to those who lack these skills.

Global Action Week 2009 theme:

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A nexus is suggested between political economicsystems, especially those based on oppression wherethe rulers do not wish the ruled to develop the ability

to question the oppressive systems. A largely educatedand literate public would question and upset the statusquo.

Campaigners have the double struggle of ensuringthat illiterate children youth and adults have their basicright to education and second, that this education isof a quality that enables them to demand even bettereducation programmes for those children and adultsout of school. As such, it is imperative that efforts tomobilize people across the globe to demand their

right to education as well as setting up good literacyprogrammes.

Through emerging information technology, we havean opportunity that did not exist, even just a decadeago. New media technology provides leverage forcampaigners to reach far and wide. The cellular phonehas now penetrated the remotest villages in manyparts of the world. It will be technological forcessupported by civic action that will be the defining forcefor real transformation. It is the job of campaigners

tofi

nd the content that takes advantage of thesetechnological opportunities.

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Ongoing CampaiSeptember 2008

Class of 2015: Education for AllGCE joined forces with governments and multi-nationalcompanies to form a new unique class that hopes toachieve great things: Class of 2015: Education for Allis the joint initiative aimed at accelerating progress toachieving the EFA goals. Class of 2015 was launched inthe UN on the 25th September, during the UN Summit.

The Global Campaign for Education, some of the worldsleading charities, major multi-national companies,supportive governments, senior education advocates,

teacher trade unions through Education International,major faith leaders, FIFA, Bono, Queen Rania, Sir BobGeldof and others pledged their commitments to theclass and what they were going to do to achieve theEFA goals.

September 2008

Obama Pledge to Establish a $2bnGlobal Fund for Education at CGI

Obama Pledge to Establish a $2bn Global Fund forEducation at CGI

At the Clinton Global Initiative in September PresidentObama pledged to establish a $2 billion globaleducation fund and to sign into law the bipartisanEducation for All Act. He called for a renewed focuson achieving the Millennium Development Goals,including erasing the global primary education gap by

2015, to ensure that all children have the basic right tolearn.

December 2008Oslo High Level Group

The Education for All High Level Group took placein one of the few donor countries (Norway) thatcurrently meets the aid commitments to education.

GCE campaigners attended the meeting, and lobbied

other donor countries to re-think the way in whichinternational aid is given to basic education in order toachieve the Education for All goals. Kailash Satyarthiwas joined with Hem Lata Parik an advocate againstchild marriages and child labourers in India, and DanielAdzo, a former child labourer from Ghana to addressthe opening ceremony and invite them to join theClass of 2015: Education for All. Ministers were alsoaddressed by Angelique Kidjo and Kailash Satyarthi andHelga Hjetland. The main concrete outcome of the Oslomeeting was the launch of an International Task Force

on Teachers to assist countries to formulate evidence-based policies to address the teacher gap (see below).

GCEss Verdict: 6 out of 10 for effort but High LevelGroup must do better in future years, declares theGlobal Campaign for Education after attending theEighth Meeting of the High Level Group on Educationfor All, in Oslo in December last year. Whilst there wereimprovements in the latest High Level Group, with

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13The Big Read 13

ning 2008 - 2009the help of the Norwegian governments efforts, themeeting still lacks the dynamic leadership and decision-making power to really drive international efforttowards the achievement of Education for All.

January 2009World Social Forum:

GCE attended the 2009 World Social Forum, in Belem,Brazil from January 27th until February 1st. GCEmembers participated and organised workshops andevents in cooperation with the Latin America coalition CLADE. The upcoming CONFINTEA VI (International

Conference on Adult Education), and educationfinancing in Brazil will be the focus on a couple ofevents. The GCE secretariat made a presentation onquality, one of our priority issues, and how this notion isundermined by market-driven managerial concepts.

January 2009

World Economic Forum:GCE President Kailash Satyarthi attended the WEF inDavos and spoke to business leaders at a meeting onWEFs Global Education Initiative. He introduced theClass of 2015, and discussed the importance of ensuringEducation for All and how we need more pressureon world leaders to help achieve this. Mr Satyarthispresentation took place alongside a high level panel ofCEOs from the private sector including Craig Barrett ofINTEL, Richard Edelman of Edelmans, John Chambersof CISCO as well as UNESCO Director General KoichiroMatsuura.

March 2009International Teacher Task Force

An Action Plan on Teachers for Education for All wasendorsed by the last High Level Group. This includedthe creation of an International Teachers Task Force.GCE participated in the first meeting of this Task Force

which took place at UNESCO headquarters in Paris,where GCE was nominated to participate as memberof the Management Committee, on a rotation withVSO, alongside EI who will be a full member of theCommittee. This structure aims to tackle the challengeof introducing clear targets on teacher needs and GCEwill push for more transparent monitoring of donorcontributions in support of countries efforts to providea professional and motivated teacher work force forquality EFA.

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14 Global Campaign for Education

March 2009Queen Rania announced as honorary

chair of the Big ReadQueen Rania of Jordan read the first story from GCEsBig Read to a group of children from Soweto andAlexandra township, in Johannesburg, with SouthAfricas lead women: Gcina Mhlope, Simphiwe Danaand Basetsana Kumalo. At this event Her Majesty wasannounced as the Honorary Chair of Action Week 2009.

April 2009G20

GCE joined global anti-poverty campaigners indemanding a fair deal for low-income countries (LICs)from the G20 Summit in London. We called on theG20 to: condition support to the IMF on relaxation ofpolicy conditions so that LICs can invest in education;allocation of Special Drawing Rights to LICs; donors tomeet existing aid commitments including giving 0.7%GNI and a fair share of the financing gap for education.

April 2009Education for All Fast-Track-Initiative

Partners Meeting in DenmarkGCE and a number of member organisations includingcoalitions from the US, Italy, Denmark and Gambiaattended the FTI Steering Committee and PartnersMeetings in Copenhagen, Denmark. GCE US madea presentation on the proposal for a Global Fundfor Education for All, and GCEs new paper The nextgeneration was presented and provoked livelydiscussion. The paper calls for a revitalisation of theglobal aid architecture for education, building on the

considerable strengths of the Fast-Track Initiative toevolve it into an independent and participatory GlobalFund for EFA. Crucially, such a Fund or mechanismshould improve on the current system by having amuch stronger accountability framework which doesnot allow G8 and other laggard donors to renegeon their high-level commitments. GCE members alsocollaborated on a side panel discussion on campaigningand lobbying in rich countries, showcasing GlobalAction Week activities and other advocacy efforts aimedat influencing donor governments. Two children who

have supported the extraordinary efforts of the Danishcoalition gave stirring presentations on the schoolscampaign in Denmark, which now reaches half of allschoolchildren in the country.

April 2009Global Fund for Education PolicyRoundtable in Washington, DC

On 21st April GCE hosted a roundatable discussionat the National Press Club in Washington, DC entitledA Smart Response to Challenging Times: Educating

Our way to a Better Future. This event broughttogether Queen Rania of Jordan and several US policymakers and Administration officials including US

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The Big Read 15

ning 2008 - 2009Congresswoman Nita Lowey (Chairwoman of the Stateand Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee),

Gayle Smith (Senior Director for Relief, Stabilizationand Development and Senior Advisor to the President)and Gene Sperling (Counselor to the Secretary of theTreasury) and was attended by over 100 key policy andpolitical leaders.

April 2009GCEs influencing of the IMF

GCE continues to confront the IMF conditions that havehindered achievement of the Education for All Goals.A new report entitled: Education on the Brink analyses

the current trend in IMF agreements and their likelyimpact on education, particularly in the context of theglobal recession. It finds that, despite changes in theIMFs rhetoric suggesting that more fiscal space will beallowed to countries to invest in education and othersectors, most agreements continue to set targets whichmake this impossible. The reports timing was importantgiven the recent G20s empowerment of the IMF for aiddisbursements.

The report was launched at a panel discussion on April

25 at World Bank/IMF Spring Meetings in WashingtonDC with participation from GCE member VSO, andthe Fast-Track Initiative Secretariat. Presentersdetailed the analysis of the interaction of aid flowsand macroeconomic policies which is underminingreliable financing for teachers salaries as a key aspect ofachieving EFA.

GCE continues to monitor the IMF and waits fordocumentation in support of its claims to be workingto protect and increase public investment in educationand teachers.

April 2009Durban Review

GCE attended the Durban Review Conference in Genevafrom 20 to 24 April. GCE presented case studies fromDominican Republic, Slovakia, Guatemala and Tanzaniaas examples of racial discrimination to education.The Durban Declaration and Programme of Action,adopted by consensus at the 2001 World Conferenceagainst Racism in Durban, South Africa, made keyrecommendations in the sphere of education: (1) theneed to guarantee access and inclusion of all childrenand adults to a quality education, eliminating intra-

school and outside school factors that hinder access,attendance and success in learning experiences; (2) full,precise and objective teaching and communication ofthe history, culture and contributions of all the differentpopulations; (3) the guarantee of opportunities forindigenous populations to learn in their mother tongueand (4) Human Rights education.

Seven years later, these recommendations remainlargely unattended. Racism, racial discrimination,xenophobia and related intolerance are still endemicto the education system in many contexts, leading tosevere inequalities in access and retention of schooling,and to the perseverance of intra--school processesthat directly violate the principles of human rights anddignity.

April 2009Illiteracy in West Africa

A new Report From closed books to open doors: WestAfricas literacy crisis was produced by GCE membersANCEFA, Pamoja, Oxfam and ActionAid. The paper

draws attention to West Africa having the lowestliteracy rates in the world, and the need to improveformal and non-formal education in the region.

May 2009Arab Regional Campaign for Education

for All (ACEA)A Middle-East conference took place in Yemen in May,bringing together Education for All stakeholders andcampaigners throughout the Arab world. Campaigningfor education has increased in recent years in theregion, and the meeting announced the new formationof a regional campaign ACEA, that will take forwardwork in the region.

July 2009G8 Summit

GCE attended the G8 Summit in LAquila, Italy in July.The summit gave very little attention to development,let alone education. Although the communiqu didmention the support for next years campaign effortsaround the FIFA World Cup. GCE continues efforts toensure that next year more commitments are put inplace to really deliver on the EFA goals.

Civil Society Education Fund

After months of preparation GCE secured funding from

the EPDF committee of donor countries of $6.5 milliongrant to a new Civil Society Education Fund (CSEF) tosupport coalitions in the FTI eligible countries. The newfund is in the process of recruiting new posts regionallyand disbursing grants to eligible coalitions.

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Next Ye1GOAL: Education for All

1GOAL: Education for All, is the name ofGCEs campaign based around the 2010FIFA World Cup. The campaign is securingthe support of footballers, broadcastersand governments around the world tocampaign for Education for All and raisesmillions of supporters on the back of theWorld Cup.

1GOAL was launched in Wembley Stadiumon the 20th August 2009, with QueenRania, Gary Lineker, David James, andmany other footballers pledging theirsupport for the campaign.

1GOAL: Education for All, will also be thecentral theme to the 2010 Action Week

Twitterwww.twitter.com/join1goal

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17The Big Read 17

ar 2010activities that is taking place on the 19th 26th April 2009.

The Action Week will focus on a globallesson that everyone will do to teach abouteducation, use games based on sport andthe World Cup and learn about financingeducation. The Action Week slogan is1GOAL: Lesson for All.

With a desperate shortfall offi

nances goingthrough to Education for All, the ActionWeek is focusing on Financing Education and will ask to Fund it Now!.

Anyone can sign up to 1GOAL by visitingthe website www.join1goal.org, whereyoull find the lastest news on this excitingcampaign.

Facebookwww.facebook.com/1goal

iopia

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ANGOLAIn Angola the principal objective was to reach outto communities, national civil society groups, stateinstitutions and international actors and discuss how

to better join forces to respond to the challenges inpromoting the Right to Education for All. The occasionwas used to raise some important questions such ashow to increase the quality of literacy programmes, theneed to increase the national education budget and theproblem of corruption in primary schools.

About 700 people participated in the different activities,and many more got involved through the media. Theactivities included meetings with youth at high schools-discussing gender roles and the impact of this oneducation, cultural activities, book sale and exhibitions,

and a radio debate. The Big Read included readingtexts written by Angolan students and extracts frombooks by famous Angolan authors. The weeks openingceremony was attended by the Minister of Education.Activities were implemented by NGOs and civil societygroups and the National Teachers Association SINPROFunder the coordination of Angolas Education for AllNetwork.

BENINThe national coalition organized several activitiesas part of the celebration this year. Civil society,practitioners of literacy and national languages, as well

as the various ministries responsible for education andliteracy were mobilized for Global Action Week 2009.On Friday, 17th April, the members of the coalitionmade media appearances inviting all stakeholders toparticipate actively in the campaign.

Newly literate individuals wrote stories that werecompiled in a book and used for the national event onThursday 23rd April at the Friendship KOUHOUNOUin Cotonou. The event was organized in collaborationwith all the Ministers in charge of education andliteracy. Among the 800 at the televised national event

were Government Members, members of the EducationCommission of the National Assembly, advocates forwomens literacy, journalists, apprentices, students,teachers, and the National Private Operators of Literacyand the promotion of national languages. The weekended with a workshop on the introduction of locallanguages in education and was attended by 400teachers.

Extract from Angelique Ki djos Story

BURKINA FASOTens of thousands of people across Burkina Faso wereinvolved during Action Week 2009. The participationof regional authorities was the highlight of the events.

They took part in support of literacy and making it apriority. In that spirit they agreed to develop moreprogrammes to educate and train young peopleand adults. The week benefitted greatly from theinvolvement of the grassroots communities whocontributed to the advocacy efforts by providingevidence on the benefits of literacy and the difficultiesthat the rural areas have accessing it.

BURUNDIActivities and story collections took place in 17provinces. The Minister for Education, dubbed theGodfather of Education for All, attended the eventin Bujumbura and the Minister for Educational skills,Vocational Training and Adult Literacy. There were alsoplays executed by students on the theme of Youth andAdult Literacy and Lifelong Learning.

BurkinaFasoBeninAngola

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CAMEROONAction Week was launched with a big ceremony ofhundreds of officials and civil society representatives onthe 21st April, to which the Minister of Basic Education

attended. There was also a Big Read concert on the22nd April in Yaound, with over 2,000 participants.

CAPE VERDEAction Week took place in Santa Catarina (CityAssomada). There were two days of music, speechesand marches for one inclusive Education for All.Teachers, students and civil society participated inthose events. The Mayor of Santa Catarina and all thegovernment representatives from Assomada, teachersfrom Cape Verde, Angola and Portugal participated inthe march.

On the 22nd of April, during the day, the Ministryof Education Vera Duarte and the Teachers Unionpresented by Abraao Borges, First Minister of CapeVerde gave a speech to teachers. In the evening peoplefrom different part of the Santiago Island watched andlistened to students and teachers sing for Education inAssomada.

The national event took place on the 23rd of April. Itwas a cultural celebration followed by speeches bythe President of the Teachers Union asking for all thegovernors to provide more money for education. Thefinal speech was by the Mayor of Santa Catarina, Dr

Francisco Tavares. He focused on Inclusive educationand recommended that Governors take into account allproblems teachers face.

All the events received television and radio coverage.The event was closed by the renowned local singer, TitoParis who lived in Portugal, who came specifically tosupport Education for All.

DJIBOUTISpirits were high and there was much excitement for

Global Action Week in Djibouti being the first yearthe country carried out the campaign. Events werescheduled in ten national centres across the countryin partnership with national libraries. The national BigRead event was held at Djiboutis National Stadium.

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THECONGO (DRC)Over 1,000 schools participated in the Big Read, in 11provinces. In Kinshasa, the Big Read took place at the

Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the presence of Ministers.On 26th April, more than five hundred learnerspresented a file in support of the Big Read. Childrenwith disabilities, as part of Handicap International, gavetestimonies about the importance of literacy. The weekclosed with a plenary session of parliament, wheretestimonials were given by young learners and adults.A little girl read Nelson Mandelas story from the BigRead and the President of the National Assembly madea commitment to address the problems of illiteracy.

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ETHIOPIAEthiopia celebrated Action Week nationally on April27th, 2009 in Addis Ababa. In this national event thenew national adult education strategy was presentedby a representative from the Ministry of Education;participants signed the Big Read document, anddiscussions were held on the issues by all participantsand recommendations made. A research report onValuing Teachers was presented by VSO Ethiopia.The event was attended by representatives from theMinistry of Education, Regional Education Bureaus,International Organizations, local CSOs, adult learners,and the media.

This year, Action Week was celebrated in four regionsincluding Addis Ababa in which Regional Government,

education bureaus, CBOs, development partners andlocal NGOs and others working on or supportingeducation worked together to make demands for theprovision of Literacy and Life-long learning for Youthand Adults. Major activities that were conductedboth nationally and at regional levels were includedPoliticians/Officials going back to school, photographicexhibitions, workshops and meetings that gatheredstudents, teachers and parents, panel discussions,drama plays, songs, sport, street rallies, radio spots, TVand Radio talk shows and even a circus show.

THE GAMBIAThe national highlight event took place at GambiaCollege where stories and testimonies from Gambiascelebrities and learners were presented against abackdrop of songs on the theme of adult literacywritten by trainee teachers.

GHANAGhanas Global Action Week was on the theme Literacyfor All, a challenge to national Development. The weekaimed to expose issues of illiteracy and its effect ondevelopment to policy makers and the general public,highlight policy gaps and recommend remedial action.Research was conducted into the relevance of literacyto national development: A case of neglect for youth

and adult literacy in Ghana.

A national meeting was held on 21st April to discussthe findings of the research which among othersrevealed that illiteracy was assuming a rural and genderdimension in Ghana as a result of neglect for fundingof literacy programmes in Ghana. It was attendedby Traditional Authorities, The Ghana EducationService, 200 pupils from both public and privateschools and 50 teachers. The climax of the week wasthe Big Read where recently literate people, from the

National Functional Literacy programme read storiesand testimonies about how literacy had enhancedtheir economic and social lives. They encouragedgovernment to continue investing more resourcesinto adult literacy programmes and commit more

attention to training the large numbers of untrainedliteracy facilitators and teachers at the basic schools.The national cooliation, GNECC, regional and municipaleducation officials, media, teachers associations,parents and pupils took part in Action Week.

GUINEAGlobal Action Week was observed in Guinea fromthe 25th March until the 6th May 2009. The officiallaunch was held at Koloma Ratoma in the town whereroundtable discussing education was broadcastvia satellite to government, development partners,politicians, traders, and CSOs. Students and teachersconducted educational activities in literacy centres.Pictures, sketches, poems, and similar projects weredesigned to bring local decision-makers, parents andother stakeholders to raise awareness of Youth literacy,adult education and lifelong learning in their locality.

The week closed on the 6th of May in the meetingroom of the Palace of the People by the Great Audience,under the honorary chairmanship of His Excellency

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the Minister of the Permanent Secretary, CNDD andmost members of the government. The Ministersaid his department was available to assist andsupport the National Coalition in all actions aimed atachieving the objectives of EFA in Guinea. He urged

the National Coalition to increase its advocacy on theproblem of illiteracy which is one of the main causes ofunderdevelopment.

IVORY COASTGlobal Action Week in the Ivory Coast was officiallylaunched on 19th June 2009 by a press briefing at theNational Commission for UNESCO. The Big Read eventwas held on Wednesday the 24th June in the economiccapital Abidjan. The Minister of Education and other

members of the government, representatives of theinstitutions of the Republic, mayors and governorsof districts, the Autonomous Literacy Service, adultlearners and civil society were all in attendance. On thisoccasion, a plea was issued by the National Coalitionfor the importance of literacy and life-long learning.Adult learners expressed to the authorities how literacychanged their lives through theatrical productions.

The representative of the Minister of Educationannounced that adult literacy and youth and lifelonglearning remains a priority for the Departmentof Education and the Government. Therefore,an organisation in charge of literacy called the

Autonomous Literacy was created. The governmentcommitted to availing more resources to thisorganisation to mobilize the national community andcivil society so that the goal of literacy for all in the IvoryCoast becomes a reality for 2015.

KENYAIn Kenya the theme was localized to Eradicate Illiteracy:Realize Universal Primary Education. Global ActionWeek was co-coordinated by the Elimu Yetu Coalition

with support from Concern Worldwide, World Visionand the Ministry of Education. It began with a pressbriefing on the 19th April, followed by the main event afew days later. The function started with recognition ofall guests by the chairman of Elimu Yetu Coalition, Mr.Andiwo Obondoh. Among those present included Ms.Leah Rotich, Director of Basic Education, representingthe Permanent Secretary Ministry of Education, Hon.David Koech, the Chairperson of the ParliamentaryCommittee on Education, Ms. Joyce Kebathi, Director of

Adult and Continuing Education, Louise De Souza, TheDeputy British High Commissioner, Country Directors,representatives of the Civil Society Organizations,members of Elimu Yetu Coalition, teachers, children,parents and adult learners. Skits, songs, and poems

were presented by Laini Saba Primary School andKICOSHEP Primary School. They focused on promotingeducation for all children and adults, through BasicPrimary Education and Adult and Continuing Education.

Story from KenyaMrs. Magdeline Gathoni started hereducation at the age of 40 years.She had missed on education duringher childhood. She enrolled for adult

education and undertook her Kenya pursuing her university degree.

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LESOTHOThe Big Read got offto a flying start with a nationalpress conference. The Big Read book was passedaround to civil society organisations and governmentdepartments while students collected signatures.These students had performed well on primaryleaving examinations, secondary certificate and COSCexaminations respectively. The coalition worked incollaboration with national institutions that funded theawards, such as banking institutions, media houses andhotels. The students were invited with their parents.There were also awards given to learners out of schooland to the schools that were doing well under difficultcircumstances. Awards were also given to schools andlearners who performed well in extramural activities

such as sports, athletics and traditional dances andmusic.

One rural school with very little infrastructure, butproducing good results was used as an example tomotivate teachers, learners and the parents. The weekencouraged more learners to go to school and thusreduce the high numbers of school drop-outs in the

country. The diff

erent media houses were invited tocapture the event, and it was featured in the news onradio and television as well as in local newspapers.

LIBERIAThe 2009 Global Action Week was coordinatedby LETCOM in two of Liberiasfifteen counties:Montserrado County, which hosts the capital cityMonrovia, and Gbarpolu County in the far North-eastern part of the country. In both counties crosssections of the communities actively participated in theactivities, in the parades and the indoor programs. Aset of pre-Action Week activities were held, includingradio talk shows, reprinting of the Big Read, meetingswith the Minister of Education and other stakeholders.LETCOM lobbied the government to make anadditional allocation of 5% of the 2009/2010 fiscalbudget available to education. The Big Read was donesimultaneously in Monrovia and Bopolu, by students.

The theme for this year was, Adult and Youth Literacyfor Poverty Reduction in Liberia.

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MALAWIMalawi held Action Week activities both on district andat national level from 19th 25th March. Logistical,fundraising efforts, production of materials, banners,invitations of VIPs, speeches, musicians and testimonialswere all part of the National Launch held in Mchinjion 22nd April. Mchinji district was chosen because ithas the highest adult and youth illiteracy rates in thecountry.

Media advocacy activities included press releases,jingles, airing two TV documentaries and theproduction and distribution of t-shirts. The activitieswere featured in two newspapers: The Nation andThe National Times and Pride magazine. The Coalition

also held a National Workshop on GCE which dove-tailed with the launch of the Education Agenda on 5thMay. Invitations were extended to academics, donors,grassroots organizations, government officials, politicalaspirants, in addition to TV, radio and print media. Thetimeliness of this particular activity in relation to thenational elections on 19th May was crucial in light ofthe fact that political parties were given a platform torespond to educational issues.

MALIThe Minister of Basic Education, Literacy and NationalLanguages of Mali participated in the official launchof Global Action Week activities aimed at promotingreading and writing and raising awareness to educationprofessionals and the general public of the importanceof youth and adult literacy.

MAURITIUSDCI-Mauritius together with its partner organizationsbrought along learners of the BETA (Basic Education ToAdolescents) Programme and their parents to take partin the Big Read on Saturday 25th April. Activities wereconducted where parents and guests followed the BigRead and the progress of marginalized adolescents.These were attended by national TV station and otherjournalists.

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MOZAMBIQUEThe national Action Week launch took place in Maputowas attended by the Vice-Minister for Education andthe National Director of Literacy and Adult Education.The team organized a live debate which was broadcaston national television. There was strong representationof the donor community, UNESCO, UNICEF, and otherpartners. A large group of volunteer Adult Educationtrainers and their students also came to make theirpresence felt on the day.

One of the main activities was a presentation by Dr.Agneta Lind, a leading expert on Lifelong learning andAdult Education. Mozambique is in fact performingwell in its attempts to reduce illiteracy among adultsand youth but all present agreed that there were

still many challenges ahead - particularly in termsof funding and quality. This was followed by a livetelevised debate with representatives of MEPT, UNESCOLIFE, the National Director for Lifelong Learning andAdult Education and others.

Extract from Mozambique Story

NIGERIAThe National Education for All Forum and thepresentation of 2009 Global Monitoring Report kickedoffthe Global Action Week on the 20th April. It wasattended by critical stakeholders from State Ministriesof Education, State Universal Basic Education Board,Civil Society Action Coalition on Education for All(CSACEFA), ActionAid International Nigeria, NigerianUniversal Basic Education Commission, UNESCO and theFederal Ministry of Education. The forum was organisedby the UK Department for International DevelopmentEducation Sector Support Programme in Nigeria. TheNigerian EFA coordinating office also assessed progressmade towards Education for All and reviewed the 2009Global Monitoring Report as it relates to challenges

confronting Nigeria.

SENEGALThis year for Action Week, CCF-Senegal organizedactivities under the theme, Literacy for Youth andAdults: Training throughout Life. At the start of theafternoon-held event, emphasis was placed on thevirtues of literacy in general and reading in particular.Students, teachers, and parents gathered together tohold a public reading session, followed by a questionand answer session. Afterwards, four students fromeach school were elected as the best readers amongtheir peers.

Furthermore, in keeping with the theme, adults alsoparticipated in the event by reading works in theirnational languages of Serere and Wolof. Readerswere rewarded for their strong and articulate oral

reading skills. The event helped participants and theschools become more aware of the importance ofbeing literate, and gave the audience a better tastefor reading. The Big Read session took place on 22ndApril and a roundtable on literacy and non-formaleducation convened representatives from nationalestablishments, technical and financial partners, civilsociety networks and organizations and membersof the media. Recommendations arising from thesediscussions formed a memorandum that was sent tothe Government of Senegal.

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SIERRA LEONEThe Big Read event was the high point of thisyears Action Week. This activity brought togetherschools, adult learners, literacy service providers,parliamentarians and policy makers in a forum thatattempted to showcase the state of adult literacyin Sierra Leone. A documentary on educationalcampaigns across Africa was shared to emphasizethe local efforts by education campaigners in SierraLeone. This was aimed at showing policy makers andlocal campaigners the efforts of other countries inorder to deepen their knowledge and understandingabout the need for action on the global commitmentsmade regarding education by governments. This eventalso provided the opportunity for adult learners to

demonstrate their reading skills in the presence of theDeputy Minister of Education.

In particular, adult learners told their individual storieson how literacy had changed their lives but alsodisplayed the literacy benchmarks and read them tothe minister in full view of radio and television teams.This did not merely demonstrate reading abilities but

was meant to provide further evidence of the place ofadult literacy in a post conflict country like Sierra Leonewhere the prospects for education is still stymied byfinancing problems.

SOUTH AFRICAAmidst football fever with the FIFA ConfederationsCup taking place in Johannesburg, hundreds of peoplecame together to campaign for the right to EducationFor All. The South African Big Read was postponed

to June due to national elections in April. The chosendate, June 16th corresponded with the national YouthDay holiday where the entire country focused on theneeds of the youth, with education being on the top ofthe list. The event launched the South African Big Readbook with stories from local celebrities such as HumanRights Lawyer George Bizos, internationally acclaimedBAFTA winner, Xoliswa Sithole and published authors,renowned musicians, activists and writers amongothers. It was held at Xarra Books in the cultural hubof Newtown in Johannesburg, just across the NelsonMandela Bridge. The newly established South Africancoalition, Public Participation in Education Network(PPEN) working with GCE, got participants to sign thecall to action and distributed printed copies of thebook. A group of students drew pictures and wrotestories about the importance of education and theevent was covered by television and print media.

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AfricaSWAZILANDIn Swaziland the action week activities were carriedout in three phases: Recognition of World Bookand Copyright Day, a Reading Workshop, and theCelebration of Education for All. The events took placein fifteen libraries scattered across the Kingdom ofSwaziland. Under the super vision of SWANCEFA, BigRead Books were distributed to fifteen educationalcentres, and some people were assigned to read andmake sure that participants signed the form at theback. With the assistance of the US Embassy, EnglishLanguage Fellow; Ms Christine Kendrick, the coalitionwas able to carry out a 4 day reading workshop fromApril 6-9, 2009.

The national event was organized by the SwazilandCommission of UNESCO and SWANCEFA together withSNAT and Sebenta. It took place in Gege a remoteconstituency about 2hrs from Mbabane City. Sebenta,which is an NGO focused on Adult Literacy, played a

prominent role. The NGO recently adopted childrenas young as 6 years-old who had not been able toaccess formal education. The Deputy Prime Ministerin his speech promised that a skills centre would bebuilt in Gege Constituency, and that the work wouldcommence within 3 months. SWANCEFA will follow upto make sure that this happens and to check if thosechildren who graduated from the Sebenta class areadmitted into school.

TANZANIAIn Tanzania the coalition TENMET organized two majorevents during action week. There was a nationaldebate under the theme Youth and adult Education:Is it a Priority in Tanzania? The event which broughttogether about 200 people from government, civilsociety and academia was held in Mabibo, Dar esSalaam. The highlight event was held at the nationalKarimjee hall. The meeting which followed a publicrally attracted over 400 people including adult learners,ministry of education officials, parents and civil societyorganisations. Participants wore T shirts with Priorityshould be given to adult education imprinted on them.The group was treated to readings from the Local BigRead, drama, song and traditional dances all in support

of the right to be literate.

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TOGOThe various GAW activities were delayed till Maybecause of the unavailability of the Minister of Primary,Secondary and Literacy before that date, but it wasworth the wait. The Great Play, held on May 11thwas chaired by the Minister of Primary, Secondaryand Literacy, and brought together more than 3,000participants (officials, representatives of civil society,media, students learners and literacy centres).Several other activities were held throughout theweek beginning with the various meetings betweenmembers of civil society active in education in Togo.A press conference with all public and private mediain the capital helped to relay information about thecelebration throughout the country. There was alsoparticipation by the President of the Coalition andseveral members of the steering committee regardingthe issue on radio and television including the programMidi Delight on National Television. A DVD wasproduced at the end of the ceremony.

UGANDAA Regional Sharing Meeting for stakeholders onTraining and Support of Adult Literacy Educators washeld on the 24th April, 2009 in Nebbi District. AdultLiteracy Educators and Learners read selected storiesfrom the Big Read. The major event is still to take placein the presence of the First Lady of Uganda.

ZAMBIAThe Big Read Action Week ambassador is aninternational boxing star, who is a woman and whohas now decided to go back to school. Esther Phiriis also the literacy ambassador in Zambia, where sheencourages people of all ages to go back to school.On Thursday, May 21, 2009, Christian Childrens Fund

Zambia joined the rest of the world in commemoratingGlobal Action Week. The celebrations under the themeYouth and Adult Literacy and lifelong Learning wereheld at Kasalu Basic school in Mumbwa district.

The event was officiated by the Ministry of EducationDirector for Human Resource and Administration,Mr. Andrew Phiri who stood in for the PermanentSecretary in the Ministry of Education. Approximately500 pupils and 20 teachers participated in the event.

This years commemoration event was characterizedby various activities such as The Reading Corner,Match past, poems, drama/dance, testimonies fromcommunity members, dialogue sessions and speecheson the theme. To mark the beginning of the event,three children from Kasalu Basic School read storiesto the crowd. Two children read in English while theremaining one read a story in Tonga. This activity wasto show people why it is important for children to beliterate as they are the future leaders of tomorrow.

Questions asked by children to theZambian government:Our schools have few teachers. Mostof them have gone away becausethere are no houses for them. Whatwill the government do to solve thisproblem?

At our school, some of my friendslearn from outside because the

classrooms are not enough. Whatis being done to construct moreclassrooms in the schools?

Most of our parents cant reador write. What is the Ministry of for our parents?

Our classrooms are in poorconditions. We sit on the dusty not enough textbooks. What is ourgovernment doing about this?

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ARGENTINAIn Argentina, Action Week embraced the slogan literacyto include and conducted a series of political andcultural activities. The main objective was to sensitizethe education community and society at large aboutthe goals of Education for All (EFA). There was also aneffort through mobilization, to reinforce the demandthat the government fulfil the commitments made inrelation to education.

The main activity took place on 24th April at the BookFair in Buenos Aires. Young people, adults, teachers,representatives of social organizations, unions andpoliticians were invited to meet and share viewsand experiences. There were also meetings anddiscussions with teachers and students in schools and

adult literacy centres, where participants could sharetheir experiences and testimonies, either written onleaves, designed and painted on murals, through videosamples, plays and/ or writing competitions. Childrenand adults who could not read or write were giveninterviews, photographed and encouraged to return toschool.

BOLIVIAThe Big Read was launched at night in the Plaza deSan Francisco where many educational establishmentsacross the country attended. There was also a poetrycontest held on the theme and a panel discussion onThe Right to Read.

During Global Action Week, a mobile van travelled thecountry promoting the Big Read and carrying a giantnotebook in which they collected signatures of officersand persons who, at the same time, gave testimoniesof their most significant experiences in education. Thevan transported a group of young people who spreadthe word about the importance of education, literacyand lifelong learning. The final stop was at the Ministryof Education, where the team gave the booklet with all

the stories and signatures collected to Minister RobertoAguilar. The official launching ceremony was held inthe atrium of the municipal government of La Paz,where political and educational icons also signed thebook, including the Honorable Mayor of La Paz, Juandel Granado Cosio.

BRAZILThe Brazilian Campaign for the Right to Educationheld a Big Public Class in the National Parliament onthe 28th April with the theme Read and Write theWorld. The class held in the National Congress, waspart of an initiative of the National Campaign for theRight to Education, in partnership with the Educationand Culture Committee of the Chamber of Deputiesto discuss literacy rates and the Education of Youthand Adults in Brazil. It was marked by the surrenderof a giant letter to the President of the Chamber ofDeputies. The document reiterates the targets set bythe NAP (National Plan of Education) as well as recallingthe goals adopted at the World Education Forum inDakar. The class was a public activity of Action Week,

which mobilized 100 thousand people from all statesof the Federation. Loud public readings of books,newspapers, news of the day, and other stories tookplace in the open at local schools, with the support ofthe children from the Reading-Friendly Group.

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CANADAFifteen Canadian authors contributed stories andvideos to the Big Read campaign, which were read andwatched by over 14,000 students, teachers and activists

across the country. Several Big Read authors visitedschools to share their stories. The students then sentin petitions calling upon the Canadian governmentto do more to provide Education for All, and Member

of Parliament Mike Savage read a statement in theHouse of Commons calling for Education for All.Canadas GCEs 22 member organizations promoted the

campaign with their constituencies, and reached out toCanadians via Facebook, YouTube, Taking It Global andan online email petition organized with Make PovertyHistory. There was also good media coverage in several

local and national publications.

In Montreal, the Institut de coopration pourlducation des adultes (ICA) held a Big Read eventon 22nd April at which adult learners read their ownstories about literacy. In Ottawa, on Parliament Hill, the

annual Canadian Teachers Federation (CTF) Breakfaston Parliament Hill featured a multi-media presentationof Francophone, Anglophone and Inuit students fromacross the country reading lines of a Big Read story

entitled Deleted by Canadian author Frank Edwards.

The early morning event gathered nearly 100 Members

of Parliament, Senators, representatives of NGOs and

Frank Edwards himself. The breakfast also featured

short videos of a Big Read event in the Caribbean and

Ghana.

CHILEAction Week focused on a problem that is relevant

to Chile for the millions of young people and adults

that dont get to finish their schooling this affects

more than four million people in Chile. The purpose of

the week was to ensure that the government, private

companies and civil society accorded the attention it

deserved. The National Forum on Education prompted

a number of activities both in Santiago and outlying

regions, from the 25th March to 30th April. This

included the Open Book campaign which involved

collecting proposals and names of individuals who

contributed to the campaign and supported the

initiative to place this item on the agenda for public

opinion. The team organized demonstrations in public

squares and streets of the city which attracted the

attention of the public and the media. In this spirit, a

street theater company was launched at an event at the

Civic Theater and Plaza de Armas de Santiago.

COLOMBIAActivities undertaken in 2009 in Colombias Action

Week involved intensifying the high level of political

discussion, presenting new proposals and initiatives,

and doing demonstrations in favour of measuresthat promote free and universal education for all.

Action Week began with a launch of a campaign

for chargeability, Incidence and Free Education in

Colombia. Convened by the Colombian Coalition for

the Right to Education, the campaign developed a set

of movements for change in the constitution and laws

of the country, regarding the collection of school fees

for primary education. On the 22nd and 23rd April,

the Status and challenges of education throughout

life in Colombia program was introduced to different

people and organizations at the National University. The

program was hosted by 13 institutions and included

panels on training the trainer, civic education and

literacy as well as testimonials from people like the

French feminist psychologist, Florence Thomas. Other

activities included a campaign on the Right to Quality

Sexual Education organized by the Foundation CEPECS.

During three days, five educational institutions in

Bogot promoted sex education for children, youth and

teachers.

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COSTA RICAThis year the coalition created a document demandingthe right to read and collected supporting signatures.It was delivered to the Education Minister LeonardoGarnier, with a list of demands to improve the quality

of education in Costa Rica. The delivery was done bya group of children. The Open Books, Open Doorsactivity was held at the Board of Benemrito of theLegislative Assembly (Parliament) on 21st April wherenational media was invited. Seated at the main tablewere: Virginia Murillo, Executive President DNI, DeputyMario Nunez, President of the Commission for Childrenand Adolescents in the Legislature, Leonardo Garnier,Minister of Education and a teenager, representingchildren and adolescents participating in the ActionWeek. More than 500 groups of children, adolescentsand adults participated in Action Week. The finalBig Read event took place in schools, colleges anduniversities and within civil society groups. Theestimated number of people who read the stories in theBig Read Book stands between 23,000 and 25,000.

CUBAUNESCO and its partners drew attention to the effortsof the distinguished 19th century Cuban intellectual,Jos Marti to promote reading and writing amongchildren and adolescents. The 120th anniversary of

Martis renowned La Edad de Oro was celebrated witha ceremony, a national writing contest for students anda performance by La Colmenita, a childrens theatregroup and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. UNESCO alsoproduced a public service announcement for televisionemphasizing the importance of reading among youthand children and a video on Martis works comprisedof interviews of Cuban children and intellectuals andwas distributed to schools, libraries, and education andcultural institutions.

DOMINICAWeeklong activities started on 20th April at theWoodford Hill Primary School. A panel discussionwas held and was broadcast live on the nationalradio station. There were over 200 people in theaudience representing churches, schools, parentteachers association, village councils and other non-governmental groups.

The Big Read was held on Tuesday 21st April andon Wednesday, members of the community andteachers engaged in painting a word wall next to eachclassroom. A big march was held in the village ofWoodford Hill. Action Week culminated with a seminar

on Adult Literacy and ways to gain interests in reading.

ECUADORCCF Ecuador, in alliance with Federations andAssociations, implemented programmatic strategiesto minimize one of the root causes of poverty: parentslow education level. Action Week activities highlightedwhere low education has impeded access to betterjobs and income, and the need to improve educationquality and generate friendly environments in publicschools. Students & citizens marched in a LiteracyRally, community dancers performed and a literacyconference was held where testimonies were given onlives changed by education.

GUATEMALAAction Week in Guatemala was a great success! Eventsstarted in the north, in the department of Petn,Sayaxche municipality in the La Ceiba Community on16th April led by womens organizations. On 22ndApril there was a morning forum for discussion on theprogress of education, with the participation of villagersand residents of the departments of San Marcos,Suchitepequez, and Retalhuleu. In the afternoonit was time for an exhibition and cultural activitiesrelated to the Big Read promoted by the nationalumbrella organization of people from marginal areas ofGuatemala, a member of the Association of Educationfor All. In Guatemala City, opposite the National Palaceof Culture, CEAAL gave the opening remarks of theprogramme, and an outstanding young student played

the marimba. Some young students of the CooperativeInstitute for Holy Face Zone 6, performed songsalluding to the event and delivered a message.

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It also included the active participation of youngpeople of the Cooperative Institute for Ciudad Quetzal,who began their presentation with a bazooka, thenperformed a play to finish. The closing activity wasorganized by the Cooperative Institute for CiudadQuetzal, who made an extra movement around thecentral park motivating young people to continue withpresent demand for the Right to Education.

HAITIAction Week was launched on Tuesday, 21st April inPort-au-Prince in the presence of students, teachersand parents. On the next day teachers from more than50 schools took part in the Big Read in 5 geographical

departments and signed documents to ask the leadersfor a chance to Education for all.

HONDURASDuring Global Action Week, the CoordinatingCommittee for Educational Networking (COMCORDE)held activities at central and decentralized levelsin schools of different departments. The theme for

Action Week was The Right to Read and Write, andeach activity aimed to highlight the importanceof learning to read and write in peoples lives. Theopening ceremony, held on Tuesday, 21st April inCentral Park in Tegucigalpa, was attended by 25 NGOs,other members of COMCORDE, senior governmentofficials, teachers, students and general public totallingmore than 150 people. This event was enlivened bya Marimba performance composed by children andwas supplemented by stands located throughout thepark, which disseminated books, pamphlets, and gavespeeches.

More than a thousand students attend storytellingactivities at the Mall Multiplaza of Tegucigalpa. Therewas also a successful press conference at the COHEP(Honduran Council of Private Enterprise) beforethe week closed with a one-hour slot on Channel 8with testimonies, stories, and interviews around thecampaign.

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MEXICOCampaigners made a compilation of testimonies ofpeople whose lives have been affected by not knowinghow to read and write. These stories were integratedinto the Big Read stories. With its reading program

called Read-a-Thon, San Patricios students, parents,and teachers read 67,381 books until the end of Marchin order to promote the love of reading and to create alifelong habit in students which will also enable them tobe critical and independent thinkers.

The Comit Regional Norte de Cooperacin worked withthe UNESCO Associated Schools, to organise severalvisits to schools to promote youth and adult literacyand lifelong learning as they were invited to participatein the Global Action Week. Some enthusiastic youngstudents, namely Dory MacDonal, Alejandro Gmez,Csar Ramrez, Adrin Lozano, Marcela Silveyra, AngelaPalos and Roberto Gonzlez achieved great successes bymotivating more children to take part.

NICARAGUARaising awareness about the importance of learning toread and write was the crux of the activities promotedby the Forum for Education and Human Developmentof the Initiative for Nicaragua. The organisation was

praised by the Minister of Education, Professor Miguelde Castilla, for its success with Global Action Week2009. He said; Thanks to the atmosphere generated byGlobal Action Week in Nicaragua, its communicationsand media rounds, has increased the number ofpersons enrolled in this phase of literacy. The mainactivity involved literate and illiterate citizens, teachers,educators, and people committed to educationhandwriting personal testimonies about the meaningof access to written culture. Afterwards, the testimonieswere delivered and read aloud to the departmental

and municipal delegations of the Ministry of Educationand to the Facilitation Points of literacy throughout thecountry.

PARAGUAYThe ASPnet schools in Paraguay organized a BigRead session and music and dance performances on22nd April in the main square of the city of Asuncinthat was attended by local authorities, communitymembers, students, teachers and principals from ASPnet

schools. Winners of a national literacy competition thatencouraged ASPnet students to submit drawings and

writings on the importance of literacy skills were alsoannounced during this event.

PERUThe activities of the Peruvian Campaign for the Right

to Education started three weeks prior to Global ActionWeek with the reading of the national version of theBig Read in nearly four thousand schools and literacycircles and involved 121,577 participants. The testimonyof the Quechua Congresswoman, Hilaria Supa, abouthow being literate changed her life. Nelson Mandelasspeech provoked more debates and reflections onthe right to education and literacy for all. In Lima, thecapital, individual hearings were held a week aheadwith Congressmen, high functionaries of the Ministryof Education, the Ministry of Economy and Finance,

the National Education Council and the OmbudsmansOffice, whose representatives were sympathetic todemands to better the conditions necessary for optimaldevelopment of reading skills in children, teenagersand adults. Following the decentralization processof public education in the country, the mobilizationof the Peruvian Campaigns 28 associates in 13 sub-national regions, including Lima, was outstanding. Fourregional governments called all schools to join the BigRead and in rural and urban districts they organizedparades, debates on radio programs and public hearings

attended by district, provincial and regional author ities.

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SURINAMEIn Suriname the Big Read was launched on 6thFebruary, with a discussion between children. Thetopic of the discussion was: What would you do if youcould not read or write? Eighteen children between

the ages of 10-14 participated in the discussion thatwas presented by the U.N. MDG ambassadors. In theperiod before Global Action Week several importantSurinamers were interviewed on the importance ofliteracy for national newspapers. During the week across-generation discussion including youth and seniorcitizens focused on the importance of communication.The week closed with a final event on Saturdayorganized with different activities, all emphasizing theimportance of literacy and lifelong learning.

URUGUAYThis year, Action Week was considered a milestone topave the way for the International Conference on AdultEducation (CONFINTEA VI).

Several mobilization and sensitization activitieslike literary contests, surveys and interviews wereconducted across the country to demonstrate thatyouth and adult education is a fundamental humanright. Another breakthrough in the fight for the rightto education was the recognition of the educational

interests of Action Week by a resolution of the Ministryof Education and Culture. According to the messagefrom the International Council of Adult Education(ICAE), which called the event in conjunction with theNetwork of Popular Education Between Women of LatinAmerica and the Caribbean (REPEM), the purpose of theweeks activities was to support, encourage, promoteand create awareness of education as a basic humanright and essential in the struggle for human dignity,freedom and the fight against poverty. The mainactivity carried out was the Second National Forum on

Education for young people and adults, organized bythe National Preparatory Committee of the CONFINTEAVI. The event, held at the Ministry of Education andCulture, received the educator Rosa Maria Torres andEcuadorian economist and educator Brazilian SergioHaddad, as lecturers.

USAOn 21st April Queen Rania of Jordan joinedother leading education advocates, including

Congresswoman Nita Lowey, Senior Advisor to thePresident Gayle Smith, Counselor to the Secretary of theTreasury Gene Sperling, National Education AssociationVice President Lily Eskelsen and American Federation ofTeachers Vice President, Francine Lawrence to launchthe Big Read. These advocates were joined by over100 key policy and political leaders for a roundtablediscussion entitled A Smart Response to ChallengingTimes: Educating Our way to a Better Future, followedby a press conference which achieved widespreadcoverage including broadcasts on CNN, Reuters, NPRand many others.

Helping nations around the world educate theirchildren sows the seeds for economic opportunityabroad and diminishes the risks of violence and

instability. It also demonstrates the goodwill of theAmerican people. As Chair of the Appropriations Stateand Foreign Operations Subcommittee, I will continuemy work to bolster resources for basic educationand ensure coordination among our diplomatic anddevelopment agencies, said The Honorable Nita M.

Lowey.

Queen Rania was also joined by two child advocates,Devli Kumari, a recently literate former child laborerfrom India and Jessica Murkowitz, an eighth gradestudent from Seattle, plus dozens of local students tosign the Big Read. With support from ONE, NEA, AFT,Results, GAA and many other partners, over 50,000Americans from all 50 states joined the call and signedthe Big Read petition to President Obama, calling onhim to keep his promise to ensure that all childrenhave access to a quality basic education by makinga US contribution of $2 billion to a Global Fund forEducation. Advocates from over a dozen states thendelivered the Big Read petition to President Obama andWhite House staffin advance of the G8 meetings onJune 16th, the day of the African Child.

VENEZUELAAction Week presented the opportunity to read andstruggle for literacy. The central theme of the fightwas the right to read. Organizations from different

Venezuelan unions alongside ESCAP, Fe y Alegra, theNational Federation of Parents, Banco del Libro andothers to form the Big Reading Group.

Public figures, athletes, artists, politicians, social activistsand retired teachers read stories in their local area.Public libraries were used as forums for advocacy andcultural activities, while visits and lectures were heldat schools. Global Action Week coincided with thedevelopment of the Second National Congress onEducation, whose members, from both the academicand corporate world, articulated some of its activities

with the campaign, which came to a climax at thenational event on 23rd April.

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Overall, Asia stands ahead of some other developing regions in terms ofEducation for All. Many countries have achieved universal primary education(UPE), but progress is uneven throughout the region. Enrolment in pre-primaryeducation remains too low to prepare the regions children adequately for latersuccess in education. Some 9.5 million children are out of school and nearly113 million adults in the region still do not enjoy the right to literacy.

The mass mobilization and cooperation of people is what stood out duringGlobal Action Week in Asia. Overcoming limited resources, coalitions, teachers,civil society and organizations were able to bring the plight of illiteracyto the forefront through media, public events and direct interaction withgovernment. A total of 4.47 million people were mobilized to take action inthe week long campaign in Bangladesh. Nepal focused on the educationalneeds of people living in remote areas, while the Philippines held a nationwide

simultaneous reading, where thousands of people read stories from the BigRead. The Taiwanese coalition used the stories from global celebrities todesign curriculums as teaching materials. In India, Bollywood stars joinedGCE President Kailash Satyarthi in launching the Big Read, and echoed hissentiments that For many people in this world education is another word forfreedom from slavery.

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AFGHANISTANAction Week started on 20th April by placing banners,posters, stickers and distributing leaflets in the 25provinces of the country. There were television andradio broadcasts of the campaign messages covering

the entire country and a press conference to announceAction Week. Big gatherings took place in 25 provincesat more than 100 schools. Nelson Mandelas storywas translated into local languages and distributedto all participants to read and then read loudly at allgatherings.

BANGLADESHDespite the sweltering heat, millions participated in theweek long Global Action Week programs held acrossBangladesh. A total of 101 organizations includingthe Directorate of Primary Education mobilized 4.47

million people to take action. A huge mobilizationwhich culminated in a reading event served as thehighlight of the campaign. An education fair providedplatforms to various stakeholders on education such ascivil society organizations, international NGOs, and theMinistry of Education. The Education Minister and otherparliamentarians joined the various events. TV Talkshows were organized on major channels and nationalconsultations were organized with policy makers andTeachers Unions.

BHUTANThis Year the UNESCO Clubs of Jakar Higher SecondarySchool and Wangdicholing Lower Secondary Schoolwent for a mass walk in all strategic locations of Bhutanwith flags and banners bearing educational messages.

From the 20th to the 25th of April, students read storieson literacy in schools and on the last day, the 26th,members gathered in the town attended by Dzongkhag(district) officials. The officiating Dzongda Mr. Y.KPradhan urged the public to support programme torealise the importance of education and Education forAll (EFA). Many people gathered at the town parkingarea and the club members got signatures from thepublic who were present in support of education forall. In order not to miss any single person in Bumthangthe members walked towards Bathpalathang,

Jampalhakang, Wangdicholing and the city centre,talking to businesspeople, taxi drivers, tourists, dayworkers and even travellers. The main objective ofthe mass walk was to disseminate information withthe following key messages: 1) that literacy is a basicright and the key to reducing poverty, 2) urging thedropouts to continue their education and explainingthe advantages of being literate vs. illiterate, 3) makingpeople realize how fortunate the Bhutanese peopleare to receive a free education, and to make use of theresources and learning institutions like Non FormalEducation (NFE). The club members also visited Jambaylhakhang and offered one thousand butter lamps forworld peace and Education for All.

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CAMBODIAAction Week was exciting in Cambodia this year as theywere able to mobilize more people than ever before!The events took place in seven provinces and in onecity (Phnom Penh), there were more than 800 people in

attendance, including a famousfi

lm star and comedianwho were both invited to convey the message of theBig Read. Media coverage was also exceptional. TheBig Read events attracted the attention of two radiostations, two television stations and three newspapers,all of them among the most popular in the country. Thekey message for each event was on lobbying for moreresources to education.

INDIABollywood joined children and adults in the BigRead with the slogan: Open Books to Open Doorsof Development. In New Delhi, on 27th April 2009,Bollywood stars Mahima Chowdhary and singer

Jasbir Singh Jassi joined Devli, a former child bondedlabourer and thousands of other children and adults toshare stories of education during the Big Read. Devli,the 11 year old star attraction had returned after theinternational launch of the Big Read with Her MajestyQueen Rania in Washington DC and told her story;Education changed my life and I believe that if everychild is given the opportunity to study they can becomeofficers, and get jobs like all of you present.

I feel pain in my heart when I see children working inthe dhabas and other places. I have helped to enroll 20children in government schools in my village thereforeI am sure that if we all work together we can send everychild to school. Kailash Satyarthi, President of GCE wasalso present and said For many people in this worldeducation is another word for freedom from slavery forchildren like Devli and many others who were rescued.India reproduced 3,000 copies of the Big Read whichwere shared in 13 states in Hindi and English.

INDONESIAThe E-net for Justice and non governmentorganizations in East Java held audience with theeducation government leader in the Pasuruan districtabout the quality of education and addressing literacyfor youth and adults, especially women. In Jakarta,

E-net for Justice, and other civil society organizationslobbied the General Director of non-formal educationfor the support to alternative education for womenin Indonesia and life skills for the youth. During theweek, a display of posters was used to highlight theneed for Lifelong Learning and to promote Youth andAdult Literacy at provincial levels. Through the slogans,the leaders and educational authorities both at thenational and provincial levels were reminded of theirresponsibility to make citizens literate. Furthermore, aprint and electronic media campaign was conductedon quality education for everyone. The highlight eventwas held on the 26th April in Surabaya East Java where

E-net for Justice and some NGOs conducted activitieson the Boulevard in Surabaya City and in front of theleader of East Java provinces office.

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