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"Achieving the goal of global literacy will require global participation. Today, I am happy to announce the establishment of the United Nations Literacy Decade Fund to Advance Global Literacy," said Mrs. Bush. "This fund will be housed at UNESCO, and sustained by contributions from governments, foundations, corporations, and others. It will support activities in the 35 countries with the lowest literacy rates, and it will target the most disadvantaged populations - including orphans and out-of-school youth."
As Honorary Ambassador for the United Nations Literacy Decade, earlier today Mrs. Bush hosted the White House Symposium on Advancing Global Literacy: Building a Foundation for Freedom at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The symposium provided a forum to discuss the outcomes of the six UNESCO Regional Literacy Conferences, inspired by the first White House Conference on Global Literacy in 2006; highlighted programs that can be replicated around the world with the support of local and national governments, civil society, and the private sector; and renewed international commitments to promoting and sustaining global literacy efforts.
Panelists included Ambassador Louise Oliver, U.S. Ambassador to UNESCO, Mrs. Margarita Zavala, First Lady of Mexico, Her Excellency Madame Touré Lobbo Traoré, Spouse of the President of the Republic of Mali, and Her Royal Highness Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands. Officials from the U.S. and UNESCO discussed continued commitments to advance global literacy. The Symposium featured an address from U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator and the Director of Foreign Assistance, Henrietta Fore.
"Men and women who can read and write participate more fully in their communities, develop the skills they need to be self-supporting, and significantly strengthen the position of their countries in today's global economy," said Administrator Fore.
Target groups for the Fund include women and girls; out-of-school youth; orphans and vulnerable children; persons displaced from their homes; and disadvantaged persons based on age, economic level, religion, illness, disease, and/or disability. The Fund will be used to build upon the work of the White House Conference on Global Literacy, the White House Symposium on Advancing Global Literacy, and the UNESCO Regional Literacy Conferences in Qatar, China, Mali, India, Azerbaijan, and Mexico to promote and sustain global literacy efforts and demonstrate international support for improving education and learning opportunities worldwide. The Fund's aim is to support efforts to achieve the goals of the United Nations Literacy Decade (UNLD), particularly through the Literacy Initiative for Empowerment (LIFE), the Literacy Assessment and Monitoring Programme (LAMP) initiatives, and in particular by improving literacy delivery on the ground through the promotion of best practices.
By encouraging countries around the world to promote and sustain global literacy efforts, this Fund will help reduce inequality and build a foundation of freedom for all. The priority areas for funding are Mother-Child Literacy and Intergenerational Learning, Literacy for Health, and Literacy for Economic Self-Sufficiency. The symposium included nearly 200 guests, such as First Ladies of Heads of States, UNESCO Ambassadors, and NGOs and private sector individuals who have been instrumental in the regional literacy conferences.
For more information about USAID and its education programs around the world, visit www.usaid.gov.
