White House Symposiumin New York on Advancing Global Literacy

It was an honor for Ms. Mehnaz Chief Executive Children’s Global Network Pakistan to be the only representative of Pakistan at the White House Symposium on Advancing Global Literacy. The symposium titled “Advancing Global Literacy: Building a Foundation for Freedom was hosted by the US First lady Mrs. Laura Bush who is also the Honorary Ambassador of the UN Literacy Decade till its conclusion in 2012. The symposium coincided with the start of the 63rd General Assembly session which was attended by heads of various states including Pakistan. The symposium was held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York on September 22, 2008. The visit of Ms. Mehnaz Aziz was sponsored by the USAID Pakistan.

While progress has been made, global literacy remains a critical challenge that threatens the ability of countries and their citizens to take advantage of increasing globalization and its opportunities. Addressing this challenge requires a collective commitment from every country, at all levels of government, to invest in literacy and education for all citizens.

The guests at the White House Symposium on Advancing Global Literacy included First Ladies from different States, Ministers for Education of various countries, UNESCO Ambassadors, and selected NGOs and private sector individuals who have been instrumental in bring about positive changes in the education environment of their respective countries. The symposium discussed the out comes of the six UNESCO Regional Literacy Conferences; highlighting 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.

The First lady Mrs. Laura Bush in her address on the occasion announced the establishment of the United Nations Literacy Decade Fund to Advance Global Literacy. This fund will be housed at UNESCO and sustained by contributions from governments, foundations, corporations, and others. It will target the most disadvantaged populations-including orphans and young out of school children. The United States is the first to contribute to this new fund by committing more than $2 million towards this cause.

This 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 Program (LAMP) initiatives, and in particular by improving literacy delivery on the ground through the promotion of best practices.

The Symposium was divided into three sessions. The first session provided a sum up of the past UNESCO Literacy Conferences with Ambassador of the United States to UNESCO, H.E Louise Oliver as its moderator. The panelists were from six regions.

The second session was on US Commitment to Advancing Global Literacy undertaken by the Administrator United States Agency for International Development and Director of United States Foreign Assistance Ms. Henrietta Fore while the third session was on UNESCO’s Commitment to Advancing Global Literacy.

Concerted efforts since September 2006 are on to deal with this issue at international level. The first White House Conference on Global Literacy called on international leaders to stimulate support for literacy in their countries. As a result in the two years following the White House Conference UNESCO hosted six regional conferences to continue and expand dialogue. First ladies, Literacy experts and policy makers participated in these conferences in Qatar, China, Mali, India, Azerbaijan and Mexico. These conferences led to increased investment in regional Literacy efforts by global leaders and the expansion of individual freedoms.

Children’s Global Network Pakistan was one of the invitees to present the central component of its Interactive Teaching and Learning Program, the intergenerational Family Literacy initiative, at the regional Literacy Conference for South, South west and Central Asia titled “Building Partnerships and Promoting Innovative Approaches” in New Delhi. The Family Literacy program received international recognition in 2006 when at a UNESCO “Education for All Week” luncheon in Washington D.C First Lady Mrs. Laura Bush in her speech commended Ms. Aziz for getting mothers involved in their child’s education through teaching them how to read and write.

The White House Symposium provided Children’s Global Network with an opportunity to advocate it’s tried and tested Interactive Teaching and Learning program with special focus on Family Literacy component but also to establish linkages with the education ministries of the region and gain support for replication across the border. Ms. Aziz initiated regional dialogue with Afghanistan, Bangladesh and India to create a platform for sharing best practices in this critical time. UNESCO has agreed to support this regional initiative.