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A
stimulating and productive conference was held in Nepal (4-6
December 2000) to look at literacy experience in Asia in light
of the International Development Targets. Some of the questions
addressed were:
-
How can we better understand the causes and consequences
of illiteracy?
- Why
have returns to literacy programmes been limited?
- How
can we ensure that programmes meet people's needs and reach
the poorest of the poor?
- What
lessons can we learn from the past that will help us to
improve literacy programmes?
- Should
literacy programmes be carried out for their own sake, or
as part of a wider livelihood programme?
Development
issues cannot always be tackled on a sectoral basis and increasingly
cross-sectoral approaches are providing valuable lessons.
In the past, literacy programmes have been confined to education
sectors. However, literacy is more than learning how to read
and write - it means that people have better access to information
regarding health, gain self-esteem, have better job prospects
and are often more likely to have a greater voice in local
decision-making. The conference was able to show how literacy
and general communication strategies are closely tied with
other sectors' work. It facilitated a convergence of sectors,
ideas and lessons learned; not least because it incorporated
health, social development, livelihoods and education specialists.
Sustainable livelihoods approaches were suggested as a way
to contextualise literacy programmes within the livelihoods
of the poor. Examples discussed where literacy programmes
had been incorporated within other development activities
included:
-
Nigeria, a World Bank programme incorporated a literacy
component in a car mechanics course when the apprentices
identified the need to read manuals to further their knowledge.
-
Nepal, a community forestry programme incorporated literacy
as a vehicle for communication in forest user groups to
increase awareness about forestry issues.
A
change in focus from literacy programmes to 'literacy for
livelihoods' programmes could have significant implications
in terms of expansion of programmes, new skills required and
a new way of working.
The conference report and papers presented are available below.
A few people from the conference have decided to carry forward
the discussions and we would like to hear your views, thoughts,
questions and criticisms through the Post-it Board. So, please
join in the discussion!
Susanne Clark (DFID Sustainable Livelihoods Support Office)
Documents:
Report on Literacy for Livelihoods - PDF
Papers:
Theme 1: Focus on Voices of the Poor
Literacy, Livelihoods and Lives - Some Key Challenges - RTF
Garib Ko Awaaz (The Voice of the Poor) (Dr Susan Acharya)
- RTF
Voices from the Field - Powerpoint
Theme 2: Lessons from DFID Experience
Collaboration of Nepal UK Community Forest Project and Community
Literacy Project Nepal: Lessons for Improved Livelihoods (Peter
Neil and Roshan Chitrakar) - RTF
Communication, Access to Information and Literacies: a Community
Literacy Project Experience (Roshan Chitrakar) - RTF
Good News; Bad News - Big Success and Big New Developments
in Literacy Programmes - but the poor (and the illiterate)
are still with us (Terri Kelly and Louise Banham) - RTF
Literacy, Livelihoods and Rights: a Perspective from China
(Sue Milner) - RTF
Notes for Presentation on Literacy in China (Jillian Popkins)
- RTF
Theme 3: Plans for the Future
Literacy for Empowerment in India (Sue Townsend, Vandana Jena
and Jagan Mathews) - RTF
Literacy, Livelihoods and Poverty Alleviation in Pakistan
(Dr Hazel Bines and Carol Morris) - RTF
Theme 4: Extending the Concept of Literacy
Literacy and HIV/AIDS (David Clarke) - RTF
Literacy and Empowerment (Frances Winter) - Powerpoint
Other Papers
Literacy for Livelihoods - an Outline of the Issues (John
Oxenham) - RTF
Engaging with Adults: the Case for Increased Support to Adult
Basic Education in Sub-Saharan Africa (Jon Lauglo) - RTF
Literacy Programmes and Sustainable Livelihoods (Judy Scott-Goldman)
- RTF
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