I just found out about this campaign. You can check out their webpage here and download the book itself (PDF file 9.5MB) in different languages. The Arabic translation is just 4.5MB because it is printed so 2 pages are on one page if you get my drift!
The Big Read
This press release explains the background behind the campaign.
The Big Read’: 10 million expected to read stories from Nelson Mandela, Natalie Portman, Desmond Tutu, Alice Walker and others
10 million people are expected to take part in The Big Read, to demand urgent action for the one in four women who are illiterate. Nelson Mandela, Natalie Portman, Desmond Tutu and Alice Walker and others have contributed stories to The Big Read - a book aimed at challenging the global education crisis.
What? The Big Read is a book of short stories about education written by leading figures, Nobel Peace Prize winners and award winning authors. It has been distributed in more than 100 countries free of charge to children, parents and adult learners. Readers will add their name to a declaration - demanding that all governments deliver a good quality free, public education. The Big Read is the Global Campaign for Education’s activity for Action Week this year (20th – 26th April 2009).
“Learning to read and write changes lives; it means jobs, money, health and dreams fulfilled,” commented Her Majesty Queen Rania of Jordan, who is the Honorary Chair of Global Action Week, 2009.
Why? There are 774 million illiterate adults, 75 million children out of primary school and 226 million children not in secondary school. Nearly all governments have promised ‘Education for All’ by 2015, yet the current global financial crisis threatens to worsen the global situation and leave millions more without an education.
“The world’s poorest did not create this financial crisis, yet they stand to pay the highest price. Budget squeezes in education are threatening to reverse progress made in recent years. We cannot allow illiteracy to rise. The rich world has a responsibility to education – one of the world’s best investments the world can make to combat poverty. We are calling for $16 billion, a small fraction of the cost of the bank bailouts,” says Assibi Napoe, Chair of the Global Campaign for Education.
Where? The Big Read is taking place across the world, in homes, schools, government buildings and public events. Here is a small glimpse of what is happening:
• Angelique Kidjo, Ishmael Beah and education advocates are having a press call, Tuesday 3pm GMT
• In the USA there’s a competition to be included in the Big Read book. The campaign aims to get 50,000 signatories to deliver to Obama just before the G8, asking him to contribute $2 billion to the Global Fund for Education.
• In Washington DC Queen Rania of Jordan (the honorary chair of Global Action Week) will join Congresswoman Nita Lowey and Counsellor to the Secretary of the Treasury Gene Sperling in a press conference on Tuesday 21st.
• In Malawi the President is taking part in the Big Read.
• In Denmark 187,000 students are reading the ‘Reading Rocket’ as part of Action Week, and 500 students and teachers will read speeches on education to the Danish Parliament on the 22nd April.
• In Brazil the campaign, UNESCO and National Parliament Education Committee is holding a Big Read event on the 28th April, entitled Read and Write the World.
• In South Africa a brand new education movement has been started called ‘Public Participation in Education Network’. PPEN are taking the Big Read to libraries and schools across the nation, with a highlight event taking place on the 16th June.
• In Vietnam 50,000 students have already sent in essays into a Big Read competition.
“Learning is as fundamental a birthright as freedom. Denial of education is denial of freedom. The Big Read is a campaign that gives a second chance for every youth and adult", stated GCE President Kailash Satyarthi. (End of press release).
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Did you know:
A 10-year old girl saved over 100 lives in Phuket when the devastating tsunami struck in December 2004 BECAUSE SHE WAS LITERATE.
link to Alexandria Proclamation on Information Literacy and Life Long Learning
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