The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has drafted the following definition: “Literacy is the ability to identify, understand, interpret, create, communicate and compute, using printed and written materials associated with varying contexts. Literacy involves a continuum of learning to enable an individual to achieve his or her goals, to develop his or her knowledge and potential, and to participate fully in the wider society.”
Literacy is continually proven to directly affect the higher socio-economic status of individuals and families. It therefore improves employment, health and even mortality rates in communities. The latest statistics from UNESCO that are for 2005 state that 17.4% of the world’s population is illiterate. Yet the illiteracy rate in Africa is 38.9% and 46.6% in the world’s least developed countries. There continues to be a gap between men and women but this gap continues to close. Please go to “What you can do” for more information.
- Information from UNESCO

Vocational education (also know in the US as Career Technical Training) is a social issue due to its lack in the both the developing and non developing world. It is also a key issue due to the quality and appropriateness of what is being provided in certain nations. According to latest UNESCO research, both the quality and quantity of vocational education in Africa has gone down in the last 10 years. In Bosnia and Afghanistan it is such a needy issue that stats were not even available for most of the age categories. Even in North and South America, vocational education appears to be lacking in the secondary age bracket. Advocating for a renewal in vocational training on a worldwide level is key to many populations ability to achieve self sufficiency. To quote UNESCO, “In many countries, technical and vocational education and training (TVET) lacks the status and ranking it deserves. Advocacy is required. Such advocacy can be provided to mobilize, through motivation campaigns, the interest of marginalized populations in skills development for a better life”. To learn about motivation campaigns, please go to “What you can do”.
- Information from UNESCO

For advocacy on this wide issue we are focusing on the needs in Bosnia where education is a top priority for our World Advocates team. Priorities include addressing social exclusion and its effects on children, young people and women, strengthening families, gender equality and the delivery of a morally based curriculum that bridges the gap in the cultural and religious divide. Other key issues include trafficking prevention, lack of provision for special needs and creating an effective environment for children to complete school. A lowering of the abortion rate, curbing domestic violence, increases in breast feeding and vaccination programs will all help in strengthening women’s involvement in education advocacy. For teens, the needs relate to having a sense of destiny where Bosnia is a place where they can remain and have a fulfilling life. This is especially hard for both former refugees and IDP’s (internal displaced persons) that have returned to their communities.
The development of adult education in a post communist, post war era is especially challenging. Despite high rates of unemployment, there continues to be a lack of coordination between education ministries and employment services to develop adult education. A significant emphasis needs to be placed on those marginalized in society including the Roma, the young unemployed, PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) victims from the war and those that are illiterate. The other key issue is the motivation for learning among those that require career re-orientation. Our World Advocates team is starting to make a significant difference in this arena. Please go to “What you can do” to see what you can do next.
- Information from UNICEF