Return-Path: <nifl-health@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id g8AFihX10672; Tue, 10 Sep 2002 11:44:43 -0400 (EDT) Date: Tue, 10 Sep 2002 11:44:43 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <00ee01c258e0$bb4fc140$d8f06083@ED856ALCDGG1> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-health@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-health@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-health@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: "Daphen Greenberg" <epedgg@panther.Gsu.EDU> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-health@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-HEALTH:3769] How to subscribe to women and literacy list X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2600.0000 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; Status: O Content-Length: 14787 Lines: 285 You may subscribe to the women and literacy list by selecting the subscribe button on the left side of the NIFL-WOMENLIT list page at: http://www.nifl.gov/lincs/discussions/nifl-womenlit/women_literacy.html and follow the instructions. OR Subscribe by issuing a request to: LISTPROC@LITERACY.NIFL.GOV with the following message body: subscribe nifl-womenlit Leave the subject blank if possible Daphne Greenberg Moderator of Women and Literacy Listserv ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ian Bennett" <ibennett@mail.med.upenn.edu> To: "Multiple recipients of list" <nifl-health@literacy.nifl.gov> Sent: Sunday, September 08, 2002 3:50 PM Subject: [NIFL-HEALTH:3766] Re: Message About UN Intl. Literacy Day > Thank you for this information, this is great stuff. How do you sign up for > the WOMENLIT listserv? > Ian Bennett > > At 06:48 AM 9/7/2002 -0400, you wrote: > > >The following message, long and in unedited stream-of-consciousness > >format, was posted to the WOMENLIT listserv on Thursday. It is > >cross-posted here because women's issues cut across so many other areas of > >literacy and it may be of interest to other listserv subscribers. > > > > > >Colleagues, > > > >Some of you were good enough to contribute on this listserv ((WOMENLIT) > >your current thinking about women's issues in literacy. To show my > >appreciation, in unpolished fashion here is feedback (a lengthy posting) > >on International Literacy Day activities at the United Nations yesterday. > > > >First, the Educational Testing Service and the AAUW Educational Foundation > >are co-sponsoring a symposium in Washington, D.C., November 15-17 called: > >International Perspectives: Global Voices for Gender Equity, A Symposium > >To Explore How Women Create Change. Policy-makers, scholars, researchers, > >and practitioners are invited to explore how women have used their > >education to address four key global issues, especially in the developing > >countries: literacy improvement, peace education and conflict resolution, > >governance, and education for people with disabilities. The keynote > >speaker will be Dr. Mamphela Ramphele, managing director in charge of > >health, education, social protection, and information technology at the > >World Bank. Registration is encouraged by September 16. Forms can be > >downloaded from http://www.aauw.org/7000/ef/symposium.html), or contact > >Dawn Kepets at the AAUW Education Foundation, intsymp@aauw.org, for > >information. > > > >Second, I did have the opportunity to present some of your views at the > >afternoon workshop on Gender. The points I chose to stress were these: > >(a) In developing countries, just teaching the reading and writing > >mechanics is not enough. There is a need for functional context > >programming that recognizes that women have many roles, and that some > >require other basic skills. (b) Programming for women as parents and > >mothers, while important, should not be limited to that. Women have the > >right and need for programming as women, whatever their interests, roles, > >and goals. Overemphasis on parenting and on family literacy, especially > >in regressive political times, tends to reinforce old stereotypes. There > >is a need for institutions of policy, research, and curricular development > >to become more aware of women's issues and to ACT on them -- for purposes > >of empowering women. (c) There is a need for change in leadership > >structures and teaching and learning systems -- so as to be more > >responsive to the problems that block women's access to programs. > >Nearly all of the other points brought up in the listserv dialogue were > >mentioned in one way or another in the Gender group. On an international > >basis, while women share some of the same access and participation > >problems as men, they have some that are unique: family violence, abuse, > >in many countries pregnancy and marriage, lack of low-cost, quality > >childcare services, and so on. An issue that got special attention, as an > >American issue, was the problem of safety, that many women, especially > >minority women in poor communities, are afraid to leave their homes to > >attend classes for fear of being assaulted or raped. The group felt, > >however, that while women everywhere face the same problems with regard to > >program access, planning groups should always keep in mind that needs are > >culture specific and require different goals and curriculum from one > >country or locale to another. Nothing new, really in any of the discussion. > > > >Other workshops focused on workforce education, conflict resolution, > >language and ethnicity, and families and literacy. Each group discussed > >its topic with reference to principles of best practice (for marginalized > >groups), environmental factors (e.g political, religious) that impede the > >power of literacy to affect positive social change, how the envirnoment > >for literacy work has changed as a result of 9/11, and innovative > >approaches for dealing with the challenges. I didn't hear anything new; > >most of you could generate the same lists. But, while the outcome of the > >meetings was mostly old-hat, it may nevertheless help to inform future > >U.N. work and thinking as it rededicates itself to its "education for all" > >agenda. The U.N.'s expressed goal is to achieve a 50% improvement in > >literacy, especially for women, worldwide -- by the year 2015. > > > >Here are key points made by the morning panelists: > > > >Mongolian Ambassador (chair) - Illiteracy breeds injustice, violence, > >poverty, bigotry, intolerance. Literacy is a key to overcoming any of > >these. Literacy = liberty = social justice and human dignity. > > > >U.N. Assistant Secretary General (speaking for the Secretary > >General). Talked about literacy largely in terms of reading. Strongly > >emphasized issues of access to education and the global importance of > >seing the value of education for women, not just because women benefit but > >because families, communities, and nations do. He also stressed that > >literacy is prerequisite for peace, bridging the gap between rich and > >poor, gender equality, and so on. He spoke of literacy for both girls and > >boys, and men and women, as a "right", which is at the heart of the U.N. > >"education for all" movement. > > > >UNESCO rep - Lack of access to programs stands as a great problem > >worldwide. To be "illiterate" is to be "unfree." One size doesn't fit > >all -- programs need to be different for men and women. Learners need to > >take a more active involvement and help shift literacy agendas. > > > >VERIZON rep - Literacy is the "signature focus" of Verizon worldwide. > >Spoke of literacy largely in terms of "reading and writing." Showed a > >video (same as last year) that stated that 800 million adults are > >"illiterate" worldwide, that emphasized the importance of literacy for > >girls and for ethnic groups, that advocates eliminating gender disparities > >in school settings, that promotes policies to support gender equality and > >"education for all," and that calls for commitments from government, > >foundations, business, and individuals. > > > >Rep for NYC's Mayor Bloomberg - Literacy ensures diversity, a hallmark of > >democracy. It helps develop common knowledge and encourages respect for > >diversity rather than fear. Literacy defined again as "reading." Noted > >that in NYC today, 46% of New Yorkers are first-generation foreign > >born. 200 languages and dialects are spoken here, making the learning of > >English crucial. Literacy is essential to empower people. Despite all of > >the languages and diversity of NYC, it's important to keep in mind that > >the City didn't crumble as a result of 9/11; it came together. > > > >U.S. Department of Education Rep (Richard LaPointe for Carol > >D'Amico). From OVAE, now works with Carol D'Amico. His points: There's > >hardly anything more important than promoting the cause of literacy and > >democracy. Spoke largely in terms of children. Important issues: how we > >*understand" literacy and how we "define" it. Literacy enables people to > >lead decent and responsible lives. Literacy transcends reading and writing > >-- it is linked to almost every aspect of public and private life. It is > >the essential first step for individuals and helps shape the way > >individuals use their minds. It is a key ingredient of freedom. Fully > >realized, it gives us the freedom to go where our hearts > >whisper. Literacy gives us the power to decide what kind of a people we > >will be. > > > >International Reading Association rep - announced the 2002 UNESCO award > >winners, selected by an international jury. The awards will be announced > >in the countries of the winners on September 8th. The five winners were > >from Ethiopia, Uganda, Pakistan, and Egypt (2). Among the donors for the > >cash awards were Japan and Korea. > > > >Ambassador Chowdbury - Gave heavy emphasis on importance of literacy for > >women, the relationship between literacy/education and the promotion of > >peace and understanding, and the role of literacy in creating respect for > >diversity internationally. > > > >Sr. Ed. Advisor Africa Region, World Bank - (formerly Literacy, UNESCO) - > >Poverty is the most important worldwide problem today, especially in > >African countries, and literacy is one of the keys to overcoming it. In > >Africa, the majority of the population is "illiterate", not just groups on > >the fringes. After independence, there were few primary schools, but > >being aware of importance of literacy to nation building, they moved to > >put primary schools in place -- and by the 1980s had brought primary > >school enrollments up to 80%. Then from the 1980s to 2000, primary > >education stagnated and literacy programs died. They're now back to where > >they were 30 years ago. In Africa, there MUST be effective adult > >education and ltieracy programs -- listen to the people, use the languages > >they understand, and adjust programs to fit their needs. Also keep in > >mind that the best programs aren't necessarily those delivered by government. > > > >LaPointe - Dept of Education - has moved over from OVAE to Carol D'Amico's > >office where he has responsibility for technical and secondary > >education. Years ago he worked under Secretary of Education Bell during > >the Nation at Risk time. Two most important goals of this administration, > >he said, are establishing high standards for all students, and > >accountability -- have high expectations, standards, rigorous content, > >good leadership, etc. In response to questions raised by the literacy > >community (what the administration believes): Literacy is critical to > >planning and building strong communities, leadership and financial support > >is important, it's important to serve young people well first time > >around. The Department recognizes that adult literacy is important but we > >should come to grips with what we teach adult learners and establish > >elements of accountability. (Audience: Someone pointed out that > >accountability and standards must be carefully applied and understood -- > >to lay these on programs that have too few resources to build a good > >program is to blame the victim.) Thinks the field is lacking in research, > >and more is needed that is "evidence-based." > > > >International Reading Association (Lesley Morrow) - Places high importance > >on the necessity of professional teacher development. All research shows > >that kids do better in schools with strong teacher development > >programs. Noted that the administration's Reading First Acts target funds > >on marginalized kids and communities. Noted also that professional > >development for teachers comes in many forms: study groups, development of > >materials for study groups, reading cultures, reading coaches (New Jersey > >recently hired 100 reading coaches to work with neediest kids), and > >workshops. While teachers are the most important ingredient in the > >learning of kids, she said, families are critical to all professional > >development efforts. We need to teach parents how to read and to do > >supportive things with kids. > > > >Sherrie Claiborne, COABE - But we must have funding if we are to undertake > >professional development activities. Can't do it on the resources we've got. > > > >Calvin Miles - VALUE - spoke in terms of "reading and writing." Emphasized > >importance of access -- especially getting the access message to small > >businesses. Also stressed that there is inadequate funding for programs > >-- and if this situation doesn't improve, good people are going to leave > >the field. (This latter point received more applause than any other > >comment by any panelist.) > > > >My own sizing up: The conference, while well-intended and perhaps > >appropriate for a "celebration", was largely the converted talking to the > >converted. Little was new. Plenty of slogans and banners and good > >intentions and uplifting statements. Highlight of the day: poems and > >writings about 9/11 read over lunch by 11 NYC-area adult learners! There > >wasn't a dry eye in the house. We need to figure out how to help VALUE do > >what it is uniquely equipped to do. Two figures cited cited during the > >course of the day were that worldwide women account for 64% of adults > >needing literacy help, and that 1- in 7 people have low basic > >skills. While these are probably okay as worldwide ballpark figures, it > >isn't clear what the numbers include, and they aren't very helpful > >indicators from the standpoint of targeting funds or designing effective > >programs. > > > >Based on what I heard at the U.N. and what I read from the listserv > >contributions, I believe we need to be much clearer about which issues and > >obstacles to service are UNIQUELY women's issues, not just issues shared > >by both genders. And I believe we need to think and plan for strategies > >and programs that take those unique differences into account. The point > >from the listserv postings that I found most compelling in this regard is > >that we need to do things that make policy, research, and curriculum > >development organizations more cognizant of women's issues and to > >encourage them to act on that awareness. > > > >Finally, thanks to everyone who took time to share their thoughts. CAAL > >plans in the coming months to sponsor a symposium on women's issues in > >adult education and literacy, with a U.S. focus. > > > >-- > > > >Council for Advancement of Adult Literacy > >1221 Avenue of the Americas - 50th Fl > >New York, NY 10020 > >212-512-2362, fax 212-512-2610 > > > >-- > > >
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Fri Jan 17 2003 - 14:41:34 EST