Literacy as a unified concept is no longer valid or useful for today's complex world, where globally we face many challenges and contradictions. Adult literacy is shifting rapidly, and the human need for visually communicating meaningfully and relationally -- beyond 'reading and writing' -- is vital for addressing wicked problems and difficult…

In this study we evaluate the impact of a literacy program for internally displaced female refugees in Afghanistan. The results of the evaluation show that the program was beneficial both for the women who received it and for their children, as participants were 50% points more likely to be able to read and write and 19% points more likely to…

Literacy builds a foundation for further learning and necessitates human capital development that creates a knowledge economy. A clear focus on literacy policies is fundamental in achieving national and international socio-economic targets. In Tanzania, adult literacy growth has been slow, inconsistent, and characterized by regional gaps. A review…

This article examines the intersection of race and poverty on the lives of Black women living in urban communities. Historical systemic racism continues to leave many marginalized communities on the periphery and struggling to maneuver in a society that limits access to empowerment to move out of poverty. To transform the lives of those living in…

This article presents a description of the major campaigns of adult literacy in the revolutionary period in Portugal, between the years 1974 and 1977. The campaigns aimed to address the problem of extremely low levels of formal education and high levels of adult illiteracy, and were organized by different movements, from the military to political…

This paper examines the manpower development and utilization in Adult literacy education in Nigeria. The study indicates the availability of the programme in all the States and almost all the Local Government Area (LGA), and some communities in Nigeria. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in collaboration with some State Agencies and…

In this three-part article, Molly O'Shaughnessy gives the first principles that break down the myths of poverty and discusses the actual community partnerships that impact the poverty cycle and make Montessori education accessible for all children. Next, Connie Black writes about the education process and outreach programs at the Montessori Center…

In the early 1990s, UNESCO estimated that perhaps 97% of the world's 650 million disabled persons were unable to read or write, leading to significant efforts throughout the developing world to ensure that all children with disabilities attended school through "inclusive education" programmes. But what of the vast majority of persons with…

In outlining the framework offered at the UNESCO Regional Conference in support of Global Literacy (New Delhi, November 2007), it was pointed out that concepts of poverty, sustainable development and particularly of literacy and innovation have themselves been in continuous re-construction. An analysis of the context and condition for literacy…

Background/Context: In contrast to cultural constructs that equate education with cognitive development and formal schooling, the Latin American cultural model of educacion encompasses academic knowledge and social competence. Prior scholarship has mainly investigated parental notions of educacion vis-a-vis childrearing and schooling, primarily…

Background/Context: Educational researchers have long sought to understand the factors that enable or constrain persistence in non-formal family literacy and adult education programs. Scholars typically posit three sets of factors influencing persistence: situational (learners' life circumstances), institutional (programmatic factors), and…

The Quicken Trust has been working in Kabubbu since 2000. In that time it has created a primary school, a health centre and laboratory, teachers' and nurses' housing, community housing, clean water supplies, farming and work initiatives, an adult literacy centre and library, and a secondary school. Over 400 orphaned children are being educated and…

The note discusses some key issues pertaining to gender, literacy and women's empowerment in India. It uses disaggregated data to illustrate the persisting gender disparities with regard to literacy and points out that despite this there is a lack of real political will to address issues of adult literacy. It further draws on data from the…

It may be good to remind ourselves that ICAE was created in 1973 as an international non-governmental organisation in the context of CONFINTEA III which was held in Tokyo in 1972. Ever since it has grown as a global network. The ICAE Executive took the initiative to start a process to prepare for CONFINTEA VI in Brazil via a virtual seminar to…

The learning difficulties of 23 adults were investigated in order to determine ways to better serve their literacy needs. These adults were all living in poverty, had less than eighth-grade literacy levels, and had failed to graduate from high school. The participants' records were examined and structured interviews were conducted with them; also,…