Literacy Can Change the Future｜On the Occasion of International Literacy Day, September 8
(c)Yoshifumi Kawabata
September 8 is International Literacy Day, designated by UNESCO.
Today, 754 million youth and adults worldwide still lack basic reading, writing, and numeracy skills, and more than 60% of them are women.
(Source: Global Education Monitoring Report 2025)
In addition, due to prolonged conflicts and natural disasters, 200 million children have been deprived of access to formal schooling. Many of them grow up to become illiterate adults.
(Source: Global Estimates 2025 Update）
Since its establishment in 1981, Shanti Volunteer Association (SVA) has placed library activities at the heart of its work, contributing to creating an environment where literacy can thrive. Even if children learn letters at school, without access to books, newspapers, and magazines, both children and adults quickly forget how to read.
From 2009 to 2016, I served as the head of SVA’s Afghanistan Office, where I was engaged in library programs in primary schools. At that time, there were no school libraries in Afghanistan, and children’s books were scarce. In response, we built and equipped libraries in primary schools and published many picture books and kamishibai (paper plays) in local languages, based on Afghan folktales.
We also placed great emphasis on teacher training in library activities. In Afghanistan, where teachers were traditionally expected to convey knowledge with authority, many male teachers resisted the idea of reading picture books aloud to foster imagination and creativity. However, after participating in training and practicing in their classrooms, their views changed. One teacher told us: “I once held a gun as a commander of Islamic fighters. Now, as a teacher, I can stand in the classroom holding a picture book instead. At first, I resisted reading aloud. But when I saw how enthusiastically the children listened to the stories and how happy they looked, I realized this was truly a wonderful activity.”
Takashi Miyake
Education Program Advisor, Shanti Volunteer Association
What is International Literacy Day?
The origin dates back to the World Conference of Ministers of Education held in Tehran, Iran, on September 8, 1965. At the conference, then–Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi proposed that each country contribute the equivalent of one day’s military expenditure to a literacy fund. In response, U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson called on Congress to designate September 8 as “International Literacy Day.” Subsequently, UNESCO officially established the day.
Photo: Yoshifumi Kawabata
