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International Literacy Day, proclaimed by UNESCO in 1965, is celebrated on 8 September since 1966.

Who assumes that the inability to be able to read and write properly is a problem of developing countries or immigrants, is very much mistaken.

Today the sum of illiterate people in Germany is estimated to be ca. four million people.

For comparison: Berlin, Germany’s largest city has ca. 3.4 million inhabitants. In other words, more people than all the inhabitants of Berlin are not able to read and write properly in Germany.

That’s quite a figure.

(Even if four million still make up only a small part of the whole population of Germany.)

And that in a time when reading and writing gets more and more important as the internet grows more and more important.

But what good can it do to blog about illiteracy (since all of us are able to read and write!). Or those nice ads on TV that encourage illiterate people to learn how to read and write—if someone is unable to read and write, how are they supposed to write down that phone number and address?

Point the first:

Today can remind us—who are lucky enough to regard being able to read and to write as nothing special—that it IS rather special to be able to read and to write. The education that has enabled us to learn how to read and how to write is special. It has taken us centuries to get to the point where that kind of education is no longer “special” in this country. In many countries, and for many groups of people in many countries, this basic education is still special. Especially girls are still being excluded from this kind of education.

To be able to read and write is special.

The fact that this ability and the opportunity to acquire this ability seems unremarkble to us is a privilege.

Now and again we should remember that.

Point the second:

There are people, and not just in distant troubled regions but right next door, who cannot read and write properly. Not necessarily because they are intellectually unable to, but because they eventually got left behind. Without additional support it was eventually too late for them to catch up.

Those people are excluded from many things and areas of life. From the job market and acquiring welfare money because you have to fill in forms for that, to the many opportunities offered by the internet, to the simple joy of reading a book, a story, or a poem.

Not exactly something to be proud of as a society, four million illiterate citiziens. Even if that still may be a sound percentage with regard to the whole population.

You can draw conclusions from that realisation.

For example, at the next election you can take a look at the educational policies of the various parties. And you can cast your vote with that in mind.

Or when you contemplate donating money for a good cause, why not for literacy? In Germany, or anywhere in the world.

Point the third:

Reading and writing are more than a useful cultural technique.

Reading and writing are forms of art. Not just skills.Real art.

Reading and writing are beautiful.

Reading and writing are fun.

I remember well how happy I was about finally learning how to read and write. To read stories, to write stories. That was one of the huge miracles of my childhood.

And such a miracle is a reason for a celebration even twentyseven years later!

Therefore:

Don’t be content with reading and writing mails for your job today, to give dictation to your secretary, to study a company report, to write a shopping list.

Today, on World Literacy Day, how about reading a poem for the first time in years?  How about writing a love letter on real paper? How about reading something to a loved one that has touched you deeply?