WORLD READ ALOUD DAY

Today is World Read Aloud Day. Pam Allyn of Hastings is the head of a group LitWorld (litworld.org). She asked that I publicize the following decree.
We are uniting our voices in cities and communities across the globe.
We celebrate the power of stories and words to change worlds.
We join our voices for quality literacy education for every child worldwide.
Today 774 million people cannot read or write. They are denied the joy and light of reading
every day.
Education is a human right and a means to attaining other human rights that we declare to be
universal.
Literacy education improves the health of children and families, spurs economic growth and
advances equality.
For many children worldwide, quality education is the difference between life and death,
between hope and despair and being able to make the most of oneʼs potential. This is our
opportunity to give voice to the future.
By coming together and raising our voices on this day, we show the worldʼs children that we
support their lives: that they have the right to read, to write and to share their stories to change
the world.
Today I pledge my passion for quality education and my support for the cause of literacy. I
encourage everyone to take part in this day and this cause.
As a representative of my community, I will continue to advocate for the causes most important
to us and I encourage all of you to join me in the fight for our children and all childrenʼs futures.
In observance of World Read Aloud Day, I invite you to take a moment to think about what you
would miss most if you could not read or write.
Itʼs time for all of us to join the global literacy movement. Through our voices we can be free and
be part of words changing worlds.
This decree is designed to be presented on March 9, 2011, but you are welcome to modify the
first lines and read it aloud or post it on your website on any day, because we need to support
Readerʼs Rights every day until we achieve Global Literacy.