You can plant the seeds of literacy International Literacy Day, observed September 8, focuses attention on worldwide literacy needs. Almost 860 million of the world's adults (two-thirds of whom are women) do not know how to read or write and more than 100 million children lack access to education. IRA's International Literacy Day celebration in Washington, DC Although the official date is Sept 8th, International Reading Association (IRA) will celebrate International Literacy Day in Washington, DC on Tuesday, September 11 this year. The theme for the DC event is "Literacy, a Human Right." (We encourage you to consider being a part of the wonderful activities listed below.) IRA is thrilled to have as featured speaker John Bul Dau, one of the Sudanese Lost Boys who was the focus of National Geographic's documentary "God Grew Tired of Us" (www.godgrewtiredofus.com). The event is at National Geographic headquarters from 10 am to noon on September 11th, 2007. John Dau escaped civil war in Sudan at age 12 in 1987. He witnessed years of genocide and atrocities before finding his way to a UN refugee camp where, at age 17, he learned to read and write for the first time. This gift of literacy enabled him to come to the US in 2001 where he is completing a degree in public policy from Syracuse University. He serves as executive director of The John Dau Sudan Foundation (www.johndaufoundation.org) that recently built a 13-room medical clinic in Duk County, Southern Sudan. The clinic is the only building in the county. IRA's influence helped John Dau create his new goal to build schools and promote literacy and the learning of English in Duk County. Peace has returned to Southern Sudan, as have the people. They, like John Dau, have a love of learning and are eager to rebuild the peaceful life they once knew. Rotary and IRA are united to promote literacy across the globe. Rotary clubs have been asked to partner with our IRA councils to work on a project or event for International Literacy Day. Contact your local Rotary club and brainstorm a joint event or project that would resonate in your area. The International Literacy Day themes are flexible; you can create one that better suits your intended audience by doing what ever brings the most attention to literacy. Create your own event or .... Teacher-trainers for Duk County, Southern Sudan IRA hopes to facilitate connections for the John Dau Sudan Foundation to improve the clinic and to build schools. IRA is looking to secure support for teacher-trainers who are interested in learning more about volunteering in Duk County, Sudan. John Dau will return for two weeks to Duk County in February 2008 and welcomes volunteers to accompany him. Duk County needs teacher-trainers to work with the Lost Sudanese Boys who have returned with their high school diplomas to be the Duk County teachers. http://www.reading.org/downloads/international/intl_dev_recruitment.pdf School supplies for students in Duk County (Southern Sudan) CODE is a Canadian-based non-profit organization that, through its global education program Project Love, arranges for the shipping of much-needed educational materials to students and teachers in developing countries. CODE/Project Love informs young people about international development in terms they can understand and gives them a hands-on activity to assist global neighbors of the same age. IRA hopes to facilitate CODE/Project Love as it launches its inaugural US project, which will send school supplies to Duk County, South Sudan, to support Dau's literacy efforts there. Volunteers register with CODE/Project Love, purchase and assemble the education kits, and raise the shipping fees (about $2.00/kit). CODE/Project Love will then arrange the shipping with its affiliate The International Book Bank in Baltimore, MD to Duk County, South Sudan. CODE/Project Love program manager, C. Garth Brooks, will attend the September 11th event in Washington, DC. For more information on CODE/Project Love, visit www.codecan.org/projectloveusa. (Watch for a feature article on CODE in an upcoming issue of Reading Today.) Please consider making this a literacy project for your council/community. School buildings for Duk County, Southern Sudan Currently Duk County has no school buildings. As part of International Literacy Day, students at Yorktown High School in Arlington, VA will be undertaking fundraising activities to help build a school in Duk County. Many schools are needed to accommodate the thousands of Duk County children and adults eager to learn, but this is a wonderful start. For further information please contact irawash@reading.org IRA LITERACY AWARD The International Reading Association recognizes outstanding literacy programs through its awards and grants program. The annual UNESCO International Reading Association Literacy Prize (formerly, the International Reading Association Literacy Award), has been presented since 1979 by UNESCO on International Literacy Day. The US$20,000 award is meant to benefit programs throughout the world, including many in economically and educationally disadvantaged regions. The recipient of the 2007 award will be announced by August 2007. (See article on ILD in August/September issue of Reading Today)