Books for Rural Areas of Viet Nam Programme honored as winner of the UNESCO King Sejong Literacy Prize

The innovative approach of Viet Nam’s programme focusing on building libraries in rural and disadvantaged areas has made books accessible to more than 400,000 readers in rural areas and built more than 9,000 libraries in 26 provinces with a very limited budget, relying heavily on book donations.

Earlier this year, CKACD’s Programme was nominated among over fifty programmes implemented across the world, as one of the two winners of UNESCO King Sejong Literacy Prize 2016. Following the announcement of the five 2016 UNESCO International Literacy Prize winners on the 1st of September, the Award Ceremony was organized on the occasion of the 50th Anniversary of International Literacy Day in Paris (8th of September).

In honour of CKACD’s great achievement, Viet Nam’s National Commission for UNESCO (NatCom), the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) and UNESCO Viet Nam came together at Viet Nam’s Government Guesthouse to congratulate and recognise the innovative programme, promoting life-long learning and improving access to educational opportunities for those living in rural areas. The ceremony attend by representatives from the MOET, NatCom, CKACD, UNESCO Viet Nam and media journalists highlighted the programme as a source of inspiration for outreach and quality community learning, strengthening Viet Nam’s role as a contributor to educational development on a global level.

Speaking at the ceremony, Vice Minister of MOET, Mr. Pham Manh Hung, recognised the programmes support to building a learning society, one that has contributed to Viet Nam’s advancements towards the eradication of illiteracy and promotion of educational opportunities for those living in disadvantaged areas and for ethnic minorities. H.E. Pham Manh Hung also stressed the responsibility of each individual to continue learning throughout their whole lives not only to achieve personal happiness but to also contribute to the country’s development and to the greater good of Humanity.

Ambassador Pham Sanh Chau, Secretary General of NatCom, warmly congratulated and commended the Center’s efforts in having successfully reached and operated the programme in numerous provinces and localities in Viet Nam. H.E. Pham Sanh Chau, further emphasized the importance of education as the pathway towards human development, reducing poverty and all forms of oppression based on race, sex, language and religion.

Along the same lines, Mr. Toshiyuki Matsumoto, UNESCO Education Programme Specialist, affirmed that innovation is key for ensuring that everyone can benefit from meaningful learning opportunities to continue to acquire, use and advance literacy skills and moreover for the realization of the three-pronged vision of literacy as an (i) integral part of lifelong learning; (ii) continuum of proficiency levels; and (iii) as part of a wider set of key competencies needed for life, work and sustainable development.

Mr. Nguyen Quang Thach, Director of CKACD thanked Officials for their congratulatory messages and articulated that reading is far beyond an educational practice but rather an intellectual culture of a country. With this, Mr. Thach asserted that the advancement of a reading culture is one that can only be achieved when all children living in rural and urban areas have access to books.

To learn more about the programme Books for rural areas of Viet Nam please view the following video: 2016 UNESCO King Sejong Literacy Prize: laureate from Viet Nam or visit our UNESCO International Literacy Prizes page.  

For more information, please contact Mr. Toshiyuki Matsumoto, Education Programme Specialist, at t.matsumoto(at)unesco.org