on writing | to make a difference

I'm all for blogging challenges (as it is most likely evident), so when I learned about this challenge over at A Wooden Nickel, I signed up.

Although there is only four of us now... maybe (just maybe) the cause will grow.

If you aren't a link-hopper like me, I will give you the lowdown on the challenge.

The challenge began as a literacy awareness project, and the goal is to write a new post everyday to promote awareness of illiteracy that still exists around the world. In addition to this, the posts have to be about something you've read that day.

Think of it as current events day in middle school - when its your turn to cut out an article from the daily newspaper and bring it to class to discuss - but just every day of the month. And you have to share your thoughts on it.

Not so bad, right?

Now, as this challenge (as I mentioned above) currently only has a few participants... we need your help. I am currently looking for a worthy organization (non-for-profit of course) that is currently working on promoting literacy throughout Canada and the world. I would love to transform this challenge from a friendly challenge into something that will actually make a difference to others, not matter how small. If you're thinking about joining in, please let us know! We'd be happy to have you in our growing circle.

So, in light of this new challenge, I researched for a few articles that would actually educate me on the currente state of illiteracy issues around the world, and how far we've actually come in the past 20 or 30 years.

It was interesting to note that Canada nor the US has the top literacy rates in the world. In fact, we are both ranked 19. However, there are, ohhhhhhh 15 countries tied for 19, so I suppose that isn't all bad. What surprised me the most however, was that Georgia, Cuba, and Estonia have the highest literacy rates. Which is surprising, considering they are not huge, overly developed, or highly technical countries.

A few of the countries with the lowest literacy rate are Pakistan (49.5%), Ethiopia (35.9%), Chad (25.7%), and Burkina Faso at 23.6%.

I think (as Canadians) that because we are surrounded by literate and technology-able people, we forget about what a difference it makes to be able to read. If you really think about it, when was the last time you came across someone who didn't know how to read.

It's not because there aren't any out there. Even in our country. Trust me.

We've just become so much of an evolving/technologically advanced/focused on post-secondary education type of community, that people who don't know how to read are embarrassed to say so.

Because we would judge.

And I get it. I really do. People who are illiterate don't have as many chances as we do, so therefore we judge.

However, I'm pretty sure we're forgetting that neat little saying we've all heard.

everybody has a story.

Now before you assume I'm going to jump ship and start talking about homelessness and drug addicts - you'll just have to trust me that I won't (because that's a whole other post on its own).

I'm simply saying that in todays world, we still have generations and generations that are older than us. People who were brought up in very different ways than us. As much as us 20-something bloggers would like to think our world is tough, growing up in the 1930s/40s/50s just might have been harder.

So the next time you do come across someone who doesn't know how to write all the letters of the alphabet in lower case letters, or has to sound something out when reading it, try to imagine all they up against, and support them. Rather than simply writing them off as lazy.

It just might change your way of thinking.