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Editor-in-chief Meera on
a beat.
(The
Hindu) |
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United Nations: A
newspaper produced entirely by women in rural India is among the
four winners of this year's Literacy Prizes awarded by the United
Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco).
Khabar Lahariya,
the fortnightly newspaper distributed to more than 20,000 readers in
Uttar Pradesh, is entirely created and marketed by newly literate
"low caste" women who are training as journalists in Chitrakoot and
Banda districts.
The King Sejong Literacy Prize was
given to this fortnightly paper, started by Nirantar -- a centre for
gender and education based in New Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.
In 1989, the Unesco's King Sejong
Literacy Prize was instituted by South Korea. It is named after
Sejong the Great of the 14th century who created the Korean alphabet
Hangul and is remembered for his contribution to education in the
areas of science, technology and literature. Each winner is awarded
$20,000.
Nirantar has developed a method of
training women as journalists, which involves developing their
literacy skills as well as honing their reporting abilities. This
includes talking to public figures, gathering information and
sharpening their editing skills.
The coverage of Khabar Lahriya
includes politics, crime, social issues and entertainment for their
readership that spans 400 villages in both districts of India's most
populous state.
The publication began in May 2002 in
Chitrakoot and a second edition was launched in the adjoining Banda
district in October 2006, according to the NGO's website. It is
written in the local dialect Bundeli for its Bundelkhandi
readership.
The other prizes given by Unesco in
recognition of innovative programmes designed to teach women,
adolescents and other marginalised populations how to read and
write, went to programmes in Afghanistan, Burkina Faso and the
Philippines.
The Pashai Language Development
Project in Afghanistan provides literacy, livelihood, public health
and nutrition education to about 1,000 ethnic minority Pashai men
and women annually.
An honourable mention also went to a
programme in Bhutan for its holistic approach to literacy and its
success in reaching remote areas, with an emphasis on literacy as an
integral part of the country's "Gross National Happiness" as well as
its focus on adults and out-of-school youth, particularly women and
girls.
The theme for this year's awards was
"Literacy and Empowerment" and the laureates were proclaimed by
Unesco Director-General Ko chiro Matsuura on the recommendation of
an international jury.
The award ceremony will be held at
Unesco Headquarters in Paris Sep 8 to coincide with International
Literacy Day.
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