International

ProLiteracy President Speaks at International Conference on Afghanistan

Nasrine Gross, left, leads ProLiteracy's partner program in Afghanistan, Roquia Center.	Students at the Roquia Center, Afghanistan

Remarks of David C. Harvey
President and CEO, ProLiteracy
Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Faces of Afghanistan: Beyond the Headlines
Square Brussels Meeting Centre
Sponsored by the European Policy Centre and U.S. Mission to the European Union

Contact: David Harvey in Brussels (01-315) 558-1847; Jeff White (202) 296-2002 x 110

It is an honor to join U.S. Ambassador William E. Kennard, my colleagues at the European Policy Centre, and the distinguished panelists presenting today at "Faces of Afghanistan: Beyond the Headlines." I join with my colleagues to applaud the focus of today's discussion—development and stability in Afghanistan. Too often, the world views conflict resolution through a military lens. I welcome the opportunity to discuss ways that the international NGO community can support the development of Afghani civil society—or rather the development Afghani civil institutions led by and for their people.

First, let me acknowledge that ProLiteracy is a very small and nontraditional player on the international NGO stage. Perhaps that is why we have been asked to speak today. Our model for supporting adult literacy programs throughout the world is called Literacy for Social Change. Very simply, literacy for social change is a common sense approach to working in a culturally respectful, cost-effective manner with local communities around the globe. We embed adult literacy instruction within social action projects in six action areas: economic self reliance (micro-enterprise and microfinance), health, education, environment, human rights, and peace. Within this model, communities identify their most pressing needs—such as developing livelihoods through small business, lowering infant mortality, organizing a school for children—and then develop community-led projects to solve those needs. Literacy instruction in the basics of reading, writing, and math is infused throughout these community solutions. It is not literacy for literacy's sake but applied literacy instruction within the realities of everyday life.

Despite a history of involvement in Afghanistan that dates back to 1951 and the work of one of ProLiteracy's founders, Dr. Frank Laubach, we have been a strictly limited partner, providing financial and technical support with few strings attached to small grassroots organizations on the ground. There have been many interruptions in our involvement in Afghanistan throughout the years, due to changing political and security problems. Today, our main local partner is the Roqia Center, founded and led by Nasrine Gross.

The adult literacy statistics for Afghanistan are challenging: more than 11 million Afghans over the age of 15 cannot read and write. In rural areas, where three-fourths of Afghanis live, 90 percent of the women and more than 60 percent of the men are illiterate.

Very simply stated, ProLiteracy's perspective is that peace, stability, democracy, and economic development depend on a literate adult population. Illiteracy is a core problem; unless this core problem is addressed in a culturally competent manner, many other efforts to assist Afghani society will fail. Period. Adult literacy is the pure back-bone of development; it is central to peace and security.

Because the focus today is on discussion, I will limit my brief remarks to a description of ProLiteracy and some observations on changing U.S. international development policy that will impact adult literacy and basic education.

ProLiteracy

ProLiteracy Worldwide is an organization created by the merger of Literacy Volunteers of America and Laubach Literacy International. We are based in Syracuse, New York, with a policy office in Washington, D.C. Our predecessor organizations were responsible for developing a community-based response to adult illiteracy in the U.S. and—through local NGO partners—for supporting adult literacy programs in the developing world within the context of community development action projects. In the last five years, we have supported small programs in 52 developing countries, including Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan. In addition to small direct grants to local NGOs, we support professional development, advocacy, and capacity building/network building. In Washington, ProLiteracy partners with public policy allies to help shape reforms in the way the U.S. funds and supports international development.

New Readers Press, ProLiteracy's publishing arm, publishes over 150 instructional titles, some of which are distributed around the globe. Unlike many other international NGOs, we do not place staff in developing countries. Instead we provide local indigenous organizations with technical assistance and support as they lead their own action projects.

Changing U.S. Policy

Throughout our history, ProLiteracy, with rare exceptions, has avoided taking public monies from any government, including our own. Frankly, the strings and policy riders that were attached to these monies made it impossible for us to work within our Literacy for Social Change model. However, the U.S. is undergoing a profound change in the way foreign aid is granted for international development. The Obama administration, perhaps more than any other in recent memory, has advocated for the importance of literacy for women and girls as central to community development. We are thrilled, but let me caution that it remains to be seen exactly what resources the administration will allocate to this priority and how the funds will be spent.

Many of you in this room are more knowledgeable than I about the specific status of new U.S. policies in this arena, but President Obama has directed, and Secretary Clinton is implementing, a complete review of international development as a White House priority. ProLiteracy supports the new emphasis on increased coordination, on in-country mission priorities, on education for women and girls combined with micro-enterprise, and on increased funding by Congress. We applaud raising the status of development and diplomacy so that they are equal—or superior—to military solutions. We also are enthusiastic about new approaches under discussion that support smaller and more nimble international NGOs in partnership with indigenous organizations.

Time precludes a detailed discussion of any one of these areas. I do have a limited number of packets to share with you today, but I encourage you to visit our website at www.proliteracy.org for more information.

Thank you.