Media and Information Literacy for Citizens:

Global Thrust and UNESCO’s Action

by Vladimir Gaï, Media and Civic Participation Section

III EAVI International ConferencePalacio del Senado, Madrid, España

25th November 2009

“Citizens’ Participation in Public Life

through the Media” Relationship between media and their

audiences is dramatically changing. Digital media technologies create a

sort of a “dialogic loop” increasing interactivity with the media and citizens’ participation.

“Citizens’ Participation in Public Life through the Media”

Those involved should be media and information

literate;“learn and adopt standards of fairness,

accuracy, and ethics through media literacy training”.

Media Literacy

Digital Literacy

Internet Literacy

Computer Literacy

News Literacy

Electronic Games Literacy

Library

Literacy

FOE and FOI Literacy

Information Literacy

Media and Information

Literacy

A genuine global thrust for media and information literacy:

• Major achievements in Europe;• “National Information Literacy Month” in the

USA;• Committed proponents and stakeholders all

over the world;• M and IL breakthrough in the Middle East, in

Africa, and even in the Pacific;• Quality resources, networks and clearing

houses.

UNESCO’s stand and action

35th session of the General Conference (Paris, October 2009):

“develop the critical abilities of media and information users by increasing media and information literacy”

UNESCO’s stand and action

• Article 19 of the UDHR;

• Grünwald Declaration (1982);

• UNESCO Paris Agenda;

• WSIS and its follow up: M and IL - one of the four priorities of the Action Line “Media”;

UNESCO’s stand and action• Awareness-raising;

• Establishing guidelines;

• Universal model curriculum on M and IL for teacher education;

• Open educational resource (OER) for a new Media and Information Literacy Curricula.

Federico Mayor Zaragoza:

“If we do not participate, we are not citizens; we are counted, but do not count” (“Education, the cornerstone of democracy”)

Media and Information Literacy (should be/become)

part and parcel of

national policies, laws and practices!