China was awarded one of the five UNESCO International Reading
Association Literacy Prizes for the year of 2007, the organization
announced on Monday.?
The prize was awarded to the Community Education Administration
Center, Longsheng Ethnic Minority Autonomous County, situated in a
remote, rural, and mountainous area in the northeast of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. The Region
has a large ethnic population and a high illiteracy rate among its
women.
"The center notably put in place a wide system of rural
education, including hygiene elements, technological facilities,
and creative activities which are designed for women of all ages,
cultures, and traditions," according to a statement issued by the
organization.
"The literacy rate among women has been greatly increased," the
organization added.
The UNESCO prizes are awarded annually in recognition of
particularly effective contributions to the fight against
illiteracy, one of UNESCO's priorities. They call attention to the
efforts of thousands of men and women who devote themselves year
after year to advancing the cause of literacy for all.
The award ceremony will take place on September 10, 2007 in
Bamako, capital of Mali, during the African Regional Conference in
Support of Global Literacy.
(Xinhua News Agency July 17, 2007)