UN Promotes Inclusive Literacy and Creative Learning at Children's Literacy Festival
JAKARTA - The United Nations (UN) in Indonesia is leveraging its global platform to celebrate children's literature and creative learning through participation in the "Patjarmerah Kecil" Children's Literature Festival. The festival, taking place from June 29 to July 7, 2024, at Pos Bloc Jakarta, showcases a variety of children's books and promotes literacy and the creative economy.
"Education is the key to development and inclusivity is at the heart of the UN's mandate," said the Director of the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC), Miklos Gaspar.
According to data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) 2023, the literacy rate in Indonesia continues to decline, with a percentage of 3.18 percent among the population aged 10 years and older. Indonesia's literacy efforts have received international recognition, including the Sejong Literacy Award from UNESCO in 2018 and the Confucius Literacy Award from UNESCO in 2019.
“We are here to show our support and encourage Indonesian youth to embrace literacy and creativity,” Miklos added.
Patjarmerah Kecil Festival: Concrete Efforts to Enhance Children's Literacy
The Literacy Festival and Traveling Book Fair "PatjarMerah Kecil" is taking place at Pos Bloc, Jakarta, from June 29 to July 7, 2024. This event serves as a reading space and a platform for book lovers, especially children, teenagers, and families.
Author and Child World Observer, Reda Gaudiamo, emphasizes the importance of a literacy culture in child development. According to her, literacy is not only related to reading and writing skills but also to emotional understanding and the development of empathy.
“This festival plays a crucial role in amplifying children's literacy. Until now, people have been busy with festivals for adults, with children's books as an addition. But this time, children's literacy is the main course!” asserted Reda.
In line with Reda, the Founder of the Ayo Dongeng Indonesia Community, Ariyo Zidni, also sees the importance of literacy conveyed through stories. The senior storyteller, affectionately known as Kak Aio, argues that stories are the best medium to spread ideas, values, information, and knowledge to children. "Stories make implicit messages enjoyable," Aio said.
In addition to thousands of books from Indonesian publishers, PatjarMerah Kecil is also enlivened with various activities that can serve as alternatives for filling school holidays, such as inclusive storytelling workshops, story writing, art therapy, poetry sessions, language games, and introducing spices to children and teenagers.[*]