PEARL COVE LIBRARY BLOG

 READING: OUR FUTURE

 Children reading, Mpopo, Zambia                    Picture: Book Aid International

Can you imagine not being able to read? Missing out on the joy of words and stories, not being able to understand recipes, manuals, even instructions on medication. September is literacy month, with Indigenous Literacy Day held in Australia on September 1 and International Literacy Day on September 8. To celebrate, Pearl Cove Library is hosting our first Human Living Library event, and we'd like you to come.

WHAT IS A HUMAN LIVING LIBRARY?

The Human Living Library concept began in Denmark in 2000, based on the idea that if people got to know someone on a human level, in an environment where everyone felt safe, they could overcome their preconceptions and 'unjudge' them. 

Human 'books' are reserved by one or two 'readers' at a time for conversations.The idea is not to just speak at someone, but to start a dialogue - to give people who may never have encountered someone such as their book the chance to hear their stories and ask them anything they want to know. The dialogue builds bridges across communities and the conversations continue when the readers (and books) go back to their families and friends.

For more information, go to Human Library Australia or Human Library.

WHY THIS EVENT?

This event aims to raise awareness of the effects of illiteracy in the Pearl Cove Community. This is especially important when we consider statistics showing that our Indigenous and multicultural communities from war-torn countries are likely to have much lower literacy levels than the rest of the population.

According to the Indigenous Literacy Foundation, only about a third of very remote Indigenous students in Year 5 are at or above the minimum reading standards.Overall nationwide, the reading level of one in every four Year 5, 7 and 9 Indigenous students and one in every five Indigenous students in Year 3 is below minimum standards. As last year's federal government Closing the Gap report highlighted: 'Successfully progressing through school is important for students' transition to further study or work.'

And of course these are just today's figures - generations of disadvantage mean that countless older Indigenous Australians also face problems with literacy.

Looking overseas, a background paper prepared by UNESCO for last year's International Literacy Day says that 'the Arab world is characterised by multiple social and political changes, conflict, increased migration, displacement, and persistent gender inequality', which impact on adult literacy levels.

As Pearl Cove Council is committed to becoming a Refugee Welcome Zone for refugees from Syria and Iran, understanding our new community members' situations will help us know what they need to settle in.

THE PEARL COVE 'BOOKS'

Our Human Living Library event features four books from the Pearl Cove Community.

Uncle Jack Burns

Picture: Federal Arts Department

An elder of the local Ngaran Ngaran people, Uncle Jack will speak about how being removed from his family as a boy, as a member of the Stolen Generations, means he was unable to learn to read. He has had to rely on his wife and children to read documents for him, and will talk about how this affected his employment opportunities and the course of his life.

Jess Hilton

Picture: Sandro Bisotti

Jess's mother died when Jess was 5. Her father became depressed and lost his job, then his home, so they were forced to live in their car, and off the charity of family and friends. Jess's schooling was disrupted and she missed big chunks of her early education, so didn't learn to read. With the help of her older cousin, Jess is undergoing a literacy program in the hope that she can get her HSC and go to TAFE to study.

Samara Ali

Picture: UN Women

A member of our refugee community, Samara was born to a poor family in rural Syria, one of 11 children, and did not go to school because there were few schools to go to in her district and it was not then common for girls in rural areas to be educated. After her husband and three of her five children were killed in the Syrian War, Samara and her two other children were allowed to emigrate from a refugee camp to Australia. She has had great difficulty learning to read and write in English as she never learned to read and write in Syria. Her daughter Shahnaz will be on hand to interpret in case her mother needs her to.

Gwen Johnson

Picture: Roberto Taddeo

Gwen was born while her father was fighting in World War II. When he returned with what was then diagnosed as 'shell shock', Gwen and her mother Nell suffered along with him, as he took out his trauma on them. Gwen's early schooling was patchy, and she left early to earn money for rent and food when she and her mother left home. Gwen met her husband young and raised a large and loving family with him, cooking from memory and buying the weekly groceries by recognising the designs on labels, rather than being able to read them.

DETAILS OF PEARL COVE EVENT

WHEN:          Wednesday, September 1 (Indigenous Literacy Day)

WHERE:        Pearl Cove Library

TIME:             10am-noon

COST:            $5 - includes tea or coffee next door at the CWA Hall afterwards; sandwiches and cakes will be available for purchase

ANYTHING ELSE?    The Pearl Cove Book Corner will be selling books at a discounted price to Human Living Library attendees next door at the CWA Hall after the event

BOOKINGS:    Essential! Only 32 places maximum are available for this event. Each 'book' may be reserved for a 20-minute session

Please note, due to the sensitive nature of some of the topics that may be raised, this event is available only to those aged 18 or older

Ring library assistant Dee Mahoney at Pearl Cove Library on 6263 6555 to book your session by August 25, or email deemahoney@pearlcovelibrary.org.au

LINKS:            Indigenous Literacy Foundation, Human Library Australia, Refugee Council of Australia, Youth Off The Streets

#IndigenousLiteracyDay #Refugees #HumanLivingLibraries #CWA #YouthOffTheStreets