Every period and every historical circumstance has given new meaning to the verbs to read and to write. New technologies are introducing profound and rapid change in the ways in which we communicate and receive information. They require greater flexibility in the way we use written language. Whereas poor countries have not overcome illiteracy, rich countries are finding that a basic education does not guarantee the creation of fully functional readers. While some of us are fluent in the language of hypertext, email and the virtual pages of non-existent books, there are others who have not mastered newspapers, books or libraries. If democracy is incompatible with the illiteracy of its citizens, full democracy requires a deep ability to read beyond the deciphering of words. This ability is the right of children who will grow up as free citizens in a world where linguistic and cultural diversity are as important as biodiversity.

Emilia Ferreiro is one of the great thinkers in the Americas on the issues surrounding literacy. She was born in Argentina and obtained her Ph.D. in psychology under the direction of Jean Piaget. She is currently Full Professor at the Center of Research and Advanced Studies of the National Polytechnic Institute in Mexico.

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Mark Fried has translated ten books of fiction and non-fiction from Latin America and Spain. He lives in Ottawa where he is advocacy coordinator for Oxfam Canada.

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