Lire et Écrire - Reading and Writing

Who we are?

Lire et Écrire has three main objectives:

• focussing public opinion and the authorities attention on adult literacy and the urgent need to combat its causes and provide solutions;
• increasing the number of literacy training centres for young people and adults;
• seeking means of creating effective structures to combat illiteracy within the French-speaking community of Belgium.

What we do?

Lire et Écrire’s main activities are:

• political lobbying at federal and Community levels;
• organising campaigns to focus attention on literacy and encourage those in need, to take part in literacy training;
• coordinating events for the “International Day of Literacy” (8 September);
• promoting international relations, mainly with UNESCO, the European Union, and the Flemish-speaking community of Belgium;
• developing joint research and education methods.

Best practices

Eur-alpha (2009-2013): European network for adult literacy and numeracy

Grundtvig workshops against illiteracy: Lire et Écrire Communauté française (Belgium) proposes a thematic workshop in Brussels, from 12 to 19 April 2014.

A research-action training starts from a real unsatisfactory situation a group has to face and is willing to overcome. The group of learners will have to combine two attitudes to find a solution: behaving alternately as a researcher and as an actor.

Unfortunately, this method is not frequently used in adult literacy work. It is, however, a fantastic tool linking access to basic skills and greater self-determination within a collective project.

This workshop is for European specialists in charge of basic skills courses for adults and engaged in combating illiteracy:

• literacy providers
• literacy practitioners
• heads of associations of popular education.

Publications

Eur-alpha:

• Enhancing the power to take action: available in EN and FR
• The learners Manifesto: available in DE, in EN, in ES, in FR, PT, SL and in NL
• The tutors Charter: available in EN, ES, SL and FR