20 June is World Refugee Day, a day to mark the support to the thousands of families who flee their homes every day. Around the world communities, individuals, schools, businesses and institutions such as the libraries are showing solidarity with refugees. Arriving to a new country is never easy! A different culture and language can […]
Read moreMaking the most of ‘international days’ and other events for communication and advocacy can be a great way to join the wider conversation, and underlined both the relevance of libraries, and the need for support in order to realise our potential. This post sets out the opportunities open in the first half of 2022, to help with your planning!
Read moreOn World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development (21 May), the UN invites reflection and recognition of the importance of ensuring the ability to create and access diverse cultural expressions. This is critical for implementing the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions (2005). Libraries have an […]
Read moreMuch library advocacy at the moment is focused on how libraries can contribute to the response to, and recovery from, the COVID-19 pandemic. In previous blogs here, and from libraries and library organisations around the world, there has been a focus on what our institutions can do to build back better – through wider and […]
Read moreMultilingual learning, including mother tongue instruction, is a vital element of equitable access to education and opportunity (see UNESCO Languages in Education). The IFLA/UNESCO Multicultural Library Manifesto encourages “linguistic diversity and respect for the mother tongue” as part of the mission of multicultural library services. But are we truly fostering inclusive, multilingual environments through our […]
Read more2021’s International Day of Education (24 January) carries a different weight than it has in past years. Although universal access to education is well-established as a human right, as well as a driver of sustainable development, the COVID-19 pandemic has added a new-found urgency, as well as a new set of challenges, to its delivery. […]
Read moreThe theme for International Day of Disaster Risk Reduction 2020 is straight-forward: it’s all about governance. Risk, in this context, is defined by the combination of hazard, exposure and vulnerability. These risks can range from fires and armed conflict to natural hazards like flooding, hurricanes, and earthquakes. Of course, the urgency to prepare for these […]
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