What's It All About "Newbie"?

by Sarita Kiehm

Believe it or not in this day and age, this is my very first blog. (So bear with me.)

     What the heck is a "national information policy"? Well it's a set of rules and regulations that the government has put in place to insure that all citizens can have easy access to available technology such as electronic and print media and the resources in which to obtain this information. In other words, a national information policy is meant to encourage democracy in a democratic society. Other developed nations have similar policies in place as well. UNESCO is a big supporter of promoting literacy in developing nations so that their citizens may be able to participate in accessing the world-wide explosion of information using various media tools. To make a democracy work, one needs to be informed. And at the heart of information is literacy. Being able to read is the key.

     In my research on this topic, I came across information regarding organizations like UNESCO which work around the world (especially in developing countries) promoting literacy. I believe it's safe to say that literacy is one of the basic tenets of human rights. Think about it. If one is literate, that person will be more aware of what is going around him or her. (Of course one can be literate and be ignorant of the world around him or her, but this is a personal choice and not something that can be controlled by outside forces like a regime or tyrannical government.) Even in today's world where we have social media, one still has to have some knowledge of reading. One can only go so far just looking at pictures. One still has to understand context.

     This is where education comes in. Again, I believe that this is also one of the main principles of human rights.One can have a curious mind. In order to satisfy this curiosity, one has to have access to education. This will open new avenues on which the seeker can travel.

     So what's it all about? How does literacy and education play into the original topic? Well, as I said earlier, an informed citizenry makes for a democratic society. Education leads to literacy; which leads to accessing information via various means; which leads to awareness. And that is what knowledge is.