Since 1967, the annual celebrations of International Literacy Day – as an official United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) day – have taken place on 8 September, to remind us of the role that literacy plays in creating a more just, peaceful and sustainable society.
As the United Nations (UN) notes, “Literacy is a fundamental human right for all. It opens the door to the enjoyment of other human rights, greater freedoms, and global citizenship.” According to the UN, as of 2022, across the world, at least one out of seven adults aged 15 and above lacked basic literacy skills and millions of children are struggling to acquire minimum levels of proficiency in reading, writing and numeracy.
Anglo American understands the critical importance of literacy – and education more broadly – and we strive to improve the education outcomes of the communities that surround our operations. We are committed to supporting local community education, owing to its direct impact on both our workforce and their families. By investing in local education, we can help secure a more stable and supportive operational environment and help foster positive relationships with local stakeholders.
Our approach to community engagement and working in partnership with host communities and other stakeholders to deliver education programmes is guided by our Social Way. As part of the Thriving Communities pillar of our Sustainable Mining Plan, we aim to drive systemic and long term gains through our education goals. We believe that education is essential to address poverty, inequality and unemployment because it increases students’ abilities to access economic and employment opportunities while preparing them with the skills for the future.
