Global Media and Information Literacy (MIL) Week 2021
We, the Andean Road Countries for Science and Technology, are glad to announce we have been chosen as International Organizing Committee (IOC) for the Global Media and Information Literacy (MIL) Week 2021 of the UNESCO.
Global Media and Information Literacy Week, commemorated annually, is a major occasion for stakeholders to review and celebrate the progress achieved towards “Media and Information Literacy for All”. Global Media and Information Literacy Week links up local events around the world to promote Media and Information Literacy connections across disciplines, professions and borders.
The theme for this year is Media and Information Literacy for the Public Good.
We live in a technology-driven world, characterized by an overarching trend for digitalization that crosses all sectors of society and in the face of the growing impact of media. Knowledge, skills, and attitudes on media and information increasingly become an essential instrument for all citizens. The competencies for interaction and engagement of citizens with media and other information providers, including those on the Internet, are needed for all citizens and this is a lifelong learning process to which different stakeholders can contribute, in formal, informal, and non-formal initiatives.
Media and Information Literacy (MIL) has been growing steadily in all regions of the world, with many international and national organizations and initiatives being held. MIL is an antecedent of science literacy. When MIL is combined with science literacy, they can empower ordinary citizens to contribute to the fight against climate change.
The set of competencies to understand how climate change happens, its impacts, and relevant mitigation approaches are part of science literacy, often referred to as “climate literacy”. They are acquired and frequently applied by means of information, media, and digital technology, and are thus intertwined with MIL competencies. Citizens who lack MIL competencies are prone to climate-related disinformation and unverified claims disseminated through various forms of online and offline media. This leads to a low level of acceptance of climate change science, and ignorance of the actions that we can all take individually and collectively. The uninformed rejection of climate change science, nowadays quite common in public discourse, is a major obstacle and can be tackled with MIL.
The work from UNESCO in this regard is groundbreaking and there are countless efforts to promote and implement MIL internationally while accounting for its contribution to SDGs. Media and information literate citizens and decision-makers are able to access reliable information to make informed decisions as regards consumption and carbon footprint. They are able to adapt or change their attitudes and behaviors accordingly to avoid actions or policies that can exacerbate the crisis, based on accurate information and evidence. They are equipped to proactively counter climate change and contribute to strengthening the public trust in climate change science.
Stay tuned to know more about our work as International Organizing Committee (IOC) for MIL UNESCO!
Executive Board ARCST