One of the things that Confucius championed most was access to education for all, and that education is the bedrock of functioning and stable societies, said Laura Miucci-Casale, the representative of the Alsama Project, one of the recipients of the 21st UNESCO Confucius Prize for Literacy.
The 21st UNESCO Confucius Prize for Literacy was presented on Sept 28 in Qufu, East China's Shandong province, the hometown of Confucius. Three projects from Lebanon, Mexico and Thailand were honored for their contributions to education.
The accelerated education program for out-of-school and displaced youth in Lebanon, represented by the Alsama Project, provides education for young people who have been excluded from schooling or displaced by conflict.
The program combines in-person teaching with digital learning and offers courses in literacy, numeracy, languages and life skills. It compresses the equivalent of 12 years of schooling into six years. Founded in Beirut in 2020, the project has served more than 2,500 learners.
Established in 2005 with the support of the Chinese government, the UNESCO Confucius Prize for Literacy recognizes outstanding contributions to literacy, particularly functional literacy, rural education and education for women and children and out-of-school youth.
The prize is the first international award named after a Chinese person established by UNESCO.
Confucius (551-479 BC) was a Chinese educator and philosopher credited as the first to set up a private school to enroll students from different social classes. His thoughts and ideas have had a deep influence both in China and beyond.
The prize has recognized 63 outstanding projects from countries including South Africa, Spain and Pakistan, directly or indirectly benefiting more than one million women, girls, out-of-school youth, people living in rural poverty and ethnic groups.
