The Library and Information Association of South Africa LIASA will launch the South African Digital Literacy Day (SADLD) on 25^th October 2024, as part of Global Media and Information Literacy Week (GMIL) celebrated from 21^st to 25^th October. This initiative response to UNESCO’s recommendation to promote digital literacy during GMIL Week, to educate and empower communities to productively interact with technologies.

GMIL Week is an international movement that encourages media and information literacy stakeholders to organise events and activities related to media and information literacy in their communities, cities, municipalities, or regions during this period. This year’s theme “The New Digital Frontiers of Information: Media and Information Literacy for Public Interest Information.” focuses on addressing the transformative impact of emerging technologies on the production and dissemination of public-interest information, highlighting both opportunities and risks.

LIASA recognises that digital Literacy has become an essential competency for communities to participate in the modern world and it also supports other literacies. In alignment with the GMIL week, the South African Digital Literacy Day objective is;

• to serve as a platform for libraries, institutions, government agencies, and the private sector to work collaboratively in creating awareness around the critical need for digital skills in the modern world, especially in the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) and the global digital economy.
• aimed at promoting and recognising programmes and activities that advocate for and create awareness of the importance of digital literacy for lifelong learning, personal development, employability, and entrepreneurship.

The core theme for Digital Literacy Day is "Enabling the Sustainable Co-existence of Technology and Humans: Reducing the Digital Divide through Digital Skills”. This theme underscores the need to equip communities with digital literacy skills that will foster greater inclusiveness in the digital economy, ensuring inclusivity in the digital transformation. Each year, a new sub-theme will be introduced to address emerging challenges and trends in digital literacy, ensuring the day remains relevant and impactful.

South African Digital Literacy Day will be celebrated annually on the last Friday of Global Media and Information Literacy Week (GMIL), which is typically held between the 3rd week of October each year to contribute to the following Sustainable Development Goals:

• SDG 4: Quality Education –which aims to substantially increase the number of youth and adults with relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, by 2030.
• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

Please click the link below to join the webinar:

https://zoom.us/j/97523384990

Webinar ID: 975 2338 4990
Passcode: 14001531