Reports that the International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS) was administered to 20 member countries of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in 1998. IALS identified a very large proportion of adults with very low levels of literacy, most of whom did not see literacy as being crucial to their well being. (Contains 12…

Describes the ALPHA series of publications, an action-research project on literacy and education. Explains that ALPHA began as a literacy movement in Quebec, Canada, and is now focused on alternative education, basic education, and sustainable communities throughout the world. (Contains 26 references.) (NB)

Presents a historical survey of the official discourse on functional literacy in the industrialized countries on the basis of the reports of 20 seminars and international conferences linked to UNESCO. Underlines broad geopolitical tendencies of the literacy movement. Concludes with a typology of principal political tendencies. (42 citations) (VWC)