UNESCO Identifies Best Practices in Youth and Adult Literacy through the “Chiapas Puede” Initiative, One of the Largest in Latin America

A central theme of the “Visions of Literacy” forum held in Tuxtla Gutiérrez was the analysis of pedagogical challenges in teaching literacy within highly diverse cultural and linguistic environments like Chiapas. Researchers and educators participated in four working groups, identifying the following key challenges:

• Cultural Relevance: Learning must be rooted in the worldview and local knowledge of the 12 Indigenous groups within the state, which speak 13 different languages.

• Bilingual Literacy: To be truly effective and meaningful, instruction must respect and begin in the learner’s mother language.

• Gender Equality: Education must promote equality, recognizing that most learners are women. The program aims to acknowledge their leadership within communities and expand their rights.

• Overcoming Geographical Barriers: Navigating the rugged Chiapas terrain to deliver materials and training to the most remote corners of the jungle and mountains.

• The Use of Technology: Integrating Artificial Intelligence and other digital tools to enhance learning in multilingual contexts.

• Leveraging Arts and Culture: Using aesthetic experiences and cultural richness as vehicles for literacy and community education. A notable contribution came from Teresa Arroyo, Deputy Director of Arts at the Secretariat of Public Education, who delivered the keynote address at the event.

During the forum’s inauguration, Governor Eduardo Ramírez and the Chiapas Secretary of Education, Roger Mandujano Ayala, emphasized the importance of “literacy to awaken consciousness” and settle historical debts with the people of Chiapas. They integrated concepts such as Lekil Kuxlejal (the “Good Life” for the Tseltal and Tsotsil peoples) into the literacy mission.

As part of the initiative, a visit was conducted alongside Flor Marina Bermúdez, the coordinator of “Chiapas Puede,” to the community of San Pedro Pedernal in the municipality of Huixtán, where most of the population speaks Tsotsil and Tseltal.

Municipal and community authorities joined UNESCO in one of the study circles where learners and their families participate. During the meeting, a demonstration of reading and writing activities took place, and participants shared testimonies regarding the value of literacy. “We want to keep learning; we want to sign with our own names and know math to sell our products, but without losing our traditions,” one participant noted.

Adolfo Rodríguez, Program Coordinator for the Education Sector at UNESCO Mexico, highlighted the Chiapas initiative’s role in fostering community cohesion, promoting inclusion, expanding rights, and building peace. He noted its potential to become a model for sharing best practices with other states in Mexico and countries across the region.

In strengthening its collaboration with “Chiapas Puede,” UNESCO reaffirms its commitment to supporting countries and communities in ensuring equal access to inclusive, equitable, and quality education. This aligns specifically with Target 4.6 of Sustainable Development Goal 4: “By 2030, ensure that all youth and a substantial proportion of adults, both men and women, achieve literacy and numeracy.”