Literacy Beyond A-B-C-D: Towards A-B-C of Living Waters
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1DYbC1Xfks/INTERNATIONAL LITERACY DAY | SEPTEMBER 8, 2026 Literacy Beyond A-B-C-D: Towards the A-B-C of Living on Our Common HomeOn International Literacy Day, we renew our commitment to ensuring basic literacy and numeracy for all. While we historically focused on reaching those outside the formal school system, our attention must now turn to schools as well. Alarmingly, many students who graduate with high grades still struggle with foundational life skills and functional literacy.
While literacy typically refers to letters, numbers, and increasingly computer skills, we must extend its definition to other critical domains of existence. The true A-B-C of surviving and thriving on this planet must be taught to all.
As all people of goodwill observe the Season of Creation (Sept 1 – Oct 4) centered on the theme of "living waters" (Ezekiel 47:1–12), we are reminded that water brings healing and life wherever it flows. This Biblical vision aligns deeply with Indian traditional wisdom, where water (Jala) is honored as one of the sacred Panchamahabhutas (five elemental pillars of creation) and rivers are revered as life-nourishing mothers (Lokmata). Both traditions teach us that water is not merely a commodity to consume, but a sacred gift to steward. The Islamic scriptural wisdom, proclaims: "And We created from water every living thing" (Qur'an 21:30), warning that water is given in "due measure" and must not be wasted (Qur'an 23:18).
Reflecting this reverence, the Rgveda’s Āpaḥ Sūktam / Hymn to the Waters (10.9.4) offers this timeless prayer:
शं नो देवीरभिष्टय आपो भवन्तु पीतये ।
शं योरभि स्रवन्तु नः ॥ ४ ॥
śaṁ no devīrabhiṣṭaya āpo bhavantu pītaye |
śaṁ yorabhi sravantu naḥ || 4 ||
"May the divine Waters be auspicious for our protection and for our drinking; may they flow around us for peace and health."
This year, let us advocate for Water Literacy across schools, neighborhoods, and communities. To be water-literate is to understand how water sustains life, how to conserve every drop, how to prevent pollution, and how to safeguard this precious gift for generations to come.
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Actionable Water Literacy Pillars:
Literacy of Source: Understanding where local water comes from (aquifers, rainfall, local rivers, ocean) and where waste goes.
Literacy of Usage: Affirming access to water as a fundamental human right while practicing rainwater harvesting, greywater reuse, and conscious reduction of wastage.
Literacy of Protection: Eliminating single-use plastics (freeing water from the bottle) and chemical pollutants from entering local runoff and water bodies.
Much appreciate this idea of water literacy.
ReplyDeleteVery inspiring and motivating message
ReplyDeleteThis is a very important topic but largely ignored by the public. Thank you for posting it. Hope our policy makers will give due importance to this issue before it is too late and hope we can influence our policy makers to do so.
ReplyDeleteFig.2 has very important points but it is hardly legible. Even the link given does not point to this image.
Very Interesting topic,ways for Literacy is unique
ReplyDeleteImportant Ecological awareness father. Very thoughtful. It as also mentioned in spiritual lessons of India that: if the water resources gets polluted its impact is on women security concerns within society!!
ReplyDeleteTo keep harmony and saftey in society it is very important to restore & retain water bodies
That is the reason rivers are worshipped