Being passive in your community may no longer work in your favor nowadays. There is a need to be more open and contribute to the things that affect you.
Civic Literacy focuses on the skills and knowledge necessary to participate in the discussions within your community and have a say in any changes that governing bodies wish to make. Well-developed civic literacy skills will help you exercise your right to vote and have an informed opinion on anything your community decides upon. This is your way of taking your place and expressing your voice.
The more civically literate you are, the more likely you will recognize political matters and influence political changes. Civic literacy also protects you from deceptive campaigns and political agendas and enables you to be more tolerant of different political views. If more Canadians are civically literate, community discussions will become more harmonious, no matter the differences in views and opinions.
According to The Canadian Election Study, in 2015, 40% of Canadians don’t know their premier. This percentage is only at 10% back in 1984. A survey conducted by the Dominion Institute and Ipsos Reid in 2008 showed that only half of the respondents know that the prime minister is not directly elected.
Additionally, a more recent study done in 2010 discovered that around 20% of Canadians do not know the news and current affairs. Ultimately, all Canadians have to be more civically literate if they desire to make a change in the community.
The changes we make as a society may misrepresent the needs of the people if they are not literate, knowledgeable, and aware enough to speak up from an informed point of view. Also, if we want to achieve true harmony and tolerance, we must care enough to educate ourselves about the lives of our community members.
