The ALNF calls on Australians to ‘raise their hand’ and help close the Indigenous literacy gap on the Int. Day of the World’s Indigenous People

The ALNF is calling on Australians to join the Prime Minister, the Hon Kevin Rudd MP and other leaders in politics, media and business who are raising their hands to help close the Indigenous literacy gap as a part of its 2013 Wall of Hands Indigenous Literacy Appeal.

The 2013 Wall of Hands Appeal aims to raise $400,000 to implement ALNF’s life-changing literacy programs in remote communities across Australia.

The ALNF and OMA are appealing to people to go to wallofhands.com.au, raise their hand, make a donation and spread the word.

Like the famous faces seen as a part of the national outdoor advertising campaign, raising their hands across billboards, taxi backs, bus shelters and digital screens, the ALNF is asking others to raise their hand to improve the Indigenous reading rate on International Day of the

World’s Indigenous People.

The ALNF delivers ground-breaking programs to improve literacy rates in remote and very remote Indigenous communities. ­ This year’s Wall of Hands campaign will raise much needed funds to support literacy programs for kids in the remote Northern Territory community of Groote Eylandt.

The major sponsor of the three month national outdoor advertising campaign is the Outdoor Media Association (OMA), which is donating in the order of $1.6 million worth of outdoor advertising space.

OMA member organisations who are donating campaign space include Adshel, APN Outdoor, Bishopp, goa, iOM, JCDecaux, oOh! Media, Rova and Torchmedia.

Says Kim Kelly, ALNF co-founder: “Only one in five kids in very remote Indigenous communities can read and write at the minimum NAPLAN standard. This is a root cause of profound disadvantage and we must address it.

“International Day of the World’s Indigenous People is a day to promote and protect the rights of our Indigenous Australians. It highlights the profound need to support our Indigenous people to help close the Indigenous literacy gap. We can turn the numbers around if all Australians join together and raise their hands in unison.”

Says Charmaine Moldrich, OMA CEO: “Education and literacy are vital foundations for a person¹s life ­ the Indigenous literacy gap is just not right and that is why the outdoor media industry are partnering with the ALNF to tackle this issue and strive for better outcomes for remote and very remote Indigenous communities.

“Our audience measurement system MOVE tells us that the campaign has reached over seven million people to date. This is a great result and our industry is proud to support the campaign for our second year. We’ve got big billboards and big personalities to draw attention to this big issue, and we want to see all Australians raise their hand and contribute to change.”

Other Australians who have raised their hand include her excellency professor Marie Bashir AC, CVO, Dr Tom Calma AO, journalists Peter Overton, Jessica Rowe and Deborah Thomas, TV presenter Faustina Agolley, Bob Hawke, Gotye, The Chaser, the team at Triple J, Urthboy, The Wiggles, Kerry O’Brien, Hon. Barry O’Farrell, Hon. John Robertson, Mario Fenech, Dan Kelly, Hon. Jenny Macklin, Mia Freedman, Peter Garrett, Pip Edwards, Bridie Carter, Deborah Cheetham, hon. Adrian Piccoli, Sarah Wilson, Matt Shirvington and Rhys Muldoon, The Swans, Lewis Jetta to name a few.