Malaysia's BERNAMA & Swedish Embassy To Promote SDGs Through Children’s Literacy
KUALA LUMPUR, March 13 (Bernama) -- The potential collaboration between the Sweden Embassy in Malaysia and the Malaysian National News Agency (BERNAMA) to foster children's literacy in Malaysia signifies an important chapter in the bilateral exchange between the two friendly nations.
Swedish Ambassador to Malaysia Dr Joachim Bergstrom said with a forthcoming programme which represents a pioneering initiative in his tenure with the national news agency, he is hopeful that it will further encourage reading – which indirectly promotes the importance of the pillars of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“With this soon-to-be-announced programme approaching in late April, the Embassy is actively seeking ways to partner with Bernama to encourage reading among Malaysian children.
“This collaborative effort aligns with the ongoing ‘Jom Kita Bincang!’ (Let Us Discuss) event which aims to spark conversations around sustainability, human rights, health and social issues through children's literature, with a specific focus on Swedish literature.
“After that, we hope this upcoming programme could be further extended here in this news agency’s location in the heart of this capital,” Bergstrom told Bernama’s International News Desk recently when visiting the agency’s headquarters here.
‘Jom Kita Bincang!’, happening now until April 10 at the Raja Tun Uda Library in Shah Alam (a city located in the state of Selangor), includes the Swedish Little Library, a cosy Scandinavian environment to read your books, alongside two exhibitions connected to Swedish children’s book author Astrid Lindgren.
The exhibition Never Violence on Children’s Rights is based on her philosophy of how people pass on the behaviour they were exposed to as children, thus vicious or virtuous cycles can be created by passing on violence or love.
Elaborating, the envoy highlighted that the pivotal role played by Bernama would add significant value to meaningful discussions among children, educators, and families by leveraging the power of literature to address societal challenges.
“Our objective is to reach new audiences; to children, families, schools, and teachers on the same issues where we want to remain engaged.
“Bernama for us is a fantastic partner, to be able to partner up with a news agency and to reach so many people through the programme and the articles of Bernama is, of course, a wonderful way for us to get this universal message across,” Bergstrom said, noting a strong desire to reach every child in Malaysia and instil a habit of daily reading for 10 to 20 minutes through the upcoming programme.
Citing research on the benefits of reading, he emphasised the importance of disconnecting from electronic devices and engaging with books alongside parents.
He highly believed such focused reading sessions, followed by discussions, have the potential to catalyse positive changes in children's lives and foster a lifelong love for reading.
In addition to promoting literacy, Bergstrom underscored the significance of cultural exchanges in enhancing bilateral relations.
While governmental ties remain crucial, cultivating people-to-people connections through educational and cultural exchange programmes is equally vital, he said.
“I personally hope that more Malaysians will discover the different university programmes that exist in Sweden; we have so many hundreds of master's programmes available in English, open for students worldwide to apply to. So, I hope that when I visit Stockholm, I'll be able to meet with many Malaysian students at Swedish universities.
“Moreover, cultural exchange initiatives like ‘Jom Kita Bincang’ serve as platforms for meaningful dialogues on pressing global issues,” he added.
-- BERNAMA
