¡Puño en Alto! The Nicaraguan Literacy Campaign and What it Means for Literacy Today

Modern notions of literacy can be informed by past successes in the field of literacy. One of the most successful national literacy campaigns occurred in Nicaragua in 1980 and was called Cruzada Nacional de Alfabetización (CNA). The fight against illiteracy to provide a space for marginalized voices in Nicaragua is a story worth telling to current literacy professionals in the United States, who are painfully aware of high illiteracy rates in certain geographic areas and among particular populations. First is an historical accounting of the literacy campaign by contextualizing the background of Nicaragua's political and social situation. Next is an explanation regarding how critical pedagogy can be useful in reading the historical event. Last, a critical lens is used to decipher what lessons might be taken from Nicaragua's literacy campaign to identify critical issues and inform the difficult decisions in literacy education today in the United States.