International Cooperation in Digital World: Origin, Goals and Actions of the UNESCO Media and Information Literacy Alliance (MIL Alliance)

Abstract

[Purpose/Significance] The UNESCO Media and Information Literacy Alliance (formerly known as Global Alliance for Partnerships on Media and Information Literacy, UNESCO MIL Alliance) was established to raise the awareness of media and information literacy in countries around the world and to better meet the challenges of the information society. In order to better support China's international cooperation on the way to the era of digital literacy, this paper reveals the operational mechanism of the international cooperation network using UNESCO MIL Alliance as an example. [Method/Process] This paper summarizes the origin, objectives and actions of UNESCO MIL Alliance through a systematic review of conference minutes, records, reports, guidelines, and yearbooks and other literature. [Results/Conclusions] The study found that UNESCO MIL Alliance has contributed to international partnerships in the digital literacy era in a number of ways, including the establishment of a global network, the development of multilevel strategies, joint advocacy and promotion, and the establishment of the UNESCO MIL Alliance Award, all of which have contributed to the sustainable development of media and information literacy (including digital literacy later on) on a global scale.

Keywords

• unesco|unesco media and information literacy alliance|international cooperation|network|media and information literacy (mil)