Supporters of Literacy Services of Indian River County, which offers free, one-to-one and group tutoring to adults, enjoyed an intimate evening with guest speaker Daniel Green, Ph.D., last Wednesday evening at the second annual Love of Literacy Authors Series held at the Moorings Yacht and Country Club.
Green, who grew up in Vero Beach, authored the books “The Valley’s Edge: A Year with the Pashtuns in the Heartland of the Taliban” and “Fallujah Redux: The Anbar Awakening and the Struggle with Al-Qaeda.” As a defense fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, Green has traveled to faraway lands and has garnered an intimate knowledge of the inner workings of the Iraqi political system.
In his presentation, Green shared stories of his experiences while serving as a tribal and political engagement officer in Iraq. Over the past 15 years, he has served as a senior adviser in the Office of the Secretary of Defense and the State Department, with a focus on rebuilding governments in war-afflicted countries. Green, whose third book is due to be released in 2017, said he hopes his insights will help shape policy.
As he spoke about the processes he employed during the Anbar Awakening, when the western Iraqi tribes turned against Al-Qaeda, Green said, “I felt like the city of Fallujah is an iconic city. In 2007 it went from 750 security incidents to less than 80 by the end of the year. That was due to a variety of factors; working with tribes and counterinsurgency. My colleague, Brig. Gen. William F. Mullen III, and I felt this story had to be told because there’s a way of doing this type of work that’s more effective long-term.”
Literacy Services is also working toward long-term goals, working for the past 45 years to improve adult literacy skills. Claudia Macias, a student of the program, shared a little about the impact the organization’s English as a Second Language program has made on her life.
“Learning how to read has changed my life, and I will be able to help my children too,” said Macias, sharing that while English is her second language, she hadn’t been able to read very well in her native tongue either.
Through hard work and the guidance of her tutor, Mildred Michos, Macias said she is now able to read to her children, fill out applications, make grocery lists, attend teacher conferences and even read the newspaper.
Board Chair Don Mann noted that theirs is the only organization in the county that tutors adults wishing to learn how to read and write.
“The tutors find out why the adult student wants to learn to read,” said Mann, adding that tutors use students’ end goals as motivational tools for instruction. “Students want to learn to read to take their driving test, take the U.S. citizenship exam, fill out applications, write letters and read the Bible.”
“There is a fallacy that literacy begins at birth, and our message is that literacy begins before birth,” said Executive Director Mary Silva, explaining the importance of parents knowing how to read and write in order to foster education in their children. “If parents aren’t literate when their children are born, they are already behind.”
On Jan. 26, the Literacy Author Series will feature retired Col. Danny R. McKnight (U.S. Army), author of “Streets of Mogadishu: Leadership at its Best, Political Correctness at its Worst.”
