PRI's The World » illiteracy http://www.theworld.org Global Perspectives for an American Audience Fri, 10 Feb 2012 23:20:49 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 Global Perspectives for an American Audience PRI's The World no Global Perspectives for an American Audience PRI's The World » illiteracy http://www.theworld.org/wp-content/plugins/powerpress/rss_default.jpg http://www.theworld.org Symbolizing Afghanistan’s candidates http://www.theworld.org/2009/08/symbolizing-afghanistans-candidates/ http://www.theworld.org/2009/08/symbolizing-afghanistans-candidates/#comments Thu, 20 Aug 2009 20:59:34 +0000 The World http://www.theworld.org/?p=9921 Download audio file (0820092.mp3)
Download MP3 Candidate Pictograms Every candidate in Afghanistan today not only had his or her name and photograph on the ballot, but also a special symbol, or pictogram. President Hamid Karzai's pictogram was a set of judicial scales. Others had scissors, ice cream cones, even soccer balls. The idea was to help the country's millions of illiterate voters. The World's Jeb Sharp reports. >>> See examples from the 2005 parliamentary elections. ]]>
Download MP3
KABUL_WolsiJergaOne of the most difficult logistical hurdles faced by elections organizers in Afghanistan is illiteracy. In some areas of the country, female illiteracy rates can run as high as 85%, and male rates up to 55%. And so the Joint Electoral Management Body (JEMB) devised a system of symbols, or pictograms, for each and every one of the more than 5,500 candidates standing for office. This is not the first time the country has used the system. At right, you can see a sample from the 2005 Afghan parliamentary elections. And its not just on the ballots. The candidates were also busy trying to send the right message with their choice of clothes. The World’s Jeb Sharp reports.

Click here for an article on the 2005 pictograms.

Click here for a New York Times slideshow: “Sartorial Stumping.”


]]> http://www.theworld.org/2009/08/symbolizing-afghanistans-candidates/feed/ 0 Afghanistan,BBC,candidates,elections,Hamid Karzai,illiteracy,Jeb Sharp,pictograms,PRI,symbols,The World,WGBH Download MP3 Every candidate in Afghanistan today not only had his or her name and photograph on the ballot, but also a special symbol, or pictogram. President Hamid Karzai's pictogram was a set of judicial scales. Others had scissors, ice cream cones, Download MP3 Every candidate in Afghanistan today not only had his or her name and photograph on the ballot, but also a special symbol, or pictogram. President Hamid Karzai's pictogram was a set of judicial scales. Others had scissors, ice cream cones, even soccer balls. The idea was to help the country's millions of illiterate voters. The World's Jeb Sharp reports. >>> See examples from the 2005 parliamentary elections. PRI's The World no http://64.71.145.108/audio/0820092.mp3 1681295 audio/mpeg216638433