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The Right to Read. The Riga Manifesto

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Reading is the key to national security and a dignified life. Latvia’s future depends on the number of people in our country who can think critically and be proficient readers.


The Riga Manifesto invites us: to make reading and book culture the foundation of Latvia’s growth and prosperity, and create a national reading strategy, with special emphasis on the right to read in the Latvian language.


This year marks 500 years since the first book was published in the Latvian language. The printed word has ensured the preservation and development of the Latvian language. It has brought us self-awareness, self-determination, fostered the nation’s growth from a people with a rich oral heritage to a modern, democratic society of readers. Literacy is a prerequisite for the formation, existence, and sustainability of a nation. Reading is a fundamental human right and a basic need for every member of society.


We want to live — five years from now and also five hundred years from now — in a free, independent and secure country and society, one that is critically thinking, intelligent, empathetic and capable of action, and which defends its right to read in the Latvian language.


Today we live in the age of technological acceleration. Centuries passed before books became a widely accessible technology. Newspapers, radio, and television reached mass audiences in decades. The internet achieved this in less than ten years, and artificial intelligence reached millions of users in just a few months. Digital technologies offer both opportunities and risks in daily life, notably the swift transformation of reading habits within our society.


Digital formats make books and knowledge more accessible to a wider audience — to people with reading difficulties and those living in locations where printed books are not available. At the same time, the ability and concentration to read and understand long and complex texts is declining — advanced reading skills are deteriorating.


Studies show that in Latvia, students’ reading literacy is deteriorating, and the number of adults who have not read a single book in any format in the past year is increasing. Worldwide, more than one tenth of adults still cannot read or write. There is also a growing risk of an increase in the number of people whose reading skills are insufficient to understand and apply what they read in daily life.


Declining reading habits lead to a lack of critical thinking, which, combined with rushing and avoiding deeper engagement with written texts, make society more vulnerable in times of hybrid warfare and susceptible to fraud and manipulation. This can have long-term and dramatic consequences not only for individuals, but for society and the nation as a whole.


Reading and books transcend sectoral boundaries and are the responsibility of every individual. They are equally important in the sciences, humanities, and social sciences. Not only is the book industry an important part of the economy, but reading itself is a driver of innovative thinking and development in all areas of life — in education and personal growth, in labour market competitiveness, physical and emotional health, creativity, financial literacy, social security, the ability to create and enjoy culture and art, self-expression, civic engagement, relationships, and community life.


Curiosity and the desire to read do not emerge in a vacuum. They require many stimuli — from accessible libraries to the presence of books in schools, at work, at home, on the screen of a tablet computer, or in the waiting hall at a train station. Above all, we need the will and determination to become a society that reads, thinks wisely, and acts intelligently. This is the moment to evaluate what strengthens our reading culture and what we can do differently to preserve and develop it.


We want to live in a society that can navigate information overload and distinguish truth from lies. We want to strengthen our ability to concentrate, to delve deeply into what we read, to persevere and appreciate intellectual effort.


We also want to continue developing big ideas, to comunicate, to read and write in an expressive, living Latvian language. We want terminology in the Latvian language to grow along with science and technology.


We want to go out into the world, learn and master other languages, but we do not want to forget or impoverish our own language. We want high-quality translations from other languages to continue enriching the expressive richness of Latvian.


We want reading in Latvian to become a shared value that unites people of different ethnic backgrounds in Latvia and strengthens the civic nation. We want to enrich our inner emotional lives through books so that we can find the right words when talking to our loved ones. We want more conversations about books and reading — both in person and on social media.


We want reading and independent thinking to enable us to be active users and creators of technology, not just passive followers. At the same time, we want to preserve and reinforce printed books as the backbone of reading, knowledge, and the civic nation.


By signing this manifesto, I assume responsibility, firstly, for myself and my immediate sphere of influence in shaping reading habits and promoting book culture.


Secondly, I call on state and non-governmental organisations to act — and in discussions, resolutions, and development planning documents for every sector — to uphold and strengthen the right of the whole Latvian population to read and have access to books, and to boost the number of people reading fluently and critically in Latvian.


Thirdly, I call on businesses and institutions to demonstrate support for reading culture by creating small libraries or reading spaces and supporting reading during work breaks.


I stand FOR:

  • Reading as the foundation of education, to be guaranteed equally to every member of society regardless of income, education, location, or health, with a special emphasis on the right to read in Latvian.

  • Reading as a habit to be preserved and cultivated, and as the basis of personal development throughout one’s life.

  • Support for everyone facing reading difficulties, helping them to overcome these challenges.

  • Political support for equal access to books and information in Latvian, both across regional Latvia and within the diaspora.

  • Increased presence of books in public spaces and as an integral part of Latvia’s national identity.

  • Support for research on reading and the integration of findings into policy development.

  • The need to develop a national reading strategy that cuts across all sectors and strengthens the demand for an intelligent community as a whole.

  • The inclusion of reading in national development plans — especially in Latvia’s Sustainable Development Strategy 2050 — recognising reading as a prerequisite for a smart and sustainable society.

  • Integrating reading into state policies on artificial intelligence, digital transformation, innovation, and economic competitiveness, emphasising high-quality reading as a prerequisite for a people-centred technology and knowledge society.


Will Latvia’s future be in the hands of a community that reads and thinks critically?The answer depends on our choices and actions today.


Authors of the Manifesto:Dagnija Baltiņa and Maija Treile, National Library of Latvia

Working group:Alise Avota, Aiga Balode, Ieva Bečere, Natālija Čerņecka, Pauls Daija, Inga Grencberga, Baiba Īvāne, Helma Elvīra Križevica, Mārtiņš Križevics, Katrīna Kukaine, Māra Liepniece, Nellija Ločmele, Irīna Meļņika, Sanita Osipova, Jānis Palkavnieks, Renāte Punka, Aiva Rozenberga, Zanda Rubene, Ingrīda Segliņa, Lelde Seņko, Inga Sindi, Anita Smeltere, Silvija Tretjakova, Laura Turlaja, Anita Veckalne, Latvian National Library Support Society.


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