Operation Duck inspires children to read

Operation Duck, a campaign run by the Confederation of Finnish Industries (EK), will give all children who turn ten years old in 2019 one month’s worth of issues of Donald Duck comics in January 2019. Later, in the spring, all Swedish-speaking children who turn ten this year will be given one month’s issues of the Swedish version of the comic magazines

Literacy will allow the children to succeed in their studies and develop their working life skills in the future, while promoting the competitiveness of Finnish work in general. Promoting and maintaining literacy should not be left to schools alone. Known for their clever use of language, the Donald Duck comics have inspired children to read for years. The aim of Operation Duck is to encourage children to read, emphasising the importance of reading as an everyday activity for families. We believe that everything starts with literacy.

Jyri Häkämies, Director General of EK, stresses that everything starts with literacy.

– Literacy forms the foundation for learning and language is a tool for thought. While digitalisation, advances in artificial intelligence and the transformation of work will change many things, they will not diminish the importance of literacy. Good reading skills provide the foundation for continuous learning in working life, too.

The patron of the campaign is Mrs Jenni Haukio, spouse of the President of Finland. She believes that weakening of literacy poses a threat to the functioning of our society.

–  It is not only a question of a decline in reading as a pastime but of the ability to cope in everyday work – the ability to understand and to be understood. That is why it is extremely valuable that the Confederation of Finnish Industries and its member companies are taking action to promote literacy in cooperation with Donald Duck. The rich, pithy and expressive language used in the comic magazine with its inspiring stories draws people of all ages to reading.

EK’s campaign involves the following 13 companies and organisations from different sectors: Sanoma, ABC chain, Supercell, Elisa, OP, Nordea, Veikkaus, The Trade Union of Education in Finland OAJ, Fortum, LocalTapiola, Posti, TELA and Aktia.

The gift will be widely advertised on the channels of EK and the companies and organisations, including through Donald Duck-inspired illustrations in which influential people from different sectors share their personal reading experiences.

With this gift, the campaign aims to create a dialogue about literacy among Finns and the attitudes of families towards reading, as well as about the importance of good reading and writing skills in further studies, working life and life management.

For more information about Operation Duck, please contact Jenni Järvelä, Communications Director at EK, tel. +358 40 556 7156 or jenni.jarvela@ek.fi.