In 1985 The Guidebook for Development and Production of Materials for Neo-literates was published by ACCU with the cooperation of the Member States in Asia/Pacific and UNESCO PROAP. it has been translated and utilized extensively as a practical guide in the field and at various training workshops and institutions.

The great need to make this guidebook easily accessible to literacy personnel throughout the world, had been strongly expressed by the Member States at various international and regional meetings such as the World Conference on Education for All, held in Jomtien, 1990. Therefore, ACCU invited experts from eight countries in the Asia/Pacific region as well as a technical adviser from UNESCO PROAP to the 1990 and 1991 Planning Meeting of Asian/Pacific Joint Production Programme of Materials for Neo-literates in Rural Areas (AJP), to discuss the revision of the guidebook. The objectives of the revised guidebook is to serve as a practical guide and reference for people working in the development and utilization of literacy materials, such as planners, administrators, writers, illustrators and producers, and to help them acquire useful knowledge and skills in the preparation and use of such materials.

From among the experts at the above meetings and in literacy education in Asia/Pacific, Mr. Kaji Rafiqul Alam (Bangladesh), Ms. Nishat Farooq (India), Mr. Sunthorn Sunanchai (Thailand) and Dr. Estela Ll. Garcia (Philippines) contributed the first draft, and Dr. W.P. Napitupulu (Indonesia), Mr. Chij Shrestha (Nepal), Dr. Abdul Aziz Khan (Pakistan) and Dr. Varsha Das (India) edited them. Mr. T. M. Sakya (Education Adviser and Co-ordinator of APPEAL of UNESCO PROAP) and ACCU did the final editing of the manuscripts. Also the interaction between experiences drawn from the respective countries and ACCU's experience in the joint production programme was reflected in the process of producing the draft.

ACCU wishes to express its deep appreciation to the above experts as well as to all of the many participants from the respective countries who have provided invaluable comments and suggestions in all workshops organized to date. It is our sincere desire that this new guidebook will prove useful to persons and organizations involved in production of materials for illiterates and neo-literates in the world, so that we can progress towards achieving 'Education for All'.

The publishing of this guidebook was made possible through the assistance of the Tokyo Club. ACCU should like to express its heartfelt gratitude for their kind and continued cooperation for this important publication.

We should be grateful for any suggestions and comments we may receive from individual readers regarding further improvement.

Asian Cultural Centre for UNESCO (ACCU) Tokyo