![\"Woman](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/translatorswithoutborders.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/099A1612.jpg?resize=840%2C560&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>CLEAR Global<\/a> and the TWB Community<\/a> are on a mission to help more people realize the benefits of access to information and two-way communication. Because today, half the world\u2019s population still can\u2019t access information in their language via digital channels<\/a>. People care when you speak their language, and it can change lives. <\/h6>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\nThanks to people like you who share our vision, we\u2019re helping create a world where everyone can get vital information and be heard, whatever language they speak. <\/strong>We are set to improve global communication and information access. How? By combining the expertise and innovation of CLEAR Global\u2019s team, nonprofit partners, supporters, and sponsors<\/a>, with TWB\u2019s 100,000-strong community of language volunteers at our core.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\nWorking as a community: supporting the world\u2019s most marginalized communities to communicate and connect<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
We work as a community to help improve communication – and daily life – for people<\/strong> affected by war, people who have been displaced, and whose homes have been devastated by natural disasters. We help those most in need of reliable information on how to stay safe, get help, and more. The TWB community\u2019s translations contribute to developing CLEAR Global\u2019s AI-based language technology solutions<\/a>. And they help provide much-needed language services so nonprofits worldwide can communicate with people in need of support. Together, we enable people who speak their mother language to access the same knowledge and opportunities as those who speak their country\u2019s dominant or national language.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWho the community helps: a one-of-a-kind community of language volunteers powering social good<\/h3>\n\n\n\nOur community of linguists donates over 20 million words each year. We translate information for organizations all over the world, working in more than 200 languages \u2014 from Amharic to Zulu.<\/strong><\/p>learn more about TWB. <\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Over ten years since TWB was first established, we continue to partner with nonprofit organizations all over the world to connect linguists and their skills with people in need of critical information. <\/strong>TWB community members <\/a>contribute to a range of language-related projects, including translation, revision, subtitling, and voice-over. By providing vital information in relevant languages, they\u2019re helping some of the world\u2019s most vulnerable people get answers to their questions in times of crisis, know their rights<\/a>, and how to stay safe when forcibly displaced<\/a>. They help people get accurate and reliable health information<\/a>. And they help those who are most impacted by climate change<\/a> protect themselves and our planet. By investing in our community, we know that we can make a bigger impact together. We rely on our generous network of sponsors<\/a>, including language service, localization, and technology industry experts, who share our passion for effective, equitable communication, to help make it happen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"CLEAR](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/translatorswithoutborders.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/52053172600_4dc3c0120c_b.jpg?resize=840%2C561&ssl=1\")
Fundraising for CLEAR Global and TWB with supporter, Ludejo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nGiving back and growing skills – supporting language volunteers<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
With the support of sponsors including those who provide pro bono language services and expertise, we\u2019re building communities of translators in critical languages. And we\u2019re supporting new linguists to grow professionally. At the start of 2023, we launched the new TWB Learning Center<\/a>, a place for community members to gain experience in humanitarian translation and learn in-demand language industry skills. It\u2019s free, self-paced, and designed for everyone because we believe that every contribution matters – in every language. By making translator training accessible, we can empower linguists and non-professional bilinguals to participate in humanitarian and development initiatives to make their languages part of global conversations. \u200b\u200bSince we went live, we\u2019ve welcomed thousands of users! We\u2019re also improving our TWB platform, incorporating new language technology to give our community the tools they need to contribute to even more impactful projects. <\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/translatorswithoutborders.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/homepage2.jpeg?resize=840%2C471&ssl=1\")
Photo: the TWB Learning Center. Ibrahim, left, with a participant testing out a device powered by community members\u2019 translations. It enables displaced people in Bakassi camp, Nigeria, to give feedback to camp staff in their own language. It lets people listen to vital information that matters to them, like how food distribution works.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nA few projects our community members have translated recently include:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n- 200,000 words for a Patient Cases project translated into three languages,<\/strong> for International League Against Epilepsy,<\/li>
- 800,000 words of safeguarding content<\/strong> translated for Catholic Relief Services,<\/li>
- 60,000 words for a Social Responsiveness in Health Service Psychology Education and Training Toolkit<\/strong> translated into Spanish and French for the Council of Chairs of Training Councils, <\/li>
- and 32,000 words translated into Hindi <\/strong>in less than a month for the SPOON Foundation.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"Jeff](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/translatorswithoutborders.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Jeff-and-Ursuline.jpg?resize=840%2C436&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\n\u201cMy biggest motivation for volunteering with TWB is helping people access vital information in their own language by breaking language barriers. I also want to get more experience and grow professionally to be able to better support my family.\u201d<\/p>TWB Community member, Jeff featured left, Ursuline right. Read our<\/em> TWB blog on supporting the African language community<\/a>. <\/cite><\/blockquote>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\nEvery day, our partners request more support in more languages, and our community steps up to meet the need! <\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Salwa has donated 650,404 words in Arabic and French on projects supporting children, health,<\/strong> and education for American Red Cross, Concern Worldwide, Save the Children, the H2H Network\u2019s COVID-19 response, and the World Health Organization (WHO), among others on the TWB Platform. \u201cTo leave an impact,\u201d is the first thing you would hear when you ask me \u201cwhy”. Salwa, French teacher, and TWB Community member.<\/li>
- Tien, \u201cinspired by the fact that more Vietnamese migrants will be able to understand the information sent to them\u201d has donated 82,853 words,<\/strong> translating and revising with CLEAR Global partners, the COVID-19 task, Partners In Health, the IFRC, and more on the TWB Platform. <\/li>
- Hiba has donated 1,294,561 words in English and Arabic. <\/strong>She has translated and revised projects supporting people with health, migration, and equality with CLEAR Global partners, CARE International, IFRC, Oxfam, and other nonprofits on the TWB Platform. <\/li>
- Usman worked with the TWB Community to help develop Shehu, CLEAR Global\u2019s AI chatbot<\/strong> which helps people get reliable answers to their questions about COVID-19 in Hausa and Kanuri. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Read testimonials from some of our community members in our blog,<\/strong> \u201cDiscover the community impact of our projects around the world\u201d<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n\u201cWe are making a great positive impact on the lives of people in northeast Nigeria and Maiduguri to be specific.\u201d <\/strong><\/p>Usman, CLEAR Global Project Officer.<\/strong><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\nMore than translation – life-changing language resources<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Our organization offers language services and a lot more. <\/strong>We advocate for the inclusion of under-resourced languages in digital spaces. We develop useful, open-access language resources and tools, and foster collaboration among key players who we believe can make a difference. You can explore our resources and research, filter by topic, program, language, and region on the CLEAR Global Resources Library.<\/a> With the help of our supporters, we can work together to promote language equality and ensure more marginalized voices are heard.<\/p>\n\n\n\nRight now, millions of people are excluded from vital information, important conversations, and lifesaving services – because of language barriers. Our organization exists to bridge the digital language divide. <\/strong><\/p>learn more at clearglobal.org<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\nTalking about preventing sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA) in Venezuela<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Venezuela is facing a severe humanitarian crisis, with millions of people suffering from hunger, disease, and lack of basic services. <\/strong>The crisis has forced more than 5.5 million Venezuelans to flee their country and many refugees and migrants find themselves exposed to poverty, homelessness, exploitation, and abuse (Source: Reliefweb<\/a>). All of these people need accurate information and access to critical services in a language they understand. Over 50 Indigenous groups live in Venezuela, many with their own languages. Some community members speak little or no Spanish or have limited access to humanitarian information and assistance in their own languages. This poses a serious challenge for humanitarian responders who need to communicate with them about preventing sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA).<\/p>\n\n\n\nTools for Indigenous Communities, developed by Indigenous People<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Humanitarian responders need practical tools to overcome language barriers so they can provide people with effective assistance. <\/strong>To address this gap, we partnered with local linguists and community-based organizations in Venezuela that support Indigenous communities across the country. The remote location of many communities and the low internet connectivity are problematic. So we trained Indigenous linguists to test and validate terms related to PSEA, working offline in three of the most widely spoken Indigenous languages: Pem\u00f3n, Warao, and Way\u00fau. These terms are now available in our multilingual PSEA glossary<\/a>, which helps humanitarians and community members to understand each other clearly and respectfully. By promoting language diversity and inclusion, we can enhance the quality and accountability of humanitarian action. By tackling these language barriers we can empower Indigenous people to be informed and make their voices heard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/translatorswithoutborders.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/IMG-20220225-WA0012.jpg?resize=768%2C1024&ssl=1\")
<\/figure><\/li>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/translatorswithoutborders.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/IMG-20220225-WA0015-2.jpg?resize=768%2C1024&ssl=1\")
<\/figure><\/li><\/ul>Nuris and Oberto<\/em>, Way\u00fau linguists in Venezuela. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nGlossaries combat mistranslation and misunderstanding <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
We\u2019ve developed multilingual glossaries and conducted terminology testing in various countries to help clarify abstract humanitarian jargon, improve understanding, and address common difficulties encountered in discussing taboo subjects. The aim is to make communication between affected people and humanitarians more effective. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
During glossary development and testing stages, we regularly uncover terms that are confusing, so we work with local linguists to localize key terms that could aid in accurate, effective communication. Some examples from our projects around the world: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
- In Malawi (Chewa), people found ‘negative coping mechanisms’ confusing.<\/strong> They preferred ‘dealing with a problem in a way that creates more problems’. <\/li>
- In Iraq (Kurdish), the abstract terms ‘whistleblower’ and ‘informed consent’ were not clear.<\/strong> More direct terms like ‘to report’ and ‘approval’ were much easier to understand. <\/li>
- In Haiti (Haitian Creole), the term for a ‘complaint mechanism’ was ‘Plent Mekanis’ in Frenchified Creole. <\/strong>But people preferred the more descriptive phrase ‘fason pou w pote plent’ (way for raising a complaint).<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Our community and our supporters have helped us create and share numerous glossaries to help people navigate communication in challenging situations. <\/strong>Our glossaries include terms and definitions on topics such as COVID-19<\/a>, safeguarding and preventing sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA)<\/a>, community engagement, refugee response, and more. They are available in multiple languages to cater to people in all kinds of contexts, with audio pronunciation and offline access. Our glossaries help people working in humanitarian and development contexts to make an impact with clear, accurate, and consistent communication. When a company decides to sponsor TWB, they have the exciting opportunity to help fund the development and expansion of new and existing glossaries. Explore all glossaries here<\/a> – and don\u2019t forget to share with someone who could use them. It can make all the difference. <\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/translatorswithoutborders.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/scrolling-glossary-gif-1700-px-wide.gif?resize=840%2C533&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\nBack in 2020, our friends at TransPerfect (TWB Platinum Sponsor) – shared our COVID-19 glossary on social media.<\/h4>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
An old friend working in a long-term care facility in a diverse neighborhood reached out to a TWB team member, she was relieved she found our COVID-19 glossary. Her work involved speech pathology primarily in English, but her clients\u2019 diverse backgrounds and languages made her the \u201cgo-to\u201d to help figure out communication and understanding issues. Not only was she very grateful – this glossary tool made a real difference for her and her colleagues – but it also helped empower the people she worked with to get the support they needed. We have the opportunity to scale and adapt our resources to make them count in diverse contexts – whenever and wherever people need support. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Preventing Sexual Exploitation, Abuse, and Harassment with the Resource & Support Hub <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
To support people facing vulnerable situations in humanitarian contexts including the Ukraine response, we\u2019ve worked with the Resource and Support Hub to produce a number of resources in various languages. With the support of TWB Community members who speak relevant languages, we:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- have produced a multilingual film to help prevent sexual exploitation and abuse<\/a> in humanitarian action, with InterAction <\/li>
- developed a multilingual glossary<\/a>, including sign languages;<\/li>
- delivered online interpreter training and remote plain language training to better support affected people;<\/li>
- continue to train major humanitarian actors in Plain Language so they can help people understand their rights and how to access services;<\/li>
- translated the Core Humanitarian Standard into Slovak, Hungarian, and Romanian<\/a>, to help humanitarian actors meet quality standards and connect with local people<\/li>
- localized RespondLocal<\/a>, NeedsList\u2019s online platform to help local organizations quickly access large-scale donations of warm clothes, generators, food and other fundamental items. Now accessible for people who speak Polish, Ukrainian, and Russian<\/li>
- Find our communication toolkit of resources for Ukraine responders here <\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe found the plain language editing was really helpful in making these concepts [rights] concrete and understandable. We made the messages and we thought they were understandable, but CLEAR Global took them and made them really much clearer and used words that were digestible.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>Rebecca Hiemsra, Catholic Relief Services<\/strong> (CRS<\/strong>)<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\nResponding to floods in Pakistan: in the right languages<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
When devastating flooding affected Pakistan in 2022, we knew from previous responses that effective communication can be the key to addressing people\u2019s real needs. <\/strong>The UN says an estimated 33 million people have been affected, with millions still living in poor conditions. Pakistan is facing a food crisis, and people need aid and vital services in a language they can understand. CLEAR Global conducted research on local languages and people\u2019s needs. We then updated our PSEA Glossary to include five key languages for Pakistan<\/a>, in collaboration with SSD (Social Development Direct) and the RSH (Resource and Support Hub). This free, online language resource supports humanitarians and affected people with communication about protection from sexual exploitation, abuse, and harm. This recent update adds five languages: Punjabi, Sindhi, Balochi, Pashto, and Urdu. <\/strong>These languages are essential for reaching millions of people who do not speak or understand Urdu, the country\u2019s official language. <\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Pakistan](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/translatorswithoutborders.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/442740Pakistan_Flood.jpg?resize=840%2C559&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nPakistan has high linguistic diversity and low literacy rates. Many people lack the information they need in their language to access assistance, avoid further harm, and prepare for future crises. <\/strong>With our PSEA glossary, we aim to help humanitarian workers communicate more effectively with the people they support, ensuring that they can be informed, respected, and understood. For example, the glossary can help women who experience sexual abuse to make reports to humanitarian workers and seek support in their own language. A young female farm laborer in Sindh told us that: <\/p>\n\n\n\n\u201cWe only get information from our men, we can\u2019t say what we want and what we don\u2019t want.\u201d <\/strong><\/p>Interview respondant, Pakistan<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\nWith this new resource, community support workers and people working in the aid sector will be able to provide more accurate information and awareness on PSEA. <\/strong>Here are some of the ways it can help: <\/h3>\n\n\n\n- Translators working for local NGOs can use the glossary to translate PSEA materials and messages into the languages of the communities they support, ensuring that they are clear, accurate,<\/strong> and culturally appropriate. <\/li>
- Volunteers working on PSEA awareness in flood-affected villages can use the glossary to prepare communications, answer questions from community members in their native languages, and build trust.<\/li>
- Local interpreters can know which terms to use, and better understand what people are saying about their experiences. <\/li>
- Organizations can avoid confusion and stigma and communicate more effectively on PSEA with both communities and their staff with accurate, consistent, and standard translations that are appropriate to the context.<\/li>
- Aid workers supporting people in Pakistan and around the world <\/strong>can understand unfamiliar terms, check definitions, select the appropriate words, and prepare for challenging conversations<\/li>
- This resource can be used in various contexts,<\/strong> it can help when: providing information and awareness on PSEA, conducting surveys and interviews, reporting and responding to cases of abuse, training staff and volunteers <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
We collaborated with Social Development Direct and the Resource and Support hub to define and include locally accepted terminology, so individuals can understand their rights, be heard, and receive the support they need. <\/strong>This need is urgent. At the UN\u2019s annual Committee on Information last month, \u201cthe representative of Pakistan voiced concern about the digital divide and the issue of growing inequality in access to timely, multilingual communications.\u201d It was reported that 2.9 billion people have never used the internet, and 96% of those live in developing countries. \u201cThe issue of unequal access to information, due to a lack of linguistic diversity, must be addressed.\u201d This poses another challenge on top of recent floods – the delegate for Pakistan referred to TWB\u2019s report highlighting the dangerous information gap that amplifies the risk faced by affected communities (Source: UN Press<\/a>, April 2023). Explore the glossaries and learn more about how you can support the development of new and expanded resources<\/a> – visit clearglobal.org<\/a> You can also learn more about language data in Pakistan at this link.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\nIt\u2019s time to act. <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nSo join us in empowering people through language. When a crisis hits, our global team and community unite language and technology at scale combined with decades of international aid experience to address the digital language divide. This allows us to work as a catalyst for change, building AI-powered language solutions with high social impact. And the vital funds and support provided by sponsors help us reach more people, to create even more change for good. Sounds like a good way to do social responsibility? If you think so, we could work together to use language technology to drive development, create more equality, and give people agency over their own lives. Get in touch today on our website.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\nWe thank Microsoft for their kind Azure donation which hosts much of our language technology resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Written by Danielle Moore, Communications and Engagement Officer, CLEAR Global <\/pre>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Working as a community: supporting the world\u2019s most marginalized communities to communicate and connect<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
We work as a community to help improve communication – and daily life – for people<\/strong> affected by war, people who have been displaced, and whose homes have been devastated by natural disasters. We help those most in need of reliable information on how to stay safe, get help, and more. The TWB community\u2019s translations contribute to developing CLEAR Global\u2019s AI-based language technology solutions<\/a>. And they help provide much-needed language services so nonprofits worldwide can communicate with people in need of support. Together, we enable people who speak their mother language to access the same knowledge and opportunities as those who speak their country\u2019s dominant or national language.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Our community of linguists donates over 20 million words each year. We translate information for organizations all over the world, working in more than 200 languages \u2014 from Amharic to Zulu.<\/strong><\/p>learn more about TWB. <\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Over ten years since TWB was first established, we continue to partner with nonprofit organizations all over the world to connect linguists and their skills with people in need of critical information. <\/strong>TWB community members <\/a>contribute to a range of language-related projects, including translation, revision, subtitling, and voice-over. By providing vital information in relevant languages, they\u2019re helping some of the world\u2019s most vulnerable people get answers to their questions in times of crisis, know their rights<\/a>, and how to stay safe when forcibly displaced<\/a>. They help people get accurate and reliable health information<\/a>. And they help those who are most impacted by climate change<\/a> protect themselves and our planet. By investing in our community, we know that we can make a bigger impact together. We rely on our generous network of sponsors<\/a>, including language service, localization, and technology industry experts, who share our passion for effective, equitable communication, to help make it happen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With the support of sponsors including those who provide pro bono language services and expertise, we\u2019re building communities of translators in critical languages. And we\u2019re supporting new linguists to grow professionally. At the start of 2023, we launched the new TWB Learning Center<\/a>, a place for community members to gain experience in humanitarian translation and learn in-demand language industry skills. It\u2019s free, self-paced, and designed for everyone because we believe that every contribution matters – in every language. By making translator training accessible, we can empower linguists and non-professional bilinguals to participate in humanitarian and development initiatives to make their languages part of global conversations. \u200b\u200bSince we went live, we\u2019ve welcomed thousands of users! We\u2019re also improving our TWB platform, incorporating new language technology to give our community the tools they need to contribute to even more impactful projects. <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMy biggest motivation for volunteering with TWB is helping people access vital information in their own language by breaking language barriers. I also want to get more experience and grow professionally to be able to better support my family.\u201d<\/p>TWB Community member, Jeff featured left, Ursuline right. Read our<\/em> TWB blog on supporting the African language community<\/a>. <\/cite><\/blockquote>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n Every day, our partners request more support in more languages, and our community steps up to meet the need! <\/p>\n\n\n\n Read testimonials from some of our community members in our blog,<\/strong> \u201cDiscover the community impact of our projects around the world\u201d<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe are making a great positive impact on the lives of people in northeast Nigeria and Maiduguri to be specific.\u201d <\/strong><\/p>Usman, CLEAR Global Project Officer.<\/strong><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Our organization offers language services and a lot more. <\/strong>We advocate for the inclusion of under-resourced languages in digital spaces. We develop useful, open-access language resources and tools, and foster collaboration among key players who we believe can make a difference. You can explore our resources and research, filter by topic, program, language, and region on the CLEAR Global Resources Library.<\/a> With the help of our supporters, we can work together to promote language equality and ensure more marginalized voices are heard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Right now, millions of people are excluded from vital information, important conversations, and lifesaving services – because of language barriers. Our organization exists to bridge the digital language divide. <\/strong><\/p>learn more at clearglobal.org<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n Venezuela is facing a severe humanitarian crisis, with millions of people suffering from hunger, disease, and lack of basic services. <\/strong>The crisis has forced more than 5.5 million Venezuelans to flee their country and many refugees and migrants find themselves exposed to poverty, homelessness, exploitation, and abuse (Source: Reliefweb<\/a>). All of these people need accurate information and access to critical services in a language they understand. Over 50 Indigenous groups live in Venezuela, many with their own languages. Some community members speak little or no Spanish or have limited access to humanitarian information and assistance in their own languages. This poses a serious challenge for humanitarian responders who need to communicate with them about preventing sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Humanitarian responders need practical tools to overcome language barriers so they can provide people with effective assistance. <\/strong>To address this gap, we partnered with local linguists and community-based organizations in Venezuela that support Indigenous communities across the country. The remote location of many communities and the low internet connectivity are problematic. So we trained Indigenous linguists to test and validate terms related to PSEA, working offline in three of the most widely spoken Indigenous languages: Pem\u00f3n, Warao, and Way\u00fau. These terms are now available in our multilingual PSEA glossary<\/a>, which helps humanitarians and community members to understand each other clearly and respectfully. By promoting language diversity and inclusion, we can enhance the quality and accountability of humanitarian action. By tackling these language barriers we can empower Indigenous people to be informed and make their voices heard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We\u2019ve developed multilingual glossaries and conducted terminology testing in various countries to help clarify abstract humanitarian jargon, improve understanding, and address common difficulties encountered in discussing taboo subjects. The aim is to make communication between affected people and humanitarians more effective. <\/p>\n\n\n\n During glossary development and testing stages, we regularly uncover terms that are confusing, so we work with local linguists to localize key terms that could aid in accurate, effective communication. Some examples from our projects around the world: <\/p>\n\n\n\n Our community and our supporters have helped us create and share numerous glossaries to help people navigate communication in challenging situations. <\/strong>Our glossaries include terms and definitions on topics such as COVID-19<\/a>, safeguarding and preventing sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA)<\/a>, community engagement, refugee response, and more. They are available in multiple languages to cater to people in all kinds of contexts, with audio pronunciation and offline access. Our glossaries help people working in humanitarian and development contexts to make an impact with clear, accurate, and consistent communication. When a company decides to sponsor TWB, they have the exciting opportunity to help fund the development and expansion of new and existing glossaries. Explore all glossaries here<\/a> – and don\u2019t forget to share with someone who could use them. It can make all the difference. <\/p>\n\n\n\n An old friend working in a long-term care facility in a diverse neighborhood reached out to a TWB team member, she was relieved she found our COVID-19 glossary. Her work involved speech pathology primarily in English, but her clients\u2019 diverse backgrounds and languages made her the \u201cgo-to\u201d to help figure out communication and understanding issues. Not only was she very grateful – this glossary tool made a real difference for her and her colleagues – but it also helped empower the people she worked with to get the support they needed. We have the opportunity to scale and adapt our resources to make them count in diverse contexts – whenever and wherever people need support. <\/p>\n\n\n\n To support people facing vulnerable situations in humanitarian contexts including the Ukraine response, we\u2019ve worked with the Resource and Support Hub to produce a number of resources in various languages. With the support of TWB Community members who speak relevant languages, we:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe found the plain language editing was really helpful in making these concepts [rights] concrete and understandable. We made the messages and we thought they were understandable, but CLEAR Global took them and made them really much clearer and used words that were digestible.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>Rebecca Hiemsra, Catholic Relief Services<\/strong> (CRS<\/strong>)<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n When devastating flooding affected Pakistan in 2022, we knew from previous responses that effective communication can be the key to addressing people\u2019s real needs. <\/strong>The UN says an estimated 33 million people have been affected, with millions still living in poor conditions. Pakistan is facing a food crisis, and people need aid and vital services in a language they can understand. CLEAR Global conducted research on local languages and people\u2019s needs. We then updated our PSEA Glossary to include five key languages for Pakistan<\/a>, in collaboration with SSD (Social Development Direct) and the RSH (Resource and Support Hub). This free, online language resource supports humanitarians and affected people with communication about protection from sexual exploitation, abuse, and harm. This recent update adds five languages: Punjabi, Sindhi, Balochi, Pashto, and Urdu. <\/strong>These languages are essential for reaching millions of people who do not speak or understand Urdu, the country\u2019s official language. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Pakistan has high linguistic diversity and low literacy rates. Many people lack the information they need in their language to access assistance, avoid further harm, and prepare for future crises. <\/strong>With our PSEA glossary, we aim to help humanitarian workers communicate more effectively with the people they support, ensuring that they can be informed, respected, and understood. For example, the glossary can help women who experience sexual abuse to make reports to humanitarian workers and seek support in their own language. A young female farm laborer in Sindh told us that: <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe only get information from our men, we can\u2019t say what we want and what we don\u2019t want.\u201d <\/strong><\/p>Interview respondant, Pakistan<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n So join us in empowering people through language. When a crisis hits, our global team and community unite language and technology at scale combined with decades of international aid experience to address the digital language divide. This allows us to work as a catalyst for change, building AI-powered language solutions with high social impact. And the vital funds and support provided by sponsors help us reach more people, to create even more change for good. Sounds like a good way to do social responsibility? If you think so, we could work together to use language technology to drive development, create more equality, and give people agency over their own lives. Get in touch today on our website.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n We thank Microsoft for their kind Azure donation which hosts much of our language technology resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\nWho the community helps: a one-of-a-kind community of language volunteers powering social good<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Giving back and growing skills – supporting language volunteers<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
A few projects our community members have translated recently include:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>More than translation – life-changing language resources<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Talking about preventing sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA) in Venezuela<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Tools for Indigenous Communities, developed by Indigenous People<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure><\/li><\/figure><\/li><\/ul>Glossaries combat mistranslation and misunderstanding <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>Back in 2020, our friends at TransPerfect (TWB Platinum Sponsor) – shared our COVID-19 glossary on social media.<\/h4>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Preventing Sexual Exploitation, Abuse, and Harassment with the Resource & Support Hub <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Responding to floods in Pakistan: in the right languages<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nWith this new resource, community support workers and people working in the aid sector will be able to provide more accurate information and awareness on PSEA. <\/strong>Here are some of the ways it can help: <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
We collaborated with Social Development Direct and the Resource and Support hub to define and include locally accepted terminology, so individuals can understand their rights, be heard, and receive the support they need. <\/strong>This need is urgent. At the UN\u2019s annual Committee on Information last month, \u201cthe representative of Pakistan voiced concern about the digital divide and the issue of growing inequality in access to timely, multilingual communications.\u201d It was reported that 2.9 billion people have never used the internet, and 96% of those live in developing countries. \u201cThe issue of unequal access to information, due to a lack of linguistic diversity, must be addressed.\u201d This poses another challenge on top of recent floods – the delegate for Pakistan referred to TWB\u2019s report highlighting the dangerous information gap that amplifies the risk faced by affected communities (Source: UN Press<\/a>, April 2023). Explore the glossaries and learn more about how you can support the development of new and expanded resources<\/a> – visit clearglobal.org<\/a> You can also learn more about language data in Pakistan at this link.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\nIt\u2019s time to act. <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Written by Danielle Moore, Communications and Engagement Officer, CLEAR Global <\/pre>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"