The future of aid is networked humanitarianism (December 4, 2020)
“We should understand humanitarian action as a network of relations, rather than a series of transactions.” – Paul Currion, Independent Consultant, and former Chief Operating Officer of Disberse Ltd – READ MORE.
Translators without Borders welcomes Lilt as Diamond Sponsor (November 12, 2020)
Top sponsorship will further support the global translator community and the important work of breaking down language barriers worldwide. – READ MORE.
Virtual Volunteering: How to Be a Digital Do-Gooder (November 10, 2020)
Volunteering is not only a service to the people receiving the efforts, but also can benefit your health. – READ MORE
Translation Tips – Coronavirus crisis: Translators as digital heroes (November 6, 2020)
Translators have become indispensable heroes to keep the public informed about safety protocols, current events, and COVID updates. – READ MORE.
Addressing the language and literacy gaps in humanitarian aid & development work (November 6, 2020)
When it comes to humanitarian aid and development work, we have two choices as a society: help to save and improve millions of lives in marginalized communities around the world, or ignore the problems they face and do nothing. – READ MORE.
Le chatbot du ministère de la Santé pour lutter contre la désinformation liée à Covid-19 est désormais disponible en 3 langues nationales (October 12, 2020)
Le ministère de la Santé a lancé un bot en mai 2020 afin de lutter contre la désinformation sur les aspects liés au COVID-19. – READ MORE.
ODI - Humanitarian Policy Group report (October 12, 2020)
Collective approaches to risk communication and community engagement in the Ebola response in North Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo – READ MORE.
Countering stigmatization in the humanitarian response to COVID-19 (October 10, 2020)
Protection Working Group—With unique contributions from Humanity & Inclusion, HelpAge International, Jesuit Refugee Service, Refugees International, Translators without Borders, Save the Children, War Child Canada, SAMS, and InterNews. – READ MORE.
RDC : Le chatbot du ministère de la Santé pour lutter contre la désinformation liée à la Covid-19 est désormais disponible en 3 langues nationales (October 9, 2020)
Le ministère de la Santé a lancé un bot en mai 2020 afin de lutter contre la désinformation sur les aspects liés au COVID-19. Une deuxième version du chatbot est désormais disponible sur WhatsApp et Télégramme. – READ MORE.
Lutte contre la désinformation liée à Covid-19 : Le chatbot du ministère de la santé désormais disponible en 3 langues nationales (October 9, 2020)
Le chatbot du ministère de la Santé pour lutter contre la désinformation liée à Covid-19 est désormais disponible en 3 langues nationales! – READ MORE.
Language support for two-way communication in Cox’s Bazar during COVID-19 (September 30, 2020)
Translators without Borders (TWB) is active in the COVID-19 response in the Cox’s Bazar Rohingya refugee camps as a member of the Common Service for Community Engagement and Accountability. – READ MORE.
International Translation Day (September 30, 2020)
Celebrate International Translation Day by volunteering for or donating to Translators without Borders. – READ MORE.
Innovation set to transform humanitarian response in conflict zones and COVID-19 (September 25, 2020)
Creating Hope in Conflict: A Humanitarian Grand Challenge supports innovations that will save or improve the lives of the most vulnerable and hardest-to-reach people impacted by humanitarian crises caused by conflict, in a world now further exacerbated by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. – READ MORE.
Globaldev careers: the translator (September 09, 2020)
LONDON — Whether it’s creating a chatbot to improve the accessibility of an international summit, or translating COVID-19 training for health workers, Muhannad Albayk Jaam’s work is almost as varied as the languages on the planet. – READ MORE.
Asia Pacific World Humanitarian Day: Bangladesh Sifat Noor (August 20, 2020)
During a humanitarian crisis, information and communication are just as critical as food, water, and shelter. But that information needs to be in the right language to be useful. – READ MORE.
UN recognizes four Bangladeshis as real life heroes (August 20, 2020)
The UN marked its World Humanitarian Day by remembering the 125 aid workers who were killed in 2019, and the hundreds of others who were wounded or kidnapped. – READ MORE.
World Humanitarian Day: UN recognises 4 Bangladeshi youths as Real Life Heroes (August 20, 2020)
The United Nations has recognised four Bangladeshi youths as "Real Life Heroes" to acknowledge their contribution to humanitarian services. The honours were given by the UN marking the World Humanitarian Day on August 19. – READ MORE.
VistaTalks Episode 37 – Ellie Kemp (August 20, 2020)
Ellie Kemp is the Head of Crisis Response at Translators without Borders (TWB). Ellie is leading TWB's scale-up to bring language support to humanitarian action, facilitating communication between the people caught up in crisis and the aid organisations seeking to help them. – READ MORE.
How interpreting impacts customer and patient experience (August 1, 2020)
Although many of us sit behind keyboards and devices to communicate, especially in the current social distancing climate, a lot of critical communication and brand experience is still established and achieved through the spoken word. – READ MORE.
TICO-19 COVID Response Effort Welcomes TWB (July 31, 2020)
Translators without Borders has joined TICO-19, a coalition of academic institutions and industry partners, in an effort to translate and localize urgent health-related resources and materials into languages without access to the latest information. – READ MORE.
How do you translate a pandemic? (June 23, 2020)
Every word matters in a public health emergency. But how do you distil essential pandemic information for a nation of 1.3 billion people who speak in thousands of different tongues? – READ MORE.
Boost your mental and physical health during the pandemic by volunteering virtually (June 11, 2020)
Are you looking for a mental and physical boost during the pandemic? Try volunteering. Adults over 50 who volunteer for about two hours per week have a substantially reduced risk of dying, higher levels of physical activity and an improved sense of well-being, a new study has found. – READ MORE.
The Humanitarian Grand Challenge Announces Support for 27 Solutions To Help People in Conflict Zones (August 18, 2020)
Creating Hope in Conflict: a Humanitarian Grand Challenge awards $7.8 million CAD for bold innovations to assist the hardest-to-reach conflict-affected communities. – READ MORE.
Students lending a helping hand through the social distance (June 10, 2020)
SIUE students and organizations remain dedicated to giving back to the community, even as COVID-19 restrictions continue to limit in-person interactions. – READ MORE.
Traduir per salvar vides (June 9, 2020)
ONG d’arreu del món duen a terme projectes per informar de la Covid-19 en llengües minoritzades. – READ MORE.
Look back and learn: How past pandemics and epidemics inform COVID-19 response (June 6, 2020)
Some issues in today's global health crisis are all too familiar. Here are eight takeaways from our 25 years of reporting. – READ MORE.
11 Online Volunteer Opportunities So You Can Make a Difference This Summer (June 2, 2020)
If you're fluent in multiple languages, definitely consider lending your skills to translators without borders. Take part in humanitarian aid by translating for crisis response or documents like medical texts. – READ MORE.
How to volunteer in a socially-distanced world (June 2, 2020)
More people than ever are keen to muck in and help their communities. There's no shortage of ways to get involved even during the pandemic – READ MORE.
Open WHO news: Localizing the COVID-19 learning response in Africa (May 2020)
OpenWHO knows from experience and research that people prefer information in their own language. That's why the platform has prioritized the translation of COVID-19 courses not only into the six official UN languages, but also into diverse national languages spoken across the globe, to help localize the response. – READ MORE.
Covid-19 is history’s biggest translation challenge (May 31, 2020)
Services like Google Translate support only 100 languages, give or take. What about the thousands of other languages—spoken by people just as vulnerable to this crisis? – READ MORE.
Group publishes COVID-19 prevention infographics in 60 languages (May 16, 2020)
A non-governmental organization, Slum and Rural Health Initiative has developed one of the world’s largest collection of infographics in over sixty (60) international, national and local languages on the prevention of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) based on the guidelines provided by the World Health Organization (WHO). – READ MORE.
BBC Hausa. Coronavirus: WHO za ta soma koyar da darusa da Hausa (May 15, 2020)
Hukumar Lafiya ta duniya, WHO, ta ce za ta soma koyar da darusa kan cutar korona cikin harshen Hausa, da Swahili da kuma Amharic. – READ MORE.
Amanda Bancroft: Find ways to help, online or on your own block (May 10, 2020)
One of the best ways to distract yourself from a problem is to help someone else with theirs. Volunteering is a vital public service, but so many organizations are closed, and staying home has become a sort of volunteer anthem nowadays. – READ MORE
Youth activist uses quarantine to start nonprofit that translates climate change information from English to other languages (12 May 2020)
She says Climate Cardinals plans to reach out to connect with other groups that do similar work, such as Translators Without Borders, a nonprofit that offers language and translation support for humanitarian and development agencies and other nonprofits around the globe. – READ MORE.
Still Serving: GW Athletics makes a difference through virtual community service (May, 6, 2020)
The list includes Translators without Borders, a non-profit that "aims to close the language gaps that hinder critical humanitarian and international development efforts worldwide." – READ MORE.
Coronavirus: Why some racial groups are more vulnerable (21 April 2020)
From discrimination to language, a variety of factors are affecting different groups’ vulnerability to coronavirus — with sometimes devastating results. – READ MORE.
Five ways collective intelligence can help beat coronavirus in developing countries (20 April 2020)
The COVID-19 pandemic has so far had the greatest impact in developed economies with strong health systems. And the results have been terrifying. – READ MORE.
The community engagement lessons being used to fight COVID-19 (15 April 2020)
MANILA — In Tacurong, a city in the southern Philippines, individuals attacked and doused bleach on a hospital worker. In Kenya, some perceive the novel coronavirus as being “manufactured by [the] U.S. government to destabilize the Chinese economy” – READ MORE.
National Volunteer Week: Virtual Volunteering Options (15 April 2020)
Next week is National Volunteer Week (April 19-25, 2020). This is an annual celebration to showcase the many volunteer opportunities that are available to all of us and to highlight the impact of those who lend their time and talents to serve their communities. – READ MORE.
Be My Eyes Blog: Happy Micro-Volunteering Day (15 April 2020)
We've cooked up a list of ways to stay busy while giving back to the community from the comfort of your home. – READ MORE.Tradurreper la vita: la cura delle parole (02 April 2020)
Spoiler. Questo non è un post acchiappalike. O almeno, non è stato scritto con questo scopo. L’attuale situazione ha prodotto una superfetazione di commenti – più o meno approfonditi, più o meno fortunati – su COVID-19 e linguaggio: su quali termini usare, su quali espressioni evitare, su quali manipolazioni interrogarsi. – READ MORE.
5 Ways Data Scientists Can Help Respond to COVID-19 and 5 Actions to Avoid (01 April 2020)
There are many Data Scientists thinking about how they can help respond to the SARS-CoV-2 virus and the disease it causes, “COVID-19". – READ MORE.
Pro Bono Translation - a privilege to make a difference (01 April 2020)
Since the pandemic broke out, I have noticed an increase in demand for free translation services. Translators Without Borders, National Health Service and local charities all need translation to assist vulnerable people with their communication needs. – READ MORE.
Yamagata Europe makes Quality Assurance Distiller free for all to help fight COVID-19 (01 April 2020)
From April 2020 onwards, Yamagata Europe will offer its QA Distiller software for translators and technical documentation professionals free of charge. Instead of paying for the software, companies who download QA Distiller will be invited to donate to Translators without Borders. – READ MORE.
How do you say 'social distancing' in Swahili? (30 March 2020)
What do bleeding gums, the heart, and social distancing have in common? Aside from their medical implications, they are all challenging key phrases to translate... – READ MORE.
Pandemic info-demic: spreading at speed with the coronavirus pandemic is an info-demic — a flood of information that makes it difficult (nearly impossible) for people consuming a myriad of information sources each day to differentiate trustworthy information vs. false or misleading information. – READ MORE.Compass Cares: looking to volunteer virtually? (27 March 2020)
In these challenging times, small acts of goodness are more important than ever. –READ MORE.
Volunteering online during COVID: how to support social impact virtually (26 March 2020)
To help you find the right opportunity to make an impact from home, here is a list of 37 places to find virtual volunteering projects, including translating for TWB. – READ MORE.
OPINION: COVID-19 emergency relief must reach everyone, including minorities and indigenous peoples (24 March 2020)
Translators without Borders has documented many instances of aid being provided in languages that the intended recipients do not speak well. – READ MORE.
Ways to volunteer from home and how to help food banks during coronavirus (24 March 2020)
Translators without Borders recruits volunteers who want to translate texts into different languages for NGOs and nonprofits. – READ MORE
Use language to fight COVID-19 misinformation (24 March 2020)
"We’re not just fighting an epidemic; we’re fighting an infodemic." - Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, World Health Organization (WHO). – READ MORE.
As misinformation on coronavirus surges, funding trickles in (23 March 2020)
NEW DELHI — On March 20, as millions of Indians planned to go on a 14-hour lockdown, a peculiar message started doing the rounds on WhatsApp and other social media. – READ MORE.
The coronavirus and the rise of the virtual volunteer (15 March 2020)
The coronavirus pandemic is changing the way we are interacting, launching us seemingly overnight from the real world into the virtual world. – READ MORE
UK aid to tackle global spread of coronavirus ‘fake news’ (12 March 2020)
UK aid will fund new international push by H2H Network, TWB and others to challenge dangerous fake news about coronavirus. - READ MORE
H2H Network funding to fight the COVID-19 info-demic with facts (25 February 2020)
The H2H Network has funded four independent international organisations focused on communication and information to assist the global response to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) epidemic. – READ MORE
Questel has committed its support to help crisis-affected people communicate in a language they understand by partnering at the Gold Sponsor level with Translators without Borders. – READ MORE.
Translators without Borders: Traduttori Con Una Missione (17 February 2020)
Cosa succederebbe se dopo aver comprato un medicinale, il foglietto delle avvertenze non fosse nella nostra lingua? – READ MORE.
TWB supports the Masakhane Project which puts Africa on the machine translation map (28 January 2020)
Machine translation (MT) has been shown to be stronger and improving more quickly for languages where there is lots of reference data. – READ MORE.
What happens when 12m people have no word for 'dinosaur' (17 January 2020)
English is the world’s dominant scientific language, yet it has no word for the distinctive smell of cockroaches. What happens though, if you have no words for basic scientific terms? – READ MORE.
Transfer learning approaches for machine translation (18 December 2019)
TWB's current research focuses on bringing language technology to marginalized communities – READ MORE.
Twilio.org announces second round of grants supporting nonprofits engaged in crisis communications (17 December 2019)
Additional $3.65 million in grants provided to 26 U.S. and global nonprofits to expand their communications infrastructure for supporting individuals and communities in times of crisis – READ MORE.
We won’t achieve zero Ebola cases in Congo until we get language right ( 3 December 2019)
Fifteen months into the Democratic Republic of Congo’s latest Ebola outbreak, we are still asking people to overcome the fear of an indiscriminate disease and accept an intimidating medical process while communicating in a way that often creates confusion and frustration. — READ MORE.
Stealing tongues: miscommunication in the time of Ebola in DR Congo (31 October 2019)
No asylum, Deportation and Death -The True cost of lack of Information (6 October 2019)
Intern Power! Five Reasons Why Internships Can Help New Careers (3 October 2019)
This year, Welocalize had a unique opportunity to combine our longtime sponsorship with Translators without Borders (TWB) by hosting one of their interns, Claudia Mandalà at the Welocalize office in Dublin. — READ MORE
The power of words in crisis situations (09 September 2019)
It’s one thing to not understand a word. But it’s another thing entirely to not understand a potentially life-saving word. – READ MORE.
Nonprofit Remote: how to cultivate a fun and innovative diverse team (04 September 2019)
We’re here to have conversations with the leaders of successful nonprofits to learn about how they run their organizations. – LISTEN TO THE PODCAST.
Recharge Your Business Batteries at the ATC Language Industry Summit 2019 (30 August 2019)
Attendees will be toasting the award nominees and dancing the night away, whilst raising money for the charity Translators without Borders. – READ MORE.Journal of War and Culture Studies: Translating and interpreting in danger zones (18 July 2019)
Communication Is Aid — But Only if Delivered in the Right Language: An Interview with Translators without Borders on Its Work in Danger Zones. – READ MORE.
10 ways to take action for immigrants (09 July 2019)
Show up for migrants by showing up where you’re most needed—as a volunteer providing key support services to the leaders of this fight. – READ MORE.
How a second language can lead to a job in a translation agency (08 July 2019)
Speaking fluently in a language other than your native mother tongue is an extremely valuable and profitable skill and which can put you in good stead to achieving success in finding a job as a translator through a translation agency. – READ MORE.
The ATC will again be supporting NGO Translators without Borders at this year’s Summit and have already donated its small profit for 2018/19 to the charity. – READ MORE.Notes from the classroom: on teaching translation (01 July 2019)
Extraordinary new humanitarian machine translation initiatives from organizations such as Translators Without Borders are enabling crisis-affected people from marginalized languages to have a voice and get much needed help. – READ MORE.
TWB’s ‘Words of Relief’ project aimed to enable humanitarian responders to better communicate with communities affected by crises through their language(s) of choice in order to provide and receive critical and life-saving information. – READ MORE.Translators: helping refugees traverse borders and barriers (21 June 2019)
Imagine entering a world where you don’t understand a word anyone is saying. You’ve just left your home and most of your belongings to escape severe trauma, and you have no idea where to go now. – READ MORE.
Appen is pleased to announce that we have received a 2019 Donor Award from Translators Without Borders (TWB). – READ MORE.Machine translation could make marginalized languages more accessible (18 June 2019)
Translators without Borders (TWB) is using support from the Cisco Foundation to allow more people to share their voice. The organization is planning to develop machine translation and give access to information in marginalized languages. – READ MORE.No Limit Gen Announces its Global Child Well-being Platform (11 June 2019)
28 videos focused on mental health have been translated in partnership with TWB, and piloted in the Rohingya refugee camps with a child-rights humanitarian organization with transformative results. – READ MORE
A novel approach to reach Rohingya refugees: speak Rohingya (29 May 2019)
A UN rights probe this month called on the international community to cut financial ties to Myanmar’s military, which it says could be responsible for genocide. – READ MORE.
TWB language recommendations included in United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Cyclone Kenneth update (02 May 2019)
Findings from a language mapping by Translators Without Borders (TWB) indicates that 81 per cent of women and 51 per cent of men are illiterate in Cabo Delgado province, while only 20 per cent of women and 42 per cent of men understand Portuguese. – READ MORE.
What is Translators without Borders? (01 May 2019)
Our director was recently in Tallinn for an EUATC conference, and whilst she was there she attended a fundraising party for the organisation Translators without Borders. This really got us inspired to spread the word about the amazing work they do. – READ MORE.
CDAC Network's How-To Guide now in French, Portuguese, and Spanish (May 2019)
Collective Communication and Community Engagement in humanitarian action: How to Guide for leaders and responders brings together decades of best practice in supporting communities and affected populations fully participating in the humanitarian assistance they receive. – READ MORE.
MediLingua enters 5th year of sponsorship of Translators without Borders (17 April 2019)
MediLingua, a specialized life sciences translation company, is pleased to announce that we have pledged our support to help humanitarian translations reach more people around the world by becoming a Gold Sponsor of Translators without Borders. – READ MORE
The true meaning of leaving no one behind (16 April 2019)
Sometimes it is important to go back to basics. For human interaction, one of the basics is language, the system of communication that, when applied at its best, allows us to understand each other, share, cooperate, and pull each other towards a better place. – READ MORE
Communication, community engagement and accountability in the Cyclone Idai response (8 April 2019)
TWB was quick to map the languages spoken in Mozambique and has now translated the simplified core PSEA principles into Shona, Nyanja and Mozambique Portuguese for those responding to Cyclone Idai. – READ MORE
How Rohingya Refugee Children Are Torn Between Languages (1 April 2019)
Language is both a means of assimilation and a source of exclusion for young Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh caught between a host country trying to prevent their integration and a home country that may prevent their return, writes Sunaina Kumar. – READ MORE
TWB language technology to the rescue (March 2019)
Kató Speak is a new translation memory tool that was created to enable communication in a humanitarian crisis. But its potential could reach well into the commercial market. – READ MORE.
The availability of an experimental vaccine is seen as a game changer in the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. But some residents in the North Kivu province capital city of Goma, in particular women over 35 years old, aren’t so sure. – READ MORE.The challenges of assessing impact when scaling a humanitarian innovation (20 March 2019)
In this blog interview Eric DeLuca, Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Manager at Translators without Borders (TWB) to explore the barriers to scaling their translation services. – READ MORE.
UK International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt highlights TWB, Internews and BBC Media Action (18 March 2019)
“The UK has world class organisations, specialist in areas like mapping and translation. The services they supply can often mean the difference between life and death. – READ MORE.
Tech talk could save at-risk languages from dying, says IT multilingual content developer (21 February 2019)
Thousands of languages are under threat amid a lack of linguistic diversity on the internet, but technology can keep them alive, the chairperson of a leading body of humanitarian translators said on Thursday - International Mother Language Day. – READ MORE.
Language in education - what we don’t know, and why data matters (21 February 2019)
On the occasion of International Mother Language Day, a blog post by Alice Castillejo, Program Advisor, Translators without Borders. – READ MORE. Humanitarian Exchange Magazine features 'The language factor: lessons for communication and community engagement from Translators without Borders’ experience' (05 February 2019)
Language In Protective Humanitarian Action: Practical Lessons From Myanmar, Bangladesh And Northeast Nigeria (15 January 2019)
As part of its ongoing work on Results-Based Protection and how humanitarian action can achieve meaningful and concrete protection outcomes, InterAction hosted a webinar exploring the role of language in protective humanitarian action. View the webinar. – READ MORE.
The direct translation for “mental health” in Hausa is “services for mad people” (13 January 2019)
The stigmatization associated with individuals with the various mental conditions remains deeply engrained in the cultural and societal perceptions of mental health, as evident in the direct translation of mental health which in the Hausa language is “services for mad people”. – READ MORE.
Day Translations Makes Entrepreneur Magazine's List for Best Entrepreneurial Companies (20 December 2018)
Translations, a translation service company out of Tampa, Fl., was added to Entrepreneur Magazine's Entrepreneur360 List for Best Entrepreneurial Companies in 2018. – READ MORE.
Expert Opinion | Donors are ready to innovate, what about humanitarians? (20 December 2018)
Three generations of refugees live in Dadaab, the largest refugee camp in Kenya. Established in 1991 in response to the Somali civil war, today it hosts 44 percent of the country’s refugees. – READ MORE.
Oxfam blog | From poverty to power – Just to be clear: why Devspeak needs to adopt Plain Language (14 December 2018)
If the aid sector is to communicate more effectively, we must do more than tame the rampant devspeak that Duncan highlighted in his recent blog. – READ MORE.
TWB translates oncology research to support authors with English as a second language (11 December 2018)
Towards the end of a great year supporting authors and readers who often face barriers to publishing and reading cancer research, we’d like to express our gratitude to Translators Without Borders. – READ MORE.
STP supports Translators without Borders' holiday fundraising appeal (04 December 2018)
To support this year’s holiday fundraising, we have set up a JustGiving campaign with a promise from the senior members of our management team to perform embarrassing dares for publication online as we hit certain milestones. – READ MORE.
How translation can amplify the voices of the vulnerable #HearMeToo (03 December 2018)
During these 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence, we shine a spotlight on how translation can serve as a way of empowering vulnerable people across the world, particularly women in situations of violence. – READ MORE.
The Economist reports: How language problems bedevil the response to crises (15 November 2018)
To solve them, interpreters must grasp cultural differences as well as linguistic ones. Sitting on a muddy floor beneath a tarpaulin roof, Nabila, a 19-year-old Bangladeshi, fiddles with her shoelaces as she listens to Tosmida, a Rohingya woman in her mid-30s. – READ MORE.
BeatBabel gives back to Translators without Borders for the holidays (15 November 2018)
This holiday season TWB wants to make a difference by sharing stories that show how language matters and how you can give the gift of life-saving words. Every donation to this campaign will have an impact, such as providing Ebola prevention information or the prevention of women trafficking, especially in Latin America. – READ MORE.
Women in Localization 10th-anniversary gala fundraiser for TWB (13 November 2018)
In addition to marking the milestone anniversary, the event was an opportunity for Women in Localization to give back through a fundraiser for Translators Without Borders. Thanks to generous support from members and generous corporate sponsors, including Gold Sponsor Moravia, Women in Localization surpassed their target donation goal of $4,000 by 25%. – READ MORE.
TWB announced as Greater Sum Foundation 'Pitch Round' finalists 2018 (08 November 2018)
The Greater Sum Foundation today named eighteen nonprofit organizations chosen to advance to a “final pitch round” in a competition for funding and services organized by the grant-giving Foundation. The finalists represent twelve states and the District of Columbia with programs covering the categories of education, environment, health, and community building. – READ MORE.
TAUS, the language data network for the global language and translation industries, has just held its Annual Conference in Vancouver, BC (Canada). TAUS Game Changer Innovation Awards celebrate the best innovative solutions in the translation industry. – READ MORE.
UN migration agency marks World Mental Health Day with multilingual messages (12 October 2018)
IOM is coordinating this year’s activities among partners and supporting the translation of awareness messages related to the theme Young People and Mental Health in a Changing World into Hausa, Kanuri, Fulfulde, and Marghi in collaboration with Translators without Borders. – READ MORE.
RWS Moravia names TWB Twitter as an important reminder that ‘language can save lives.’ (11 October 2018)
The 15 accounts that made our hand-picked list aren’t ranked in any particular order, but all have worldwide industry influence and a healthy following. They also tweet mostly or only about language. – READ MORE
700 words and expressions to help aid workers communicate with Rohingya refugees
(20 September 2018)
In partnership with humanitarian aid groups responding to the crisis, TWB has so far focused on translating terms related to water and sanitation, but the group is adding 500 words to the glossary this week to address emergency operations, disability, and gender. – READ MORE
Why Communication Needs To Be At The Heart Of Humanitarian Response (11 September 2018)
It has taken the aid world a long time to realise that there might be value in putting the needs and views of affected people at the heart of decision-making. – READ MORE
Chataya vs. Rohingya (07 September 2018)
Rohingya and Chittagonian share noticeable similarities but are local interpreters equipped to translate the nuances of the words the refugees use? A multitude of languages can be heard around the refugee camps in Cox's Bazar. – READ MORE
When reporting sexual assault, Rohingya women are being lost in translation (29 August 2018)
The humanitarian crisis at Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, where nearly 1 million Rohingya refugees have fled to, is also a communication crisis. With an array of East Asian languages spoken in the camps, hundreds of thousands of Rohingya are having a tough time talking to aid workers. – READ MORE
Oxfam works with TWB to speak the language of Rohingya refugees (17 August 2018)
Iffat Tahmid Fatema, 28, is a humanitarian public health worker for Oxfam’s Rohingya refugee response in Bangladesh. "I started working for Oxfam last year at the height of the emergency when Rohingya refugees were arriving in huge numbers every day" – READ MORE
The importance of language in humanitarian response (16 August 2018)
In 2018, the United Nations estimates that 134 million people are in need of humanitarian aid. Faced with these numbers, it’s easy to feel helpless. But if you’re working in the localization and translation industry – READ MORE
Opinion | Ebola responders must learn language lessons from the 2014 epidemic (15 August 2018)
August 2014 was a scary time in West Africa. Ebola was spreading rapidly and the international community was waking up to a disaster that ultimately killed more than 11,000 people. In the midst of the epidemic, UNICEF and Catholic Relief Services published – READ MORE
Guest blog | IDP data and language bias: from problem to solution (August 2018)
Obtaining accurate data is fundamental to correctly assessing the needs of internally displaced people (IDPs). Effective communication with the people you are serving is fundamental to that process – READ MORE
NPR goats and soda reports: Finding the right words to help refugees (22 July 2018)
Imagine an aid worker in Bangladesh. Her mother tongue is Chittagonian. She's trying to help a Rohingya refugee, whose language is similar to hers — but not 100 percent. The refugee tells her gaa-lamani biaram, "my body is falling apart." – READ MORE
Listening Zones research finds languages matter if we are serious about inclusion (12 July 2018)
“The importance of languages has never been put before me… yet it is obvious that language matters”. Linda McAvan MEP, Chair of the Development Committee, European Parliament, 27 June 2018 Yet, languages seem to be fairly invisible in NGO policy. How can we change this? – READ MORE
Translators without Borders' Mirko Plitt receives AppSheet Innovators Award (11 July 2018)
Translators without Borders’ Head of Technology, Mirko Plitt, receives AppSheet’s Innovator award, an award that recognizes app creators for creating apps that change how work is done, influencing positive changes in organizations and the world – READ MORE
The Unfunded List Spring 2018 highlights Translators without Borders (01 June 2018)
TWB joins the ranks among five organizations whose proposals in response to a social problem "deserve to be funded". The evaluation committee's founder and board made the selection based on a variety of factors, mostly merit and issue area importance – READ MORE
TWB's Aimee Ansari joins ODI panel discussion on network humanitarianism (31 May 2018)
In part two of the podcast series, ‘Constructive deconstruction: future humanitarian action’, Christina Bennett, Head of ODI, humanitarian expert Paul Currion, and Jaz O’Hara, founder of World Wide Tribe, complete the group of change-makers brought together to examine how technology is disrupting the humanitarian sector – LISTEN & MORE
AdHoc Translations announces renewed bronze sponsorship (12 April 2018)
AdHoc Translations has renewed their sponsorship of Translators without Borders so that the organization can continue to make a difference in the world. When a crisis hits, the demolition of language barriers can help save lives - READ MORE
Missing Children Europe launches Miniila app (11 April 2018)
The Miniila app is specifically tailored to the needs of children on the move. It provides clear and child-friendly information about dedicated services such as shelter, food, legal assistance, and health services in the area they are in - READ MORE
The 100 Messages for Children to Learn & Share and the Internet in a Box (10 April 2018)
The Mother and Child Health and Education Trust and the Wiki Project Med Foundation have launched an off-line distribution system for medical & health content in a collaboration called Internet-in-a-Box - READ MORE
First edition of ignITIon now available (3 April 2018 )
The first edition of Ignition is now available - ITI's new biannual publication for those getting started in their translation or interpreting career. The publication features insights into working as a volunteer with Translators without Borders - READ MORE
The language of the persecuted minority Rohingya will be digitized (20 December 2017)
Language is crucial to understanding and responding to the Rohingya refugee crisis. The digitalization of the Rohingya language will give this vulnerable population more options for communication and increased access to vital information - READ MORE
Language of the Rohingya to be digitised: 'It legitimises the struggle' (19 December 2017)
Why turning a language into digital characters will allow persecuted group like Rohingya refugees to write emails and texts, and to post on social media in their own language. READ MORE
Aid groups 'desperate' to communicate effectively with 1 million Rohingya refugees (15 December 2017)
When a humanitarian crisis hits, those affected need information, they can understand immediately about how to access vital aid services or how to reconnect with family members. However, effective communication is not always treated as a priority. This is making the response to the Rohingya refugee crisis in Bangladesh very challenging. READ MORE
Smartling Becomes Platinum Sponsor of TWB (29 November 2017)
Smartling shows a strong commitment to ensuring that more people around the world can access knowledge in their language by becoming a platinum sponsor of TWB – READ MORE
Learning about Understanding (24 October 2017)
In north-east Nigeria, humanitarian organizations are working to support some 1.7 million internally displaced people (IDPs) and the communities hosting them. But language is a challenge: in this linguistically diverse part of the world, people forced from their homes don’t always speak the same language as the people around them. And international aid organizations often lack the language skills to communicate with everyone in their own language. In fact, they mostly communicate in one of just two languages.
As a recent TWB assessment found, many humanitarians are concerned that minority language speakers may be falling through the gaps as a result.
Changing that starts with data: knowing who speaks and understands which language. On that basis you can hire staff, bring in interpreters, and develop communication tools in the right languages.
In July 2017, TWB carried out the first comprehension research with IDPs in Borno State to gather that data. To find out what we learned - READ MORE
The child translators on the frontline of Europe's migrant crisis (21 September 2017)
Because children are quicker at learning new languages and because of the general lack of resources to hire interpreters, refugee and migrant children are often used as interpreters in the European migration crisis - READ MORE
Without Good Interpreters, Refugees Are Lost in an Information Void (20 September 2017)
Humanitarian interpreters are in short supply in Greece, where language barriers hider effective refugee response. Translators without Borders launches a new platform to help connect interpreters and refugee support groups - READ MORE
When hurricane warnings are lost in translation (9 September 2017)
The American Red Cross partners with Translators without Borders to communicate with those in Florida affected by Hurricane Irma who do not speak English - READ MORE
Language tech in the non-profit world – an interview with Mirko Plitt (5 September 2017)
TWB’s Head of Technology, Mirko Plitt, talks about the role that tech plays at TWB in giving people access to vital information in a language they understand. He also gives an inside look at the major tech changes that the organization has undergone in the past 12 months - with the introduction of a Translation Management System, and other language tech developments - READ MORE
World Humanitarian Day – A Q&A with Translators without Borders (18 August 2017)
TWB’s Executive Director, Aimee Ansari, talks about TWB’s involvement in the Ebola crisis and the European refugee crisis response in Greece, and reveals the organization’s vision for the years to come - READ MORE
Using language to change the world (17 August 2017)
As part of TWB’s efforts to respond quickly to crisis and to eliminate language barriers, Head of Technology Mirko Plitt developed Kató, TWB’s first translation platform with support from MateCat - READ MORE
Yesterday and tomorrow: making the promise of technology a reality (9 August 2017)
What happens if we give access to information to the billions who lack it, in a language they understand? TWB Head of Innovation and Deputy Director, Rebecca Petras on TWB’s exciting journey to explore innovative ways to make life-saving information accessible to those who need it, in their languages - READ MORE
Translators without Borders and Technology (1 August 2017)
Jost Zetzsche talks about the efforts of Translators without Borders, including those related to translation technology: from the development of a machine translation for Kurdish languages; a Glossary app that can be used by aid workers; and Kató, TWB translation platform - READ MORE
TWB First Vlog on the #JourneytoScale (26 July 2017)
In this first vlog created with the support of the Humanitarian Innovation Fund (HIF), the TWB Words of Relief team documents their exciting journey to scale up humanitarian innovation, with a behind-the-scenes look at how remote crisis translation works and demos of TWB’s translation platform and glossary app - READ MORE
Coming Together to Make Translation Newsworthy (for the Right Reasons) (16 June 2017)
On the important occasion of the adoption of UN Resolution A/71/288, and recognition of 30 September as International Translation Day, Moravia reflects on the often silent, yet crucial role of professional translators in connecting nations and fostering peace, understanding, and development – READ MORE
Translation and the Ebola Crisis: How We Can Help (7 June 2017)
Globally Speaking Radio interviews TWB's Ellie Kemp and Lori Thicke about how training translators to bring information to a local level can turn a crisis around and save lives - LISTEN TO THE PODCAST
The World Humanitarian Summit One Year Later: Participation Revolution? People Need Agency & Information (31 May 2017)
One year on from the World Humanitarian Summit, TWB Executive Director, Aimee Ansari reflects on the Grand Bargain. Has the ambitious 'participation revolution' missed the point entirely and failed to consider how people get information and make decisions? - READ MORE
Translators without Borders in action (1 May 2017)
The work of Translators without Borders is featured in the first issue of Connections, the monthly online magazine by Standing Out Mastermind (SOM) - READ MORE
Language, Power and Aid Effectiveness (24 April 2017)
Ellie Kemp, TWB Head of Crisis Response, writes about TWB’s journey to scale up its support to communities and aid workers in humanitarian emergencies, and why language is a challenge in humanitarian response - READ MORE
Participating in the localization industry (24 April 2017)
Maria Kania, offers advice and inspiration for those looking to apply their skills on a voluntary basis within the localization industry – READ MORE
The future of technology in crisis response (30 March 2017)
8 takeaways from the Humanitarian ITC Forum, where UN agencies, NGOs, start-ups, tech and financial services giants gathered to discuss how to empower people in crisis through digital connectivity – READ MORE
Key takeaways from the Humanitarian ICT Forum (29 March 2017)
Top takeaways from Humanitarian ICT forum – “The Participation Revolution: Empowering Affected People” – in which nearly 200 representatives from the technology and humanitarian communities agreed that communication is aid and is among the most basic needs – READ MORE
Pangeanic renews its support for Translators without Borders (27 February 2017)
Pangeanic Translation Services & Machine Translation Technologies shows a strong commitment to social action once again by renewing its silver sponsorship of Translators without Borders – READ MORE
Translation Cards (26 January 2017)
UNHCR takes us through the innovative technologies brought to life with the help of Translators without Borders and other key partners to respond appropriately to the language needs of those affected by the European refugee crisis – READ MORE
The rise of AI translators (14 December 2016)
This article talks about how translation companies, and non-profits such as TWB, are using different types of machine translation to complement the work of translators – READ MORE
Tolkegruppen Oversættergruppen P/S renews sponsorship of Translators without Borders for 2017 (30 November 2016)
Tolkegruppen Oversættergruppen P/S announces the renewal of their Translators without Borders bronze sponsorship for the third year in a row - READ MORE
A fundraiser with a spin at Tekom 2016 to support Translators without Borders (9 November 2016)
Read this article to learn more about the great work of Zelenka at Tekom 2016. The team transformed their booth into a "beat-the-clock spinning session" to raise funds for TWB and spread the word that language matters - READ MORE
Translators without Borders joins six partner NGOs to launch the new Mixed Migration Platform in MENA. (1 November 2016)
The new Mixed Migration Platform aims to provide quality information to the millions of refugees, asylum seekers and migrants arriving in Europe. TWB welcomes this opportunity to ensure that vital information is accessible to a mixed language audience, helping migrants to make informed decisions - READ MORE
Translating Europe Forum (27 October 2016)
Listen to TWB Board Chair Andrew Bredenkamp speak passionately about the history and work of Translators without Borders. Watch from minute 8:27 when Vice-President of the European Commission Kristalina Georgieva gives an impressively supportive introduction to the presentation – WATCH
Roger TowersSmith of Zelenka shares his experience of ATC and the impact of Aimee Ansari's keynote address (12 October 2016)
Read this blog post by Roger Towers Smith from Zelenka where he comments on his first time at the Association of Translation Companies Annual Conference last month. He describes the presentation given by TWB's Executive Director as 'championing the attention of everyone in the room - READ MORE
Slator gives us the highlights from the ATC 2016 Language Summit (29 September 2016)
Among Slator's highlights of this year's ATC conference was the keynote address by TWB's Executive Director Aimee Ansari, who talked about the current European refugee crisis and the striking difference that access to information in the right language can make in a crisis scenario - READ MORE
Ten defining principles of radically open partnerships - Translators without Borders supporting the Translation Cards project (28 July 2016)
UNHCR Innovation talks about the award winning Translation Cards project for which Translators without Borders provided the translations as part of our response to the European refugee crisis - READ MORE
Wikipedia medical articles simplified and improved by medical students - viewed 22 million times. (August 2016)
Medical students participate in a program which teaches them to improve Wikipedia medical articles, through editing and simplification, rendering them more accessible and useful to readers worldwide. The improved articles have been viewed 22 million times since 2013 and serve to dispel misinformation and inaccurate facts that can have serious consequences for people seeking medical information online. Translators without Borders has been collaborating on this project - READ MORE
Lugha Zima La Teknolojia - The Universal Language of Technology (21 September 2016)
Aimee Ansari, TWB Executive Director reflects on her recent visit to our office in Kenya and how Kenyans are trailblazing the path to better business with innovative and non-traditional solutions - READ MORE
When Translation Saves Lives: The Vision of Translators without Borders (31 August 2016)
In this edition of the Globally Speaking Podcast, we’re joined by Lori Thicke, founder of the non-profit organization responsible for breaking down language barriers humanitarians face all over the world. Lori shares the unique story of how the organization came to life and digs deep into the critical need for proper translation when responding to catastrophic events - READ MORE
Rumours and lies: 'The refugee crisis is an information crisis' (18 August 2016)
As refugees desperately search for reliable information, one NGO has created a rumour tracker to investigate and disprove the myths circulating the camps. Fieldworkers who speak Arabic or Farsi engage with people in the Greek camps, collect the rumours that are circulating, and then verify or dispel them. This information is posted on a dedicated website and corresponding Facebook pages in English, Arabic, Farsi and Greek - READ MORE
Your Phone Is Now a Refugee's Phone (29 July 2016)
BBC Media recently released a report titled “Voices of Refugees,” in which refugees list information in their own language as being critical for them to find asylum and keep themselves and their families safe while on the move. We take this opportunity to not only write about BBC Media’s report, but also highlight the life-saving work being done by Translators without Borders - READ MORE
H2H – A New Formula for Aid? (29 June 2015)
If humanitarians are not communicating in the right language with affected populations, then they are not really communicating at all. Listen to TWB Deputy Director, Rebecca Petras speak at the World Humanitarian Summit to Martin Dawes of the CDAC Network - Listen
Communicating with Disaster Affected Communities (29 June 2016)
The CDAC Network is a network of organizations dedicated to improving Communication with Disaster Affected Communities. This film looks at why the CDAC Network exists, what it does and how it has been so effective in helping during humanitarian crises - WATCH
Vital Signs for Life (May 2016)
'When people flee conflict, a lack of communication can result in death, making the work of translators vital', says Marleen Laschet. This emotion provoking article explains the language challenges faced by those caught up in the European refugee crisis and what NGOs, including TWB, are doing to provide vital language solutions - READ MORE
REPORT: More than just luck: Innovation in humanitarian action (April 2016)
This report presents the synthesised findings from 15 case studies (one of which is TWB's Words of Relief), undertaken by ALNAP in partnership with ELRHA’s Humanitarian Innovation Fund (HIF). It is produced as part of a broader research partnership between ALNAP and ELRHA that has sought to define and understand what successful innovation looks like in the humanitarian sector - READ MORE.
Where rumours can kill (31 May 2016)
For refugees, access to information is a matter of life and death. Here’s what Internews is doing to help - with the help of TWB - READ MORE
Making effective communication a priority in humanitarian relief efforts (15 May 2016)
A follow-up to “Content and Crisis: Translators without Borders,” this interview introduces Aimee Ansari, Translators Without Borders’ newly appointed executive director.
Can innovation help fix the world's overwhelmed humanitarian system? (10 May 2016)
Rebecca Petras, TWB Deputy Director, joins the discussion on the role of innovation in humanitarian crisis response and uses the Words of Relief program as an example.
Lesbos: Online Volunteers Bridge Language Gap (16 May 2016)
How do you help someone if you can’t communicate with them? Translators without Borders, a remote network of volunteer translators, is helping NGOs in the Western Balkans translate vital information to help newly arrived migrants on the island of Lesbos.
Making sure refugees aren’t lost in translation – with one simple app (19 April 2016)
Interpreters who are able to provide this vital service—translating between a group of Dari speakers and Macedonian volunteers for example—are in short supply. The Emergency Lab needed to support the UNHCR operation on the ground to generate solutions that would help them to share accurate, accessible information with refugees and migrants in the language they understand.
Content and Crisis: TRANSLATORS WITHOUT BORDERS (15 April 2016)
When the flow of communication breaks down, language itself becomes the site of a flashpoint. It spawns yet another crisis atop the initial one. It’s easy to imagine how a communications crisis can occur within the closed context of a single language. But when it occurs across multiple languages, the risk and scale of potential harm reaches exceedingly dangerous levels.
Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs): Bayer & Evidence Project Launch New Initiative (16 March 2016)
An article about Bayer and the Evidence Project’s newly-launched package of online health education materials, which Translators without Borders provided comprehension testing for.
FINAL Q&A: REFLECTIONS FROM TRANSLATORS WITHOUT BORDERS (07 March 2016)
An interview with Translators without Border’s deputy director Rebecca Petras about the “Words of Relief” project, the world’s first crisis relief translation service.
All the news that's fit to migrate (07 March 2016)
The “News That Moves” campaign, which is supported by Translators without Borders, helps provide refugees traveling the Balkan route with the accurate, timely information they need to continue their journey.
View on Migration: Translation tools for Refugees (03 March 2016)
Interview with our own Rebecca Petras about the work done by our Words of Relief Rapid Response Teams to help European refugees overcome the language and communication barriers they face.
How Digital Humanitarians Are Closing the Gaps In Worldwide Disaster Response (28 January 2016)
It is now commonplace for people around the world to use social media during emergencies, and the volume of online information coupled with its rapid arrival is becoming increasingly overwhelming to humanitarian organizations. In response, digital humanitarians have organized into skilled teams online to decipher the signals from the noise and thus provide accurate data. These teams work in partnership with formal humanitarian organizations using digital forensics, mapmaking, data mining, curation and open dialogue.
How to Be a Better Human Being in 2016 – 4 good causes you can support, no matter where you live (29 January 2016)
Eighteen years have passed since I started writing down my thoughts. Back in the 1990s I was always starting with "Dear Diary" and would apologize if I didn't make an appearance for a day or two. Nowadays my entries are more about the essence of things and admittedly more sporadic, but one thing hasn't yet changed: the quote at the beginning of each of these 18 annual diaries. Michael Jackson has sung it: "If you want to make the word a better place, take a look at yourself, and make a change." I spoke to four blooming organizations without borders to help me achieve my self-development goal for 2016 — generosity.
#MLKDay of Service (14 January 2016)
The Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service is a way to transform Dr. King’s life and teachings into community service that helps empower and strengthen local communities. Each year citizens and organizations unite to become engaged in service activities to honor Martin Luther King Jr. on the federal holiday, Monday January 18. This is true for digital volunteerism as well. On this day of service, lend your digital voice to the cause and help lift up those who help bring critical services that stabilize and improve communications for those impacted by disaster.
Quest to Spread Dignity, Born in Calcutta (1 July 2015)
“(Kharas) really understood that to have an effect, any Ebola information would have to be available in languages that people (caught in the epidemic) could understand. I don’t remember anyone else who saw that,” says Grace Tang, Nairobi-based global co-ordinator for Translators Without Borders, which translated five of the video’s language versions.
Ebola: a crisis of language (June 2015)
In the aftermath of the Ebola outbreak, the humanitarian community is taking a hard look at international response mechanisms, evaluating what went well and what can be improved. One of the main areas of criticism has been the initial slow response when the disease took hold in spring 2014. These concerns have prompted the World Health Organisation (WHO), among others, to pursue major reforms directed at strengthening disease-fighting capabilities.
Translators without Borders Springs to Action in Wake of Nepal Earthquake (29 April 2015)
Translators without Borders (TWB) activated as soon as they heard news of the 7.8 magnitude earthquake in Nepal from their aid partners and crisis response networks last Saturday. They immediately put the call out for volunteers and received an outpouring of support, mostly from the Nepalese diaspora. TWB built a rapid response team of about 25 professional translators and bilinguals. Working together, they have been providing 24/7 coverage since late Saturday.
Can you hear me now? Why good communication is critical to the Nepal quake response (29 April 2015)
Kunda Dixit, editor of the respected weekly Nepali Times, wasn’t at work on the afternoon of 25 April. It being a Saturday, he and some colleagues were enjoying a day away from work, hiking in the mountains that surround Kathmandu. They were just descending a ridge when the ground began to shake. They watched in horror as clouds of dust rose from the city. “We hugged each other, some of us crying,” he says. Then, “we reached for our phones.”
Translators Without Borders: When Linguistics Saves Lives (2 April 2015)
By summer’s end in 2014, an outbreak of the Ebola virus in West Africa had turned into a full-scale epidemic, and Firdaus Kharas was frantically trying to find ways to translate his animated Ebola-prevention video into enough languages to be understood in every village in the stricken areas. That’s when he contacted Translators without Borders (TWB)…
To make a real difference in some of Africa's poorest countries, we should train more translators (21 January 2015)
We’re getting better at breaking down language barriers. Thanks to the likes of Google Translate, Duolingo, Rosetta Stone and Skype, we can understand — and even communicate — across languages. Machine translation is improving all the time. But it’s not always enough.
World Update: Translators Without Borders take on Ebola (2 September 2014)
In the fight against Ebola, of course medical intervention is the first priority. But it is just as important to help people understand the disease and how to fight it - ignorance and rumour have hampered relief efforts. Translators without Borders is a charity that works to overcome the information gap – the picture shows a detail of one of their Ebola posters in Hausa. Lori Thicke is its founder and president - she spoke to Dan Damon.
Wikipedia's medical errors and one doctor's fight to correct them (21 August 2014)
In his fight to bring high quality health information to people around the world, Heilman has one more passion — translating those top 200 articles from English into Wikipedia's 286 other languages. Heilman says he is collaborating with Translators Without Borders, a group which links translators around the world with NGOs working in health, nutrition and education.
Africa’s Biggest City Fights ‘Wicked Lies’ on Ebola Myths (12 August 2014)
Getting information to Nigeria’s more than 250 ethnic groups who speak more than 500 languages is also a challenge, Lori Thicke, co-founder of Danbury, Connecticut-based Translators Without Borders, said by phone. Only 70 percent of the population can be reached using the four main languages of English, Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba, she said. The organization is helping to translate some of the Ebola prevention messages.
Doctors and Translators Are Working Together to Bridge Wikipedia's Medical Language Gap (27 July 2014)
The project itself started off in 2011 when Dr. James Heilman and a number of translators from Translators Without Borders: Enrique Cavalitto and Ildiko Santana teamed up in an effort to translate medical articles. Since then, the project has exploded into a larger translation forum with hundreds of translators translating articles into almost a hundred different languages.
Message Library without Borders (July 2014)
The generic messages, developed during the infoasaid project, are currently available in English. We are now extremely excited that these messages will soon be available in at least seven translated languages. We are starting with Arabic, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Chinese (Mandarin), Bahasa Indonesian and Hindi thanks to the support of CDAC Network Member Translators without Borders.
2013 Da Vinci Award Recipients (April 19, 2014)
Humanity Road announced today the selection of the 2013 Choice Awards for disaster response. We’re thrilled to announce recipients for our 2013 Da Vinci award. Significant and noteworthy service or product contribution, this medal is awarded to a Patron or contributor who has added significant value in support of Humanity Road programs. Through donations in kind or contributions they have helped mold shape and support the organization. Award recipients of the Da Vinci Medal are chosen by the Humanity Road Board of Directors. This year’s recipients are Translator’s without Borders for their support during Typhoon Haiyan and Progeny Systems for their small business innovation partnership dedicated to process improvement. Both organizations provided critical support for Humanity Road disaster response operations for the Philippines.
Translators without Borders Receives Grant from Microsoft (March 10, 2014)
You can’t perhaps be fully prepared for a crisis, but why should that stop you from trying? Translation forms a critical part of that crisis preparedness, for the precise reason that it would be the last thing on anyone’s mind when actually hit by a cyclone or a tsunami. The Technology for Good grant from Microsoft that Translators without Borders received will fund a crowdsourcing app to help communities communicate with aid workers when natural or man-made disasters strike and the aid workers do not speak the same language as the affected populations. The grant includes a package of cash, software, and Azure cloud-based services worth about US$250,000.
Microsoft Grants Three Non-profits Cash, Software and Services for Technology Innovation (March 7, 2014)
Humanitarian support runs into many barriers, not the least being language. Relief workers flock to areas in distress to help those in need – only to face communication challenges because they don’t speak the local language. Providing critical health, safety, and transportation information can be difficult if not impossible. In order to share accurate information between crisis-affected communities and international aid organizations, Translators Without Borders will create Words of Relief. The Azure-based service is designed to facilitate machine translation and will also provide real-time translation via Skype.
Val Swisher on Translation Without Borders at Intelligent Content 2014 (March 3, 2014)
Val Swisher of Content Rules talks about her presentation, “WikiProject Medicine: Breaking Down Barriers to Save Lives” at Intelligent Content 2014.
Language Has Risks for Health Translators(VOA Learning English, February 19, 2014)
This is the VOA Special English Health Report.
Translators Without Borders is an American non-profit group. It provides language services to nongovernmental organizations such as, yes, Doctors Without Borders. The group recently trained some new translators in Nairobi in how to put health information into local languages for Kenyans.
Radio interview about Translators without Borders with Enrique Cavalitto (Spanish)(Translator T.O., January 23, 2014)
ProZ.com staff member and Translators without Borders board member and Translation Workspace Director Enrique Cavalitto was interviewed today on Argentine radio regarding origin of, and the work being done by, Translators without Borders in support of humanitarian causes around the world. If you speak or understand Spanish, the interview is only 21 minutes long and well worth a listen.
Open Projects - Wikipedia Project Medicine(OSC, January 22, 2014)
This article is the first in a series highlighting open science projectsaround the community. You can read the interview this article was based on: edited for clarity, unedited.
How First Responders Are Using Big Data To Save Lives(Forbes, January 10, 2014)
In an emergency, confusion and delays can cost lives. That’s why first responders are increasingly using live streams of big data–from roadside sensors to security cameras to social media feeds–to respond more efficiently to disasters.
Nairobi and beyond – Translating for humanity(TC World, October, 2013)
The call came in January: “Can you help us translate thousands of messages during the Kenyan elections to make sure civilians across the country are heard?” asked Heather Leson of Ushahidi, the successful non-profit organization focused on information collection during humanitarian events.
Should I be Getting Health Information from Wikipedia? (The Atlantic, September 2013)
If you think about ways in which we can try to provide high quality medical information to the world’s population, I don’t know if Wikipedia is the only viable way, but it’s certainly one of the most viable ways we have in the modern network. Translators Without Borders is going to take this information from the English language Wikipedia and convert it to many of the world’s other most popular languages.
Editing Wikipedia Pages for Med School Credit (The New York Times, 29 September 2013)
These articles are submitted to a group from Translators Without Borders that produces medical articles for Wikipedias in languages spoken in countries that often lack high-quality medical information. Examples include an article in Javanese on dengue fever and one in Hindi on urinary tract infection.
TWB Kenya addresses translation needs (MultiLingual, Oct/Nov 2013)
Translators without Borders (TWB), which for many years operated on the basis of donating translations to nonprofits through existing, volunteer freelance translators, has turned its focus to translator training for underserved regions and languages.
Wikipedia’s medical collaborations gathering pace(The Signpost, 3 July 2013)
At Wikimania, Heilman and Thicke will discuss how TWB and Wikipedia are collaborating to improve medical content. Thicke told the Signpost that "more people die from lack of information than from lack of medication. ... We chose to work with Wikipedia because it’s the most frequently consulted health resource on the web. It's not only scalable, but with Wikipedia Zero, consumers in some parts of the developing world actually have access to Wikipedia free of data charges."
Translators without Borders expands management team and creates board of advisors (tcworld, September 2013)
The non-profit translation organization, Translators without Borders (TWB) has appointed Anne-Marie Colliander Lind as Director of Fundraising to work directly with the humanitarian organization’s growing number of sponsors and supporters.
Helping translators change the world (The Media Online, August 2013)
In a world steeped in information but torn apart by conflict, translation can help ease the flow of messages that enlighten and bring about change.
Kenyan Election Marked By Record Turnout, Limited Violence(NPR, March 2013)
Translators helped keep the peace in the recent Kenyan elections. Translators without Borders partnership with Uchaguzi is represented in NPR’s report on the state of the Kenyan elections.
Africa’s Translation Gap (PRI’s The World, August 2012)
Read about the state of Africa’s translation industry and TWB’s role in its growth and listen to Nataly Kelly’s interview with Patrick Cox.
Spotlight Nonprofit: Bridging the world one translation at a time(Latina Lista, January 2013)
The important work of translators in our increasingly small world is highlighted in this recent article.
Training Health Translators from Scratch (Multilingual, September 2012)
Simon Andriesen, CEO of MediLingua and board member of Translators without Borders, explains the need for translator training in Kenya. A highlight from the article is TWB’s motto for recruitment, “We no longer accept that people suffer or die because of lack of translation.”
Translating for humanity: Interview with Translators Without Borders Founder Lori Thicke(TC World, June, 2010)
Translators Without Borders (TWB, Traducteurs Sans Frontières) was founded in 1993 by Lexcelera, a language service provider based in Paris, France, and its General Manager, Lori Thicke. Over the years, TWB has provided quality humanitarian translations through a network of trained translators to vetted NGOs who focus on health, nutrition and education.
Translators fight the fatal effects of the language gap (The Guardian, April 2012)
Volunteers translating health messages from English into local languages are providing a vital service for NGOs and freeing up millions of extra dollars to be used for medical aid.
