Effective Ebola risk communication requires respect and transparency and remains as vital as ever
This qualitative study evaluates the challenges of communicating about Ebola in the town of Beni, North Kivu. With its approximately 250,000 residents, Beni has been one of the towns hardest hit by the epidemic declared in August 2018. In the second year of the current Ebola outbreak, effective risk communication remains as vital as ever. […]
Bangladesh and Myanmar: language needs across borders
The Rohingya are marginalized in Myanmar society, as reflected in their lack of legal status and recognition as citizens. Across the border in Bangladesh, they are also unable to participate fully in society due to their lack of legal status and recognition as refugees. In both contexts, language barriers reinforce that exclusion. In March 2019, […]
Language Data Disparity
Machine translation requires vast amounts of data to be effective. At a minimum, 4-5 million strings of data are needed to build a successful machine translation engine, although some professionals recommend at least 100 million strings. Yet despite the rapid development of language technology for languages like French, Spanish, and German, languages of people living […]
Mozambique Cyclone Idai – Crisis Language Map
Cyclone Idai’s intense winds and heavy rains have been causing death and destruction in Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, and Zimbabwe since 6 March 2019. As of 18 March, 2019, an estimated 1.5 million people have been affected across the four countries. Hundreds of thousands are in need of critical emergency communication in a language and […]
TWB’s annual report 2017-2018: The power of words
From April 2017 through December 2018, Translators without Borders (TWB) demonstrated that words have the power to change lives, if they are in the right language. This annual report reflects our growth, as we delivered language solutions for real-world problems. This growth is seen in our language communities, language service offerings, and improved language technology. […]
Indonesia Tsunami – Crisis Language Map
A tsunami struck beaches along Indonesia’s Sunda Straits on the evening of 22 December. Twenty-four hours later, at least 222 people were confirmed killed and 843 injured, and more were missing. Hundreds of buildings and homes along the coast on the islands of Java and Sumatra have been destroyed by the force of the wave. […]
Philippines Language Map
Philippines Super Typhoon Mangkhut (“Ompong”) – Crisis Language Map
In the early hours of 15 September 2018, Typhoon Mangkhut struck the Philippines, with the eye of the storm crossing Luzon, the country’s largest and most populous island. The storm, locally known as Ompong, primarily impacted the northern Cagayan Province, including the towns of Baggao and Lasam, with sustained winds of 120 miles […]
Gamayun, the language equality initiative
Over half of the world’s population don’t have access to knowledge and information because it’s not available in their language. This language gap prevents people from accessing information to help lift them out of poverty, get health care, recover from a crisis, or understand their rights. It also contributes to a global communication power imbalance. […]
TWB’s annual report 2016-2017
The 2017 fiscal year was a remarkable year of growth for Translators without Borders. The qualities that we hold high as an organization such as innovation, professionalism, and creativity, were strongly reflected in our programming. We are proud to share our annual report for the period April 2016 to March 2017 with highlights of our […]