Tokyo/Prague, (October 7th,
2016) – idioma, an international language services provider based in Tokyo
since 1980, is pleased to announce that we have pledged our support to help
humanitarian translations reach more people around the world by becoming a
bronze sponsor of Translators without Borders.
Translators without Borders (TWB) strives to provide people access
to vital, often life-saving, information in their own language by, connecting
non-profit organizations with a community of professional translators; building
local language translation capacity; and raising awareness of language
barriers. Since 2011, TWB has translated over 30 million words in over 150
languages in the areas of crisis relief, health and education. The organization
has responded to urgent crises by using its Words of Relief model, working with
partners, to provide vital information in the appropriate languages to those
affected by the European refugee crisis, the Ebola crisis and the Nepal
earthquake. Words of Relief ensures better communications with communities when crisis
response aid workers and affected populations do not speak the same language.
The financial support provided by
sponsors is critical to sustaining and growing the organization. “In the course
of our work, we've become aware of a huge need, which is for people in poor
countries to be able to access global knowledge in their own language,”
explains Aimee Ansari, Executive Director of Translators without Borders.
“According to UNICEF more people
die from lack of knowledge than from diseases. People in poor countries are
simply unable to access global knowledge in a language they understand. Mobile
technology may be bringing more people information, but we still need to bridge
the ‘language last mile’. Translators without Borders is delivering this much
needed help through a myriad of tools and programs so that more people will be
able to access the knowledge they need in a language they understand."
Commenting on idioma’s decision to
become a sponsor, Steen Carlsson, the managing director of idioma’s Production
center, said:
“Having worked with languages all my
life, in my job and privately, I know what the difference of even the most
rudimentary translation can mean to a person unable to communicate. When those
you communicate with do not understand what you say, or what you need, or why
you behave the way you do, there is only despair. Translators without Borders
is a concept we are happy to support and it is my sincere hope more people in
need will benefit from their help.”
Aimee Ansari adds: “We are
incredibly grateful to idioma for this assistance, which is critical to enable
us, in turn, to support more humanitarian work around the globe.”
idioma is proud to be supporting
Translators without Borders in this work.
About Translators without Borders
Translators without Borders
envisions a world where knowledge knows no language barriers. The US-based non-profit provides people
access to vital knowledge in their language by partnering with humanitarian
organizations. Originally founded in 1993 in France as Traducteurs sans
Frontières (now its sister organization), Translators without Borders
translates more than five million words per year. In 2012, the organization established a
Healthcare Translator Training Center in Nairobi, Kenya. For more information and to volunteer or
donate, please visit the TWB website or follow us on Twitter or Facebook.
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