Dear friends of TWB,

I am compelled to write to you tonight to ask for your help as we mount a major translation and language response to the refugee crisis in Europe. Over the past few days, I have had numerous conversations with aid organizations and workers who are responding to the very fluid and confusing humanitarian crisis across numerous borders. They need our help.

Putting political feelings aside, this is a humanitarian crisis. Helping people requires giving them basic, factual information in a language they understand. In this ever changing, ever evolving crisis, language remains a constant: a thin thread that connects the travelers with each other and with their distant homes. And like in every crisis in which we have responded, communications in the right language empowers affected people, giving them the strength to get back on their feet and contribute to solving the problem.

To help our aid partners who are on the ground, we are quickly putting together teams of Words of Relief rapid responders. We are looking to provide community translation training in several areas, and we are providing our Words of Relief code of conduct for translators. We will be working with aid organizations offering humanitarian aid and information to ensure that the content we translate is neutral and humanitarian in nature.

Working across at least three languages and in many countries, this will be a major effort. We need you. Can you help?

Donate Now. We must manage such a major response, and that takes resources and infrastructure. Please help us ensure we have the funds in place to do the work. When donating, please include “Refugees in Europe” in the comments section – 100% of funds will go directly to this response.

Volunteer to Translate. We have immediate need for translators willing to do rapid response. We need translators with the following mother tongues: Arabic, Pashto, Dari, Farsi and Greek. Please complete the form and in the comments section mention “Rapid Response” so we can immediately approve your application and get you into our teams.

Spread the word. Share our message: Language Matters. Translation Matters. Communications is aid, but it must be in the language of those affected. Translators without Borders is committed to using translation and language to improve humanitarian response.

Thanks everyone – we really appreciate your support.

Best,
Rebecca Petras
rebecca@translatorswithoutborders.org