Language is central so that all of our voices can be heard and valued.
As an international feminist network we have committed ourselves to putting translation and interpreting at the center of everything we do. Currently Network members are working in five languages: English, Japanese, Korean, Pilipino and Spanish. We always need more women to work with us as translators and interpreters. Please contact us if you want to be involved in this.
Translators and interpreters do indispensable work to enable communication across languages and ensure participation of all members regardless of language. However, as is often the case with international communication, English has been the main language of communication in our Network as well. Keenly aware of unequal power that can result from unequal access to English, translators and interpreters endeavor to facilitate communication of all members as equal partners. Through our years of experience we believe that “interpretation is a political act” not merely a tool for communication.
Our lives and struggles are interconnected as well our languages by our histories of imperialism, colonialism, and militarism. We know that translation must go beyond simply translating words and concepts, important and difficult as that is. Translators and interpreters also need to understand the different social and political contexts Network members are working in. The 5-language Peace Activist dictionary is a product of our work together and is designed to aid the accuracy and appropriateness of our communication.
We will continue our efforts to make sure that all voices are heard clearly and valued equally in every aspect of the Network’s work.