Hello readers, hope you are all doing well.
A couple of days ago we published our 2017 (un)Conference Report summarizing conversations from the July event at the Centre for Social Innovation in Toronto. We discussed the challenges in the language industry, the gaps in the current language service system, funding, viable business models and the role of tech/ digital tools in serving vulnerable sector better. We were also very much interested in how to best utilise government assets to support freelancers – language professionals.
Not less than four concrete actions emerged related to our gathering:
- -Advocacy (Language Impact Challenge Grant, opens: September 1st),
- -Non –profit digital capacity (Migrahack, November 2017),
- -Rethinking government assets (International Translation Day, Sept 30 – RSVP here), and
- -Development of an app for free services (currently in the exploration phase).
And now, we are also very much interested in what you think about this Report. What are we missing? Where do you see the opportunities for us to serve you better? Where our future role should be utilized the best – connecting you to one another or providing opportunities for specialized training, meet-ups, advocacy or peer-to-peer learning?
We need you all – language professionals, service agencies, people in tech involved or interested in language/immigration/newcomers/ settlement data, and especially you (often silent) advocates who need a platform to exercise your passion for language rights – to contact us today because LanguageRightsMatter!
Thanks in advance, and we will respond individually to each and every email!
Eliana Trinaistic