Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
Sharing a gift for language to help others
Just ask Jesus Miguel Garcia. A professional language teacher and translator, he knows how important communication can be.
Founder of the Spanish Institute of Manitoba, he also created Translators Without Frontiers -- a network of translators who assist non-profit organizations, churches and people in need, in translating important documents.
"When I created the Spanish Institute, there were a lot of people who were contacting (me) for translations -- then I realized that some of the work was to do with charity," said Miguel Garcia of why he created the group.
He said that Translators Without Frontiers often provides free assistance to organizations such as Amnesty International or religious groups to translate a wide variety of documents.
Currently, the network he has formed has eight volunteer translators including himself, who can work in several languages including English, Spanish, French, German and Portuguese.
"I wanted to do something for community organizations and individuals, who because of the work they're working on -- community projects, or peace projects or human rights -- they need sometimes press releases, documents or letters to be translated from one language to another," said Miguel Garcia, a Tuxedo resident who immigrated to Winnipeg from Europe six years ago.
He said he enjoys seeing the impact his work has on those projects, and believes that what he does is helping to make the world a better place.
"I have the sense that these texts are being read by many people and can have a positive effect when it comes to human rights or environmental issues or peace projects. It has a direct impact because something that was totally inaccessible, all of sudden you can read it in your mother tongue," said Miguel Garcia.
He said that organizations and individuals must prove that they are unable to cover the costs of the translation, so that they don't compete with professional translators.
Having grown up in Spain and having been raised by Jesuits, Miguel Garcia believes that people like himself who possess specific skills should share them with the communities in which they live.
"It's the way I've been brought up. Those skills, I have them because of other people. Teachers, family, programs -- have enabled me to have those skills, so it's part of a moral obligation to give back and to want to have a positive impact."
"I don't have to go very far because from my computer I can be communicating with people in Belgium, in Spain, in Argentina, in England, and we have that network and we are influencing other people. You realize the power that words have."
If you would like more information about Translators Without Frontiers, or would like to become a translator for the group, please contact Miguel Garcia at 832-9893 or by e-mail at spanishinstitute@mts.net. Volunteers must be professionally trained translators or linguists.
If you know a special volunteer who strives to make their community a better place to live, please contact Erin Madden at erinmadden@shaw.ca.
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition January 12, 2009 B2
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