A few weeks ago, we highlighted the mid-September collaboration between the Syrian TED Translators and TEDx communities for the TEDxYouth@JahezTranslateathon in Damascus, Syria. On September 26, the two groups teamed up again at the Syrian Computer Society in Homs, Syria, for an Open Translation Week that ran through September 30. The third of its kind since it was initiated earlier this year, the event was organized by TED Translator Ghalia Turki and the TEDxMimasStreet team, and it was sponsored by the UNFPA.
At the Open Translation Week’s start, the 40 participants were divided into five groups of eight, in which they remained for the duration of the gathering. First on the agenda were several workshops and activities that introduced the attendees to each other and familiarized them with language and translation fundamentals. A two-day translateathon of 35 TEDx talks followed. During the translation portion, designated trainers supervised and helped each group work effectively, and then reviewed the groups’ translations for accuracy. Throughout the Open Translation Week, the groups acquired points for their “performances”; gold, silver and bronze medals were awarded to the top-three scorers on the final day of the event.
The participants, inspired by their Open Translation Week experience, have begun building a larger translation community in Homs. According to Ghalia, they’re planning a special translation-related gathering for the near future, so check back in soon for details on that.