XPUB
/
SI13
57
0
Fork 0
Code Issues Pull Requests Releases Wiki Activity
You cannot select more than 25 topics Topics must start with a letter or number, can include dashes ('-') and can be up to 35 characters long.
master
Branches Tags
${ item.name }
Create tag ${ searchTerm }
Create branch ${ searchTerm }
from 'a090096a3c'
${ noResults }
SI13/PRACTICAL_VISION/_old/viz.html

168 lines
98 KiB
HTML
Raw Normal View History Unescape Escape

all folders committed
4 years ago
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="utf-8">
<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="viz.css">
<title></title>
</head>
<body>
<div id='butts'>
<button>
<a href="../">go home</a>
</button>
<button>
<a href="./">go txt</a>
</button>
<button>
<a href="../--/">go next</a>
</button>
<button>
<a href="blank.html">go nowhere</a>
</button>
<div>
<h1>Practical Vision</h1>
<h2>Jalada</h2>
<div id="conts">
<span class="DT">A</span> <span class="JJ">few</span> <span class="NNS">weeks</span> <span class="RB">back</span> <span class="NN">someone</span> <span class="VBD">told</span> <span class="PRP">me</span> <span class="IN">that</span> <span class="PRP">it</span> <span class="VBZ">is</span> <span class="DT">an</span> <span class="JJ">exceptional</span> <span class="NN">achievement</span> <span class="IN">for</span> <span class="DT">a</span> <span class="JJ">short</span> <span class="NN">story</span> <span class="TO">to</span> <span class="VB">be</span> <span class="VBN">translated</span> <span class="IN">into</span> <span class="DT">a</span> <span class="NN">dozen</span> <span class="NNS">languages</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="PRP">I</span> <span class="VBD">had</span> <span class="RB">never</span> <span class="RB">really</span> <span class="VBN">thought</span> <span class="IN">about</span> <span class="PRP">it</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="IN">as</span> <span class="PRP">I</span> <span class="VBP">am</span> <span class="RB">not</span> <span class="VBN">drawn</span> <span class="IN">from</span> <span class="DT">a</span> <span class="JJ">long</span> <span class="NN">tradition</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="NN">scholarship</span> <span class="IN">in</span> <span class="JJ">literary</span> <span class="NNS">translations</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="PRP">I</span> <span class="MD">could</span> <span class="RB">not</span> <span class="VB">quantify</span> <span class="PRP$">his</span> <span class="NN">statement</span> <span class="IN">in</span> <span class="DT">any</span> <span class="NN">way</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="IN">For</span> <span class="PRP">me</span> <span class="DT">those</span> <span class="NNS">words</span> <span class="VBD">came</span> <span class="IN">across</span> <span class="IN">as</span> <span class="DT">a</span> <span class="JJ">big</span> <span class="NN">compliment</span> <span class="VBN">given</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">scope</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">work</span> <span class="VBN">done</span> <span class="IN">by</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NNP">Jalada</span> <span class="NNP">Collective</span> <span class="IN">in</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="JJ">past</span> <span class="NN">year</span> <span class="IN">in</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">area</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="NNS">translations</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">use</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="JJ">digital</span> <span class="NNS">facilities</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="NNP">Jalada</span> <span class="VBZ">is</span> <span class="DT">a</span> <span class="JJ">pan-African</span> <span class="NN">collective</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="JJ">young</span> <span class="JJ">African</span> <span class="NNS">writers</span> <span class="IN">from</span> <span class="DT">all</span> <span class="IN">over</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="JJ">African</span> <span class="NN">continent</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="WDT">which</span> <span class="PRP">I</span> <span class="VBP">am</span> <span class="NN">member</span> <span class="RB">as</span> <span class="RB">well</span> <span class="IN">as</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="VBG">managing</span> <span class="NN">editor</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="PRP">It</span> <span class="VBD">began</span> <span class="IN">in</span> <span class="CD">2013</span> <span class="IN">during</span> <span class="DT">a</span> <span class="NN">workshop</span> <span class="VBN">convened</span> <span class="IN">by</span> <span class="JJ">renowned</span> <span class="NN">editor</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="NNP">Ellah</span> <span class="NNP">Wakatama</span> <span class="NNP">Allfrey</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="PRP">We</span> <span class="VBD">had</span> <span class="DT">a</span> <span class="JJ">lively</span> <span class="NN">conversation</span> <span class="IN">among</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NNS">participants</span> <span class="IN">about</span> <span class="WP">what</span> <span class="PRP">we</span> <span class="IN">as</span> <span class="JJ">young</span> <span class="NNP">African</span> <span class="NNS">creatives</span> <span class="VBP">drawn</span> <span class="IN">from</span> <span class="JJ">different</span> <span class="JJ">geographical</span> <span class="NNS">locations</span> <span class="MD">could</span> <span class="VB">do</span> <span class="IN">with</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NNS">resources</span> <span class="PRP">we</span> <span class="VBD">valued</span> <span class=":">:</span> <span class="NN">language</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="NN">knowledge</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="PRP$">our</span> <span class="NN">web</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="NNS">connections</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="RB">So</span> <span class="NNP">Jalada</span> <span class="VBD">was</span> <span class="VBN">born</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="IN">From</span> <span class="IN">wherever</span> <span class="PRP">we</span> <span class="VBD">were</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="PRP">we</span> <span class="VBD">worked</span> <span class="RB">together</span> <span class="NN">online</span> <span class="IN">in</span> <span class="WP">what</span> <span class="VBD">seemed</span> <span class="IN">like</span> <span class="DT">a</span> <span class="JJ">virtual</span> <span class="NN">office</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="DT">All</span> <span class="PRP">you</span> <span class="VBN">needed</span> <span class="TO">to</span> <span class="VB">do</span> <span class="VBD">was</span> <span class="VB">post</span> <span class="DT">a</span> <span class="NN">message</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="DT">another</span> <span class="NN">member</span> <span class="MD">would</span> <span class="VB">take</span> <span class="NN">action</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="DT">The</span> <span class="NNP">Internet</span> <span class="VBD">became</span> <span class="DT">an</span> <span class="NN">enabler</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="NN">collaboration</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="DT">a</span> <span class="NN">resource</span> <span class="IN">in</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">production</span> <span class="NN">process</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="DT">a</span> <span class="JJ">digital</span> <span class="NNP">Jalada</span> <span class="NN">magazine</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="PRP$">Our</span> <span class="JJ">first</span> <span class="JJ">thematic</span> <span class="NN">issue</span> <span class="VBD">tackled</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="JJ">often-underexplored</span> <span class="NN">subject</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="JJ">mental</span> <span class="NN">health</span> <span class="IN">within</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="JJ">African</span> <span class="NN">context</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="PRP$">Our</span> <span class="JJ">second</span> <span class="NN">anthology</span> <span class="VBD">focused</span> <span class="IN">on</span> <span class="NNS">stories</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="JJ">fictionalized</span> <span class="JJ">sexual</span> <span class="NNS">experiences</span> <span class="IN">in</span> <span class="NNS">ways</span> <span class="WDT">that</span> <span class="VBD">broke</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="JJ">implied</span> <span class="NN">modesty</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="PRP$">our</span> <span class="JJ">fictional</span> <span class="NNS">boundaries</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="PRP">We</span> <span class="RB">also</span> <span class="VBD">did</span> <span class="DT">an</span> <span class="NN">anthology</span> <span class="IN">on</span> <span class="NNP">Afrofutures</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="DT">a</span> <span class="NN">publication</span> <span class="WDT">that</span> <span class="VBD">allowed</span> <span class="PRP">us</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="IN">as</span> <span class="NNPS">Africans</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="TO">to</span> <span class="VB">capture</span> <span class="JJ">multiple</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="JJ">alternative</span> <span class="NNS">ways</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="VBG">imagining</span> <span class="NNS">futures</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="DT">The</span> <span class="NNP">Translation</span> <span class="NNP">Issue</span> <span class="RB">Then</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="PRP">we</span> <span class="VBD">embarked</span> <span class="IN">on</span> <span class="DT">a</span> <span class="NN">translation</span> <span class="NN">project</span> <span class="IN">in</span> <span class="WDT">which</span> <span class="PRP">we</span> <span class="VBD">aimed</span> <span class="TO">to</span> <span class="VB">have</span> <span class="CD">one</span> <span class="JJ">short</span> <span class="NN">story</span> <span class="VBN">translated</span> <span class="IN">into</span> <span class="RB">as</span> <span class="JJ">many</span> <span class="NNS">languages</span> <span class="IN">as</span> <span class="JJ">possible</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="IN">Since</span> <span class="NNP">March</span> <span class="CD">2016</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="WRB">when</span> <span class="PRP">we</span> <span class="RB">first</span> <span class="VBD">published</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">story</span> <span class="NN">[</span> <span class="NN">i</span> <span class="VBP">]</span> <span class="NNP">Ituĩka</span> <span class="NNP">Rĩa</span> <span class="NNP">Mũrũngarũ</span> <span class=":">:</span> <span class="NNP">Kana</span> <span class="NNP">Kĩrĩa</span> <span class="NNP">Gĩtũmaga</span> <span class="NNP">Andũ</span> <span class="NNP">Mathiĩ</span> <span class="NNP">Marũngiĩ</span> <span class="NNP">[</span> <span class="NN">i</span> <span class="VBP">]</span> <span class="$">[</span> <span class="CD">1</span> <span class="NN">]</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">story</span> <span class="VBZ">has</span> <span class="VBN">been</span> <span class="VBN">translated</span> <span class="IN">into</span> <span class="JJ">sixty-eight</span> <span class="NNS">languages</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="DT">The</span> <span class="NN">initiative</span> <span class="VBZ">has</span> <span class="VBN">been</span> <span class="RB">critically</span> <span class="VBN">lauded</span> <span class="IN">by</span> <span class="JJ">several</span> <span class="NNS">scholars</span> <span class="IN">as</span> <span class="CD">one</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="RBS">most</span> <span class="JJ">essential</span> <span class="NNS">projects</span> <span class="IN">in</span> <span class="VBG">fostering</span> <span class="NN">communication</span> <span class="NN">amongst</span> <span class="NNS">readers</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="NNS">speakers</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="JJ">different</span> <span class="NNS">languages</span> <span class="IN">across</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">globe</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="IN">Under</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">umbrella</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="JJ">powerful</span> <span class="NN">magic</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="NN">storytelling</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="JJ">online</span> <span class="NN">publishing</span> <span class="VBZ">has</span> <span class="VBN">enabled</span> <span class="JJ">different</span> <span class="NNS">languages</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="NNS">cultures</span> <span class="TO">to</span> <span class="VB">find</span> <span class="NN">expression</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="NN">converse</span> <span class="IN">with</span> <span class="DT">each</span> <span class="JJ">other</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="DT">The</span> <span class="NNP">Jalada</span> <span class="NN">website</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="WRB">where</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">story</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="PRP$">its</span> <span class="NNS">translations</span> <span class="VBP">are</span> <span class="VBN">published</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="VBZ">acts</span> <span class="IN">as</span> <span class="DT">a</span> <span class="NN">kind</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="NN">portal</span> <span class="TO">to</span> <span class="DT">a</span> <span class="NN">multiplicity</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="NNS">languages</span> <span class="IN">wherein</span> <span class="PRP">you</span> <span class="MD">can</span> <span class="VB">find</span> <span class="JJ">codified</span> <span class="NNS">languages</span> <span class="PRP">you</span> <span class="MD">may</span> <span class="RB">never</span> <span class="VB">have</span> <span class="VBN">heard</span> <span class="IN">about</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="IN">Because</span> <span class="IN">for</span> <span class="PRP">us</span> <span class="IN">at</span> <span class="NNP">Jalada</span> <span class="PRP">we</span> <span class="VBP">are</span> <span class="JJ">keen</span> <span class="IN">on</span> <span class="JJ">multiple</span> <span class="JJ">narrative</span> <span class="NNS">modes</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="JJ">textual</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="JJ">visual</span> <span class="NN">storytelling</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">story</span> <span class="VBZ">continues</span> <span class="TO">to</span> <span class="VB">be</span> <span class="JJ">available</span> <span class="IN">in</span> <span class="NNS">podcasts</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="JJ">live</span> <span class="JJ">multilingual</span> <span class="NNS">dramatizations</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="PRP">We</span> <span class="VBD">conceptualised</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NNP">Jalada</span> <span class="NNS">translations</span> <span class="NN">issue</span> <span class="IN">with</span> <span class="DT">a</span> <span class="JJ">specific</span> <span class="NN">focus</span> <span class="IN">on</span> <span class="JJ">African</span> <span class="NNP">Languages</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="DT">Each</span> <span class="NN">language</span> <span class="VBZ">remains</span> <span class="DT">a</span> <span class="NN">representation</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="DT">a</span> <span class="JJ">specific</span> <span class="NN">culture</span> <span class="IN">on</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">continent</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="VB">Taken</span> <span class="RB">together</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="PRP$">our</span> <span class="NN">continent</span> <span class="VBZ">is</span> <span class="RB">infinitely</span> <span class="JJ">rich</span> <span class="IN">in</span> <span class="PRP$">its</span> <span class="JJ">cultural</span> <span class="NNS">resources</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="IN">Over</span> <span class="CD">2000</span> <span class="NNS">languages</span> <span class="VBP">exist</span> <span class="IN">across</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="CD">54</span> <span class="NNS">nations</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="VB">Imagine</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="JJ">monumental</span> <span class="NN">impact</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="DT">a</span> <span class="NN">story</span> <span class="IN">in</span> <span class="PDT">all</span> <span class="DT">these</span> <span class="NNS">languages</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="PRP">It</span> <span class="MD">would</span> <span class="VB">be</span> <span class="DT">an</span> <span class="JJ">immovable</span> <span class="NN">symbol</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="IN">In</span> <span class="NN">history</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="IN">in</span> <span class="NN">scholarship</span> <span class="PRP">it</span> <span class="MD">would</span> <span class="VB">stand</span> <span class="IN">as</span> <span class="DT">a</span> <span class="NN">testament</span> <span class="TO">to</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">fact</span> <span class="IN">that</span> <span class="DT">all</span> <span class="NNS">languages</span> <span class="VBP">are</span> <span class="JJ">equal</span> <span class=":">:</span> <span class="PRP">It</span> <span class="VBZ">does</span> <span class="RB">not</span> <span class="VB">matter</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NNS">origins</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">color</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="CC">or</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">number</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="NNS">people</span> <span class="WP">who</span> <span class="VBP">use</span> <span class="DT">any</span> <span class="JJ">specific</span> <span class="NN">language</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="CC">nor</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">standardisation</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="JJ">such</span> <span class="DT">a</span> <span class="NN">language</span> <span class="CC">or</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">lack</span> <span class="NN">thereof</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="DT">The</span> <span class="VBG">coming</span> <span class="RB">together</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="PDT">all</span> <span class="DT">those</span> <span class="NNS">languages</span> <span class="MD">would</span> <span class="VB">smash</span> <span class="DT">any</span> <span class="NN">doubt</span> <span class="IN">that</span> <span class="IN">in</span> <span class="PRP$">our</span> <span class="NN">diversity</span> <span class="JJ">immense</span> <span class="NN">beauty</span> <span class="MD">can</span> <span class="VB">be</span> <span class="VBN">created</span> <span class="IN">with</span> <span class="DT">a</span> <span class="JJ">great</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="JJ">lasting</span> <span class="NN">impact</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="NNP">Jalada</span> <span class="NNP">Translations</span> <span class="NN">issue</span> <span class="VBD">was</span> <span class="VBN">born</span> <span class="IN">from</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">firm</span> <span class="VBD">faith</span> <span class="IN">that</span> <span class="CD">one</span> <span class="NN">day</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="IN">whether</span> <span class="PRP">it</span> <span class="VBZ">is</span> <span class="IN">during</span> <span class="PRP$">my</span> <span class="NN">lifetime</span> <span class="CC">or</span> <span class="IN">in</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NNS">generations</span> <span class="TO">to</span> <span class="VB">come</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="CD">one</span> <span class="JJ">such</span> <span class="JJ">short</span> <span class="NN">story</span> <span class="MD">will</span> <span class="VB">exist</span> <span class="IN">in</span> <span class="DT">all</span> <span class="JJ">African</span> <span class="NNS">languages</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="PRP">I</span> <span class="VBP">want</span> <span class="TO">to</span> <span class="VB">imagine</span> <span class="IN">that</span> <span class="IN">over</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NNS">years</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">spill</span> <span class="IN">over</span> <span class="NN">effect</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="DT">this</span> <span class="MD">will</span> <span class="VB">transform</span> <span class="PRP$">our</span> <span class="NNS">attitudes</span> <span class="IN">towards</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">use</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="PRP$">our</span> <span class="NN">mother</span> <span class="NNS">tongues</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NNS">languages</span> <span class="IN">that</span> <span class="PRP">we</span> <span class="VBP">learn</span> <span class="IN">from</span> <span class="PRP$">our</span> <span class="NNS">neighbours</span> <span class="IN">through</span> <span class="PRP$">our</span> <span class="JJ">daily</span> <span class="NNS">interactions</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="PRP">I</span> <span class="VBP">want</span> <span class="TO">to</span> <span class="VB">imagine</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">impact</span> <span class="PRP">it</span> <span class="MD">might</span> <span class="VB">have</span> <span class="IN">on</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">access</span> <span class="IN">that</span> <span class="PRP$">our</span> <span class="NNS">children</span> <span class="VBP">have</span> <span class="TO">to</span> <span class="VB">texts</span> <span class="VBN">written</span> <span class="IN">in</span> <span class="DT">all</span> <span class="NN">manner</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="NNS">languages</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="RB">especially</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="JJ">marginalised</span> <span class="NNS">languages</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="PRP">We</span> <span class="RB">continually</span> <span class="VBP">learn</span> <span class="TO">to</span> <span class="VB">reap</span> <span class="IN">from</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NNS">resources</span> <span class="IN">that</span> <span class="PRP">we</span> <span class="VBP">have</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="CD">One</span> <span class="JJ">such</span> <span class="JJ">irrefutable</span> <span class="NN">resource</span> <span class="VBZ">is</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">language</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="PRP$">our</span> <span class="NN">mother</span> <span class="NNS">tongues</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="DT">The</span> <span class="NN">Illusion</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="NNP">Unifying</span> <span class="NNP">Language</span> <span class="DT">Some</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="JJ">distinctive</span> <span class="JJ">African</span> <span class="NNS">languages</span> <span class="VBN">represented</span> <span class="IN">in</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NNS">translations</span> <span class="NN">issue</span> <span class="VBP">have</span> <span class="VBN">suffered</span> <span class="JJ">many</span> <span class="NNS">years</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="NN">non-representation</span> <span class="IN">in</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="VBN">written</span> <span class="NN">form</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="EX">There</span> <span class="VBP">are</span> <span class="JJ">worrisome</span> <span class="NNS">statistics</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">number</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="NNS">books</span> <span class="CC">or</span> <span class="NNS">articles</span> <span class="WDT">that</span> <span class="VBP">have</span> <span class="VBN">been</span> <span class="VBN">published</span> <span class="IN">in</span> <span class="DT">these</span> <span class="NNS">languages</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="CC">Yet</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="IN">across</span> <span class="JJ">many</span> <span class="NNS">countries</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="NNS">regions</span> <span class="IN">within</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">continent</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="NNS">thousands</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="NNS">tens</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="NNS">thousands</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="CC">or</span> <span class="NNS">millions</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="NNS">people</span> <span class="VBP">use</span> <span class="DT">these</span> <span class="NNS">languages</span> <span class="DT">every</span> <span class="NN">day</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="PRP">They</span> <span class="VBP">transact</span> <span class="NNS">businesses</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="PRP">they</span> <span class="VBP">pray</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="PRP">they</span> <span class="VBP">love</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="NN">dream</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="NN">love</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="NN">life</span> <span class="IN">in</span> <span class="DT">these</span> <span class="NNS">languages</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="CC">And</span> <span class="RB">yet</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="RB">so</span> <span class="JJ">little</span> <span class="VBZ">is</span> <span class="VBN">written</span> <span class="IN">in</span> <span class="PRP">them</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="WP">What</span> <span class="VBZ">is</span> <span class="RB">even</span> <span class="RBR">more</span> <span class="JJ">worrying</span> <span class="VBZ">is</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="JJR">fewer</span> <span class="NN">number</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="NNS">people</span> <span class="WP">who</span> <span class="VBP">get</span> <span class="NN">access</span> <span class="TO">to</span> <span class="DT">these</span> <span class="VBN">written</span> <span class="NNS">resources</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="JJS">Most</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="VBN">written</span> <span class="NN">material</span> <span class="VBZ">is</span> <span class="IN">in</span> <span class="JJ">European</span> <span class="NNS">languages</span> <span class="VBP">–</span> <span class="NNP">English</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="NNP">French</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="JJ">Portuguese</span> <span class="NN">–</span> <span class="RB">as</span> <span class="RB">well</span> <span class="IN">as</span> <span class="DT">a</span> <span class="JJ">few</span> <span class="JJ">dominant</span> <span class="JJ">African</span> <span class="JJ">national</span> <span class="NNS">languages</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="DT">The</span> <span class="NN">illusion</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="VBG">unifying</span> <span class="DT">a</span> <span class="NN">nation</span> <span class="IN">through</span> <span class="DT">a</span> <span class="JJ">single</span> <span class="NN">language</span> <span class="VBZ">is</span> <span class="JJ">wide</span> <span class="NN">spread</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="DT">This</span> <span class="VBZ">has</span> <span class="VBN">meant</span> <span class="DT">a</span> <span class="RB">very</span> <span class="JJ">deliberate</span> <span class="NN">marginalisation</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="JJ">African</span> <span class="NNS">languages</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="RB">almost</span> <span class="JJ">brutal</span> <span class="NN">emphasis</span> <span class="IN">on</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">spread</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="NN">dominance</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="NNP">English</span> <span class="CC">or</span> <span class="JJ">other</span> <span class="JJ">European</span> <span class="NNS">languages</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="RB">Additionally</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="PRP">we</span> <span class="VBP">feed</span> <span class="IN">on</span> <span class="DT">that</span> <span class="NN">illusion</span> <span class="VBD">instilled</span> <span class="IN">in</span> <span class="PRP">us</span> <span class="IN">by</span> <span class="PRP$">our</span> <span class="NN">education</span> <span class="NNS">systems</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="WDT">which</span> <span class="VBD">were</span> <span class="VBN">designed</span> <span class="IN">by</span> <span class="JJ">European</span> <span class="NNS">colonialists</span> <span class="TO">to</span> <span class="VB">serve</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">empire</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="RB">then</span> <span class="VBD">continued</span> <span class="IN">as</span> <span class="JJ">desirable</span> <span class="NNS">norms</span> <span class="IN">by</span> <span class="JJ">post-colonial</span> <span class="NNS">governments</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="CC">But</span> <span class="EX">there</span> <span class="VBZ">is</span> <span class="DT">a</span> <span class="JJ">daily</span> <span class="NN">struggle</span> <span class="IN">from</span> <span class="JJ">many</span> <span class="NNS">quarters</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="NNS">initiatives</span> <span class="TO">to</span> <span class="NN">effect</span> <span class="NN">change</span> <span class="IN">in</span> <span class="PRP$">our</span> <span class="NN">school</span> <span class="NNS">systems</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="NN">Today</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="CD">one</span> <span class="VBZ">does</span> <span class="RB">not</span> <span class="VB">need</span> <span class="TO">to</span> <span class="VB">go</span> <span class="TO">to</span> <span class="DT">a</span> <span class="JJ">well-equipped</span> <span class="NN">library</span> <span class="TO">to</span> <span class="VB">see</span> <span class="NNS">texts</span> <span class="IN">in</span> <span class="JJ">other</span> <span class="NNS">languages</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="PRP">You</span> <span class="RB">only</span> <span class="VB">need</span> <span class="TO">to</span> <span class="VB">log</span> <span class="IN">into</span> <span class="JJ">social</span> <span class="NNS">media</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="PRP">you</span> <span class="MD">will</span> <span class="VB">see</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">flow</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="NNS">conversations</span> <span class="IN">in</span> <span class="DT">all</span> <span class="NN">manner</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="NNS">languages</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="IN">albeit</span> <span class="DT">a</span> <span class="JJ">little</span> <span class="JJ">inconstant</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="PRP">We</span> <span class="VBP">do</span> <span class="RB">not</span> <span class="VB">have</span> <span class="TO">to</span> <span class="VB">look</span> <span class="IN">at</span> <span class="DT">that</span> <span class="IN">with</span> <span class="NN">suspicion</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="PRP">We</span> <span class="VBP">do</span> <span class="RB">not</span> <span class="VB">have</span> <span class="TO">to</span> <span class="VB">feel</span> <span class="NN">hate</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="NN">resentment</span> <span class="IN">for</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">existence</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="JJ">other</span> <span class="CC">or</span> <span class="VB">feel</span> <span class="VBN">burdened</span> <span class="IN">by</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">colonial</span> <span class="NN">idea</span> <span class="IN">that</span> <span class="DT">this</span> <span class="VBZ">is</span> <span class="JJ">divisive</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="IN">Over</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NNS">years</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="PRP">I</span> <span class="VBP">have</span> <span class="VBN">noted</span> <span class="WRB">how</span> <span class="JJ">many</span> <span class="JJ">young</span> <span class="NNPS">Nairobians</span> <span class="JJ">flood</span> <span class="NNS">institutions</span> <span class="TO">to</span> <span class="VB">learn</span> <span class="NNP">French</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="NNP">German</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="PRP">We</span> <span class="VBP">marvel</span> <span class="IN">at</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">possibility</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="VBG">acquiring</span> <span class="WP">what</span> <span class="VBZ">is</span> <span class="RB">not</span> <span class="RB">necessarily</span> <span class="VB">ours</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="DT">That</span> <span class="IN">in</span> <span class="PRP">itself</span> <span class="VBZ">is</span> <span class="DT">a</span> <span class="JJ">beautiful</span> <span class="NN">thing</span> <span class=":">;</span> <span class="DT">all</span> <span class="NN">knowledge</span> <span class="VBZ">is</span> <span class="NN">power</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="RB">However</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="JJS">most</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NNS">individuals</span> <span class="VBG">learning</span> <span class="DT">these</span> <span class="NNS">languages</span> <span class="MD">will</span> <span class="RB">never</span> <span class="VB">go</span> <span class="TO">to</span> <span class="NNP">France</span> <span class="CC">or</span> <span class="NNP">Germany</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="PRP">They</span> <span class="MD">will</span> <span class="VB">use</span> <span class="DT">that</span> <span class="NN">resource</span> <span class="PRP">they</span> <span class="VBP">have</span> <span class="VBN">attained</span> <span class="RP">amongst</span> <span class="PRP">themselves</span> <span class="IN">in</span> <span class="DT">a</span> <span class="RB">very</span> <span class="JJ">small</span> <span class="NN">circle</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="CC">or</span> <span class="IN">for</span> <span class="NN">employment</span> <span class="NN">purpose</span> <span class="JJ">such</span> <span class="IN">as</span> <span class="TO">to</span> <span class="VB">serve</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="JJ">occasional</span> <span class="NN">tourist</span> <span class="CC">or</span> <span class="TO">to</span> <span class="VB">work</span> <span class="IN">at</span> <span class="CD">one</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NNS">multinationals</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="RB">Even</span> <span class="JJR">worse</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="VBZ">sometimes</span> <span class="PRP">it</span> <span class="VBZ">is</span> <span class="RB">never</span> <span class="VBN">put</span> <span class="TO">to</span> <span class="VB">use</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="PRP">It</span> <span class="VBZ">exists</span> <span class="RB">merely</span> <span class="IN">as</span> <span class="DT">a</span> <span class="NN">placeholder</span> <span class="IN">in</span> <span class="DT">a</span> <span class="NNP">Curriculum</span> <span class="NN">vita</span> <span class="CC">or</span> <span class="IN">for</span> <span class="NN">prestige</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="JJ">such</span> <span class="IN">as</span> <span class="WRB">when</span> <span class="NN">someone</span> <span class="NNS">mentions</span> <span class="IN">that</span> <span class="PRP">they</span> <span class="VBP">have</span> <span class="VBN">studied</span> <span class="DT">this</span> <span class="CC">or</span> <span class="IN">that</span> <span class="JJ">European</span> <span class="NNP">Language</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="IN">In</span> <span class="PRP$">their</span> <span class="NNS">minds</span> <span class="PRP">they</span> <span class="VBP">remain</span> <span class="RB">psychologically</span> <span class="VBN">arrested</span> <span class="IN">in</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">desire</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="RB">continually</span> <span class="VB">gravitate</span> <span class="IN">towards</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NNP">European</span> <span class="NN">home</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="JJ">new</span> <span class="JJ">learned</span> <span class="NN">language</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="RB">However</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="PRP">they</span> <span class="MD">will</span> <span class="VB">interact</span> <span class="RB">very</span> <span class="RB">occasionally</span> <span class="IN">with</span> <span class="NNS">speakers</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="JJ">other</span> <span class="JJ">African</span> <span class="NNP">Languages</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="WP">What</span> <span class="IN">if</span> <span class="DT">that</span> <span class="JJ">beautiful</span> <span class="NN">desire</span> <span class="TO">to</span> <span class="VB">learn</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="VB">appreciate</span> <span class="DT">a</span> <span class="JJ">foreign</span> <span class="NN">language</span> <span class="VBD">was</span> <span class="RB">also</span> <span class="RB">inherently</span> <span class="VBN">directed</span> <span class="IN">towards</span> <span class="JJ">other</span> <span class="JJ">African</span> <span class="NNP">Languages</span> <span class=".">?</span> <span class="IN">In</span> <span class="VBG">failing</span> <span class="TO">to</span> <span class="VB">have</span> <span class="JJ">enough</span> <span class="NNS">systems</span> <span class="WDT">that</span> <span class="MD">can</span> <span class="VB">facilitate</span> <span class="DT">this</span> <span class="NN">kind</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="NN">interest</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="NN">indulgence</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="JJ">online</span> <span class="NN">publishing</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="NNS">stories</span> <span class="IN">in</span> <span class="JJ">different</span> <span class="NNS">languages</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="JJ">multilingual</span> <span class="NNS">performances</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="NNS">podcasts</span> <span class="VBP">are</span> <span class="DT">a</span> <span class="JJ">small</span> <span class="CC">but</span> <span class="RB">possibly</span> <span class="JJ">vital</span> <span class="NN">contribution</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="RB">Not</span> <span class="RB">just</span> <span class="IN">for</span> <span class="NNS">readers</span> <span class="WDT">that</span> <span class="VBP">want</span> <span class="TO">to</span> <span class="VB">read</span> <span class="JJ">other</span> <span class="NNS">languages</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="CC">but</span> <span class="DT">those</span> <span class="WP">who</span> <span class="VBP">have</span> <span class="VBN">grown</span> <span class="RP">up</span> <span class="IN">with</span> <span class="RB">very</span> <span class="JJ">little</span> <span class="NN">exposure</span> <span class="TO">to</span> <span class="VBN">written</span> <span class="NNS">texts</span> <span class="IN">in</span> <span class="PRP$">their</span> <span class="JJ">own</span> <span class="NN">mother</span> <span class="NN">tongue</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="JJ">Practical</span> <span class="NNP">Vision</span> <span class="NNP">Ngugi</span> <span class="NN">wa</span> <span class="NNP">Thiongo</span> <span class="VBZ">has</span> <span class="VBN">used</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">term</span> <span class="NNP">“</span> <span class="JJ">practical</span> <span class="NN">vision</span> <span class="NN">”</span> <span class="TO">to</span> <span class="VB">describe</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="JJ">fresh</span> <span class="NNS">opportunities</span> <span class="IN">for</span> <span class="VBG">disseminating</span> <span class="JJ">African</span> <span class="NN">literature</span> <span class="IN">that</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="JJ">digital</span> <span class="NN">age</span> <span class="VBZ">makes</span> <span class="JJ">possible</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="JJ">Practical</span> <span class="NN">vision</span> <span class="VBZ">is</span> <span class="IN">about</span> <span class="VBG">activating</span> <span class="NNS">dreams</span> <span class="IN">in</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="JJ">present</span> <span class=":">;</span> <span class="PRP">it</span> <span class="VBZ">is</span> <span class="IN">about</span> <span class="VBG">translating</span> <span class="DT">a</span> <span class="NN">vision</span> <span class="WDT">that</span> <span class="VBZ">seems</span> <span class="IN">at</span> <span class="RB">far</span> <span class="NN">distance</span> <span class="IN">into</span> <span class="DT">a</span> <span class="VBG">doing</span> <span class="IN">that</span> <span class="VBZ">brings</span> <span class="PRP">you</span> <span class="RB">there</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="WP">What</span> <span class="PRP">we</span> <span class="VBP">envision</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="VBZ">is</span> <span class="VBG">building</span> <span class="DT">a</span> <span class="NN">future</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="JJ">multilingual</span> <span class="NN">pride</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="NNS">connections</span> <span class="WDT">that</span> <span class="VBP">know</span> <span class="DT">no</span> <span class="NNS">boundaries</span> <span class="IN">between</span> <span class="NNS">writers</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="NNS">publishers</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="NNS">readers</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="CC">And</span> <span class="IN">because</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="PRP$">our</span> <span class="NN">access</span> <span class="TO">to</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="NN">connectivity</span> <span class="IN">with</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NNP">Internet</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="PRP">we</span> <span class="VBP">are</span> <span class="JJ">able</span> <span class="TO">to</span> <span class="VB">move</span> <span class="IN">beyond</span> <span class="JJ">mere</span> <span class="NNS">conversations</span> <span class="IN">towards</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">execution</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="NNS">ideas</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="DT">This</span> <span class="RB">however</span> <span class="VBZ">requires</span> <span class="NN">grit</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="DT">a</span> <span class="NN">lot</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="NN">help</span> <span class="IN">from</span> <span class="DT">all</span> <span class="NNS">corners</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="IN">If</span> <span class="PRP">we</span> <span class="VBD">had</span> <span class="VBN">done</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NNP">Translation</span> <span class="NNP">Issue</span> <span class="IN">in</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="JJ">pre-internet</span> <span class="NN">age</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="PRP">it</span> <span class="MD">would</span> <span class="VB">have</span> <span class="VBN">taken</span> <span class="PRP">us</span> <span class="NNS">decades</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="JJ">huge</span> <span class="JJ">financial</span> <span class="NNS">means</span> <span class="TO">to</span> <span class="VB">put</span> <span class="PRP">it</span> <span class="RB">together</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="DT">The</span> <span class="NN">web</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="NNS">translators</span> <span class="VBD">grew</span> <span class="IN">because</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="PRP$">my</span> <span class="NNS">colleagues</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="JJ">interested</span> <span class="NNS">participants</span> <span class="WP">who</span> <span class="VBD">encouraged</span> <span class="NNS">others</span> <span class="TO">to</span> <span class="VB">contribute</span> <span class="TO">to</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="VBG">bringing</span> <span class="RB">together</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="JJ">sixty-eight</span> <span class="NNS">languages</span> <span class="IN">into</span> <span class="CD">one</span> <span class="NN">volume</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="DT">The</span> <span class="NN">volume</span> <span class="VBZ">bears</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">hallmark</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="NNS">conversations</span> <span class="IN">between</span> <span class="NNS">cultures</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="NNS">languages</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="NNS">people</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">world</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="NNS">Thanks</span> <span class="TO">to</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">generosity</span> <span class="VBZ">[</span> <span class="CD">2</span> <span class="NN">]</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="NN">time</span> <span class="VBN">invested</span> <span class="IN">by</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NNS">writers</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="NNS">translators</span> <span class="PRP">we</span> <span class="VBD">were</span> <span class="JJ">able</span> <span class="TO">to</span> <span class="VB">do</span> <span class="DT">this</span> <span class="NN">work</span> <span class="RB">efficiently</span> <span class="IN">in</span> <span class="JJR">less</span> <span class="IN">than</span> <span class="DT">a</span> <span class="NN">year</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="PRP$">Our</span> <span class="NNS">ways</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="VBG">consuming</span> <span class="NN">information</span> <span class="VBP">have</span> <span class="VBN">changed</span> <span class="RB">radically</span> <span class="IN">since</span> <span class="JJ">oral</span> <span class="NN">literature</span> <span class="VBD">was</span> <span class="VBN">shared</span> <span class="IN">around</span> <span class="DT">a</span> <span class="NN">bonfire</span> <span class="IN">in</span> <span class="JJ">early</span> <span class="NNS">evenings</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="IN">As</span> <span class="NN">publisher</span> <span class="PRP">we</span> <span class="VBP">therefore</span> <span class="VB">try</span> <span class="TO">to</span> <span class="VB">understand</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="VBG">changing</span> <span class="NN">nature</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="NN">communication</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="JJ">resultant</span> <span class="NNS">structures</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="PRP">We</span> <span class="VBP">want</span> <span class="TO">to</span> <span class="VB">find</span> <span class="NNS">ways</span> <span class="TO">to</span> <span class="VB">take</span> <span class="JJ">full</span> <span class="NN">advantage</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="JJ">digital</span> <span class="NNS">facilities</span> <span class="IN">as</span> <span class="PRP">it</span> <span class="VBZ">is</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">reality</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="PRP$">our</span> <span class="NN">generation</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="DT">those</span> <span class="TO">to</span> <span class="VB">come</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="PRP">We</span> <span class="VBP">continue</span> <span class="TO">to</span> <span class="VB">experiment</span> <span class="IN">with</span> <span class="JJ">many</span> <span class="JJR">more</span> <span class="NNS">ways</span> <span class="TO">to</span> <span class="VB">tap</span> <span class="IN">into</span> <span class="DT">these</span> <span class="JJ">digital</span> <span class="NNS">facilities</span> <span class="TO">to</span> <span class="NN">share</span> <span class="NNS">stories</span> <span class="IN">in</span> <span class="DT">all</span> <span class="NN">manner</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="JJ">African</span> <span class="NNP">Languages</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="DT">The</span> <span class="JJ">current</span> <span class="NN">question</span> <span class="VBZ">is</span> <span class="WRB">how</span> <span class="PRP">we</span> <span class="MD">can</span> <span class="VB">have</span> <span class="DT">a</span> <span class="VBN">continued</span> <span class="NN">publication</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="NNS">translations</span> <span class="WDT">that</span> <span class="VBP">allow</span> <span class="DT">a</span> <span class="NN">conversation</span> <span class="IN">between</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NNS">languages</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="NNP">Africa</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="DT">those</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">world</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="MD">Can</span> <span class="PRP">we</span> <span class="VB">create</span> <span class="DT">a</span> <span class="JJ">digital</span> <span class="NN">publication</span> <span class="WDT">that</span> <span class="VBZ">captures</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="JJ">infinite</span> <span class="NNS">resources</span> <span class="IN">in</span> <span class="PRP$">our</span> <span class="NNS">languages</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="NNS">cultures</span> <span class=".">?</span> <span class="IN">In</span> <span class="NN">order</span> <span class="TO">to</span> <span class="VB">meet</span> <span class="DT">this</span> <span class="NN">challenge</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="PRP">we</span> <span class="VBD">decided</span> <span class="TO">to</span> <span class="VB">select</span> <span class="CD">one</span> <span class="JJ">short</span> <span class="NN">story</span> <span class="DT">a</span> <span class="NN">year</span> <span class="NN">–</span> <span class="JJ">short</span> <span class="RB">enough</span> <span class="TO">to</span> <span class="VB">allow</span> <span class="DT">a</span> <span class="RB">relatively</span> <span class="NN">ease</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="NN">work</span> <span class="IN">in</span> <span class="NNS">terms</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="NN">translation</span> <span class="NN">–</span> <span class="WDT">that</span> <span class="VBD">was</span> <span class="JJ">powerful</span> <span class="RB">enough</span> <span class="TO">to</span> <span class="VB">speak</span> <span class="IN">across</span> <span class="JJ">multiple</span> <span class="NNS">cultures</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="PRP$">Our</span> <span class="NN">vision</span> <span class="VBZ">is</span> <span class="TO">to</span> <span class="VB">have</span> <span class="DT">each</span> <span class="NN">story</span> <span class="VBN">translated</span> <span class="IN">into</span> <span class="RB">as</span> <span class="JJ">many</span> <span class="JJ">African</span> <span class="NNP">Languages</span> <span class="IN">as</span> <span class="JJ">possible</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="CC">And</span> <span class="CD">one</span> <span class="NN">day</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="IN">in</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="RB">not</span> <span class="RB">so</span> <span class="JJ">distant</span> <span class="NN">future</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="PRP">we</span> <span class="MD">will</span> <span class="VB">have</span> <span class="DT">an</span> <span class="JJ">online</span> <span class="NN">archive</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="NNS">stories</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="NNS">translations</span> <span class="IN">in</span> <span class="DT">all</span> <span class="NN">manner</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="NNS">languages</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="NN">Pursuit</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="JJ">such</span> <span class="DT">a</span> <span class="NN">vision</span> <span class="VBZ">is</span> <span class="RB">not</span> <span class="JJ">easy</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="EX">There</span> <span class="VBZ">is</span> <span class="DT">a</span> <span class="JJ">great</span> <span class="NN">deal</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="NN">misconception</span> <span class="IN">about</span> <span class="JJ">African</span> <span class="NNS">Languages</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="PRP$">their</span> <span class="NNS">places</span> <span class="IN">in</span> <span class="PRP$">our</span> <span class="JJ">personal</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="JJ">communal</span> <span class="JJ">intellectual</span> <span class="NN">discourse</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="IN">In</span> <span class="PRP$">our</span> <span class="NN">contribution</span> <span class="TO">to</span> <span class="VBG">improving</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">publication</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="RB">as</span> <span class="RB">well</span> <span class="IN">as</span> <span class="VBG">encouraging</span> <span class="NN">readership</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="NNS">works</span> <span class="IN">in</span> <span class="JJ">African</span> <span class="NNS">languages</span> <span class="PRP">we</span> <span class="VBD">needed</span> <span class="TO">to</span> <span class="VB">lay</span> <span class="DT">a</span> <span class="NN">firm</span> <span class="NN">foundation</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="NNP">First</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="PRP">we</span> <span class="VBP">recognise</span> <span class="IN">that</span> <span class="EX">there</span> <span class="VBP">are</span> <span class="NNS">voices</span> <span class="WDT">that</span> <span class="VBP">have</span> <span class="VBN">come</span> <span class="IN">before</span> <span class="PRP">us</span> <span class="WP">who</span> <span class="VBP">have</span> <span class="RB">already</span> <span class="VBN">done</span> <span class="DT">a</span> <span class="JJ">great</span> <span class="NN">deal</span> <span class="TO">to</span> <span class="VB">fight</span> <span class="IN">for</span> <span class="NN">language</span> <span class="NNS">rights</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="PRP$">Our</span> <span class="NN">selection</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="DT">a</span> <span class="NN">story</span> <span class="IN">by</span> <span class="NNP">Ngũgi</span> <span class="NN">wa</span> <span class="NNP">Thiong</span> <span class="NNP">’</span> <span class="NN">o</span> <span class="VBD">was</span> <span class="DT">a</span> <span class="NN">recognition</span> <span class="IN">towards</span> <span class="DT">those</span> <span class="WP">who</span> <span class="VBD">had</span> <span class="VBN">taken</span> <span class="NN">responsibility</span> <span class="IN">for</span> <span class="PRP$">our</span> <span class="NNS">languages</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="IN">As</span> <span class="JJ">practical</span> <span class="NNS">visionaries</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="VBD">interested</span> <span class="RBR">more</span> <span class="IN">in</span> <span class="VBG">turning</span> <span class="NNS">ideas</span> <span class="IN">into</span> <span class="NNS">actions</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="PRP">we</span> <span class="VBP">work</span> <span class="IN">with</span> <span class="JJ">full</span> <span class="NN">acknowledgement</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="WP">what</span> <span class="VBZ">has</span> <span class="VBN">come</span> <span class="RB">before</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="PRP">We</span> <span class="VBP">take</span> <span class="IN">into</span> <span class="NN">consideration</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NNS">conversations</span> <span class="WDT">that</span> <span class="VBP">have</span> <span class="VBN">been</span> <span class="VBN">held</span> <span class="IN">on</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">subject</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="VB">bring</span> <span class="DT">these</span> <span class="JJ">further</span> <span class="IN">by</span> <span class="VBG">pursuing</span> <span class="PRP$">our</span> <span class="NN">translation</span> <span class="NN">work</span> <span class="IN">in</span> <span class="NNS">ways</span> <span class="WDT">that</span> <span class="VBP">examine</span> <span class="NNS">barriers</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="JJ">past</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="VB">find</span> <span class="NNS">ways</span> <span class="TO">to</span> <span class="VB">overcome</span> <span class="PRP">them</span> <span class="RB">now</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="RB">Just</span> <span class="IN">as</span> <span class="PRP">we</span> <span class="VBP">have</span> <span class="VBN">created</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="VB">continue</span> <span class="TO">to</span> <span class="VB">create</span> <span class="DT">a</span> <span class="NN">database</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="JJ">literary</span> <span class="NNS">translators</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="PRP">we</span> <span class="VBP">want</span> <span class="TO">to</span> <span class="VB">establish</span> <span class="DT">a</span> <span class="NN">base</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="JJ">devoted</span> <span class="NNS">readers</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="RBR">Earlier</span> <span class="IN">in</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">process</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="NN">someone</span> <span class="VBD">was</span> <span class="JJ">quick</span> <span class="TO">to</span> <span class="VB">ask</span> <span class="PRP">me</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="RB">rather</span> <span class="RB">sceptically</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="WP">what</span> <span class="VBZ">happens</span> <span class="IN">after</span> <span class="PRP">we</span> <span class="VBP">have</span> <span class="VBN">published</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NNS">translations</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="WP">who</span> <span class="MD">will</span> <span class="RB">even</span> <span class="VB">be</span> <span class="JJ">interested</span> <span class="IN">in</span> <span class="VBG">reading</span> <span class="PRP">them</span> <span class=".">?</span> <span class="RB">Once</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="JJ">first</span> <span class="NNP">Translation</span> <span class="NNP">Issue</span> <span class="VBD">was</span> <span class="VBN">published</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NNS">translators</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="PRP$">our</span> <span class="RBS">most</span> <span class="JJ">devoted</span> <span class="NNS">readers</span> <span class="VBD">started</span> <span class="VBG">sharing</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">work</span> <span class="IN">on</span> <span class="NNP">Facebook</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="NNP">Twitter</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="NNP">Blogs</span> <span class="IN">while</span> <span class="VBG">expressing</span> <span class="PRP$">their</span> <span class="NN">excitement</span> <span class="IN">at</span> <span class="VBG">seeing</span> <span class="PDT">such</span> <span class="DT">a</span> <span class="NN">publication</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="NNS">People</span> <span class="VBD">tweeted</span> <span class="NNS">links</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="VBN">shared</span> <span class="JJ">specific</span> <span class="NNS">languages</span> <span class="IN">on</span> <span class="PRP$">their</span> <span class="NNS">timelines</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="DT">A</span> <span class="NN">twitter</span> <span class="NN">user</span> <span class="IN">in</span> <span class="NNP">Ethiopia</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="NNP">@</span> <span class="NNP">LindaYohannes</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="VBD">tweeted</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="JJ">“</span> <span class="NNP">Reading</span> <span class="NNP">Ngugi</span> <span class="IN">in</span> <span class="#">#</span> <span class="NNP">Amharic</span> <span class=".">!</span> <span class="DT">This</span> <span class="NNS">feels</span> <span class="RB">so</span> <span class="RB">right</span> <span class=".">!</span> <span class="JJ">”</span> <span class="NNP">Digital</span> <span class="NNS">technologies</span> <span class="VBD">helped</span> <span class="PRP">us</span> <span class="VB">tap</span> <span class="IN">into</span> <span class="JJR">greater</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="JJR">faster</span> <span class="NNS">possibilities</span> <span class="IN">whereas</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="JJ">mere</span> <span class="NN">exhaustion</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="VBG">putting</span> <span class="RB">together</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">volume</span> <span class="IN">in</span> <span class="NN">print</span> <span class="NN">form</span> <span class="MD">would</span> <span class="VB">have</span> <span class="VBN">been</span> <span class="JJ">enough</span> <span class="NN">excuse</span> <span class="IN">for</span> <span class="PRP">us</span> <span class="TO">to</span> <span class="VB">store</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">print</span> <span class="NNS">copies</span> <span class="IN">in</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">warehouse</span> <span class="IN">for</span> <span class="DT">a</span> <span class="NN">month</span> <span class="CC">or</span> <span class="CD">two</span> <span class="IN">before</span> <span class="VBG">venturing</span> <span class="IN">into</span> <span class="NN">marketing</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="NN">distribution</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="DT">The</span> <span class="NN">reality</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="JJ">such</span> <span class="VBG">exhausting</span> <span class="NN">stretch</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="NN">time</span> <span class="IN">in</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">production</span> <span class="NN">process</span> <span class="VBD">was</span> <span class="IN">for</span> <span class="DT">a</span> <span class="JJ">long</span> <span class="IN">while</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">reason</span> <span class="WRB">why</span> <span class="NNS">people</span> <span class="VBD">kept</span> <span class="VBN">stuck</span> <span class="IN">in</span> <span class="NN">conversation</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="RB">never</span> <span class="VBD">got</span> <span class="IN">into</span> <span class="VBG">doing</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="VBG">Creating</span> <span class="JJ">digital</span> <span class="NNS">networks</span> <span class="IN">for</span> <span class="NN">translation</span> <span class="DT">The</span> <span class="NN">connection</span> <span class="WDT">that</span> <span class="VBZ">is</span> <span class="VBN">formed</span> <span class="IN">between</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">writer</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="NN">publisher</span> <span class="VBZ">is</span> <span class="RB">quite</span> <span class="JJ">important</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="CC">but</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">connection</span> <span class="VBN">formed</span> <span class="IN">with</span> <span class="NN">reader</span> <span class="VBZ">is</span> <span class="RB">also</span> <span class="JJ">crucial</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="PRP">We</span> <span class="VBP">know</span> <span class="IN">by</span> <span class="RB">now</span> <span class="IN">that</span> <span class="EX">there</span> <span class="VBP">are</span> <span class="NNS">people</span> <span class="IN">across</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">continent</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="IN">in</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">diaspora</span> <span class="WP">who</span> <span class="VBP">believe</span> <span class="IN">in</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">importance</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="JJ">marginalised</span> <span class="NNS">languages</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="RB">Perhaps</span> <span class="IN">in</span> <span class="PRP$">their</span> <span class="NN">love</span> <span class="IN">for</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="JJ">translated</span> <span class="NNS">stories</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">process</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="NN">translation</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="PRP">they</span> <span class="RB">too</span> <span class="MD">will</span> <span class="VB">be</span> <span class="VBN">inspired</span> <span class="TO">to</span> <span class="VB">write</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="VB">translate</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="IN">In</span> <span class="NN">practise</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="DT">this</span> <span class="JJ">collective</span> <span class="NN">effort</span> <span class="MD">will</span> <span class="VB">call</span> <span class="IN">for</span> <span class="DT">a</span> <span class="JJ">continuous</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="VBG">growing</span> <span class="JJ">engagement</span> <span class="IN">with</span> <span class="JJ">multi-linguistic</span> <span class="NN">storytelling</span> <span class="NNS">practices</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="JJ">Vigorous</span> <span class="JJ">social</span> <span class="NNS">media</span> <span class="NNS">campaigns</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">sharing</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">work</span> <span class="IN">in</span> <span class="DT">all</span> <span class="JJ">possible</span> <span class="NNS">media</span> <span class="MD">will</span> <span class="VB">enhance</span> <span class="JJ">such</span> <span class="JJ">reciprocal</span> <span class="NNS">relations</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="RB">Also</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">collaboration</span> <span class="IN">with</span> <span class="NNS">universities</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="JJ">other</span> <span class="NN">learning</span> <span class="NNS">institutions</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="MD">can</span> <span class="VB">create</span> <span class="NN">interest</span> <span class="CC">or</span> <span class="VB">integrate</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">idea</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="JJ">African</span> <span class="NNS">languages</span> <span class="IN">in</span> <span class="NN">research</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="NN">teaching</span> <span class="NNS">practises</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="PRP">We</span> <span class="VBP">find</span> <span class="PRP">it</span> <span class="RB">especially</span> <span class="JJ">important</span> <span class="IN">that</span> <span class="NNS">children</span> <span class="VB">grow</span> <span class="RP">up</span> <span class="IN">with</span> <span class="JJ">multi-lingual</span> <span class="NN">content</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="JJ">digital</span> <span class="NNS">facilities</span> <span class="MD">will</span> <span class="VB">make</span> <span class="NN">access</span> <span class="JJ">possible</span> <span class="IN">at</span> <span class="DT">a</span> <span class="JJ">minimal</span> <span class="NN">cost</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="PRP">We</span> <span class="VBP">believe</span> <span class="IN">that</span> <span class="DT">a</span> <span class="NN">generation</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="JJ">young</span> <span class="NNS">people</span> <span class="IN">with</span> <span class="DT">a</span> <span class="NN">passion</span> <span class="IN">for</span> <span class="PRP$">their</span> <span class="NNS">languages</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="WDT">whatever</span> <span class="DT">these</span> <span class="NNS">languages</span> <span class="MD">may</span> <span class="VB">be</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="MD">will</span> <span class="VB">be</span> <span class="RB">here</span> <span class="TO">to</span> <span class="VB">hold</span> <span class="DT">this</span> <span class="NN">vision</span> <span class="RB">together</span> <span class="IN">for</span> <span class="DT">a</span> <span class="RB">very</span> <span class="JJ">long</span> <span class="NN">time</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="TO">To</span> <span class="VB">grow</span> <span class="DT">that</span> <span class="NN">generation</span> <span class="PRP">we</span> <span class="MD">must</span> <span class="VB">continue</span> <span class="TO">to</span> <span class="VB">encourage</span> <span class="DT">those</span> <span class="IN">among</span> <span class="PRP">us</span> <span class="IN">with</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="JJ">intellectual</span> <span class="NNS">facilities</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="JJ">various</span> <span class="NNS">experiences</span> <span class="TO">to</span> <span class="VB">participate</span> <span class="IN">in</span> <span class="NNS">projects</span> <span class="JJ">such</span> <span class="IN">as</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NNP">Jalada</span> <span class="NNS">translations</span> <span class="NN">issue</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="NNP">New</span> <span class="NNS">translators</span> <span class="MD">will</span> <span class="VB">get</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">space</span> <span class="TO">to</span> <span class="VB">experiment</span> <span class="IN">with</span> <span class="PRP$">their</span> <span class="NNS">abilities</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="CC">And</span> <span class="DT">those</span> <span class="WP">who</span> <span class="VBP">have</span> <span class="RB">already</span> <span class="VBN">made</span> <span class="NNS">attempts</span> <span class="IN">in</span> <span class="JJ">prior</span> <span class="NN">translation</span> <span class="NNS">issues</span> <span class="MD">will</span> <span class="VB">have</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">opportunity</span> <span class="TO">to</span> <span class="VB">continue</span> <span class="IN">in</span> <span class="DT">a</span> <span class="JJ">supportive</span> <span class="NN">environment</span> <span class="WDT">that</span> <span class="VBZ">allows</span> <span class="PRP$">their</span> <span class="NNS">talents</span> <span class="TO">to</span> <span class="VB">grow</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="DT">An</span> <span class="JJ">important</span> <span class="NN">step</span> <span class="IN">in</span> <span class="VBG">executing</span> <span class="PDT">such</span> <span class="DT">a</span> <span class="JJ">practical</span> <span class="NN">approach</span> <span class="IN">in</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">area</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="NNS">translations</span> <span class="VBZ">is</span> <span class="TO">to</span> <span class="VB">keep</span> <span class="DT">a</span> <span class="JJ">good</span> <span class="NN">connection</span> <span class="IN">between</span> <span class="JJ">different</span> <span class="NNS">players</span> <span class=":">:</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NNS">writers</span> <span class="WP">who</span> <span class="VBP">are</span> <span class="JJ">interested</span> <span class="IN">in</span> <span class="JJ">different</span> <span class="NNS">languages</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NNS">translators</span> <span class="WP">who</span> <span class="NN">value</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="JJ">great</span> <span class="NN">power</span> <span class="IN">in</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NNS">stories</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="JJ">various</span> <span class="NNS">publishers</span> <span class="WP">who</span> <span class="VBP">have</span> <span class="VBN">demonstrated</span> <span class="PRP$">their</span> <span class="NN">willingness</span> <span class="TO">to</span> <span class="VB">disseminate</span> <span class="DT">these</span> <span class="NNS">works</span> <span class="RBR">further</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="RBR">further</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="DT">This</span> <span class="MD">would</span> <span class="RB">not</span> <span class="VB">be</span> <span class="JJ">possible</span> <span class="IN">without</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NNS">connections</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="JJ">collaborative</span> <span class="NNS">processes</span> <span class="PRP">we</span> <span class="VBP">have</span> <span class="VBN">put</span> <span class="IN">in</span> <span class="NN">place</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="IN">At</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">heart</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="PRP$">our</span> <span class="JJ">practical</span> <span class="NN">vision</span> <span class="VBZ">lies</span> <span class="DT">a</span> <span class="VBG">growing</span> <span class="NN">network</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="NNS">connections</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="IN">without</span> <span class="WDT">which</span> <span class="NNS">ideas</span> <span class="MD">would</span> <span class="VB">remain</span> <span class="JJ">mere</span> <span class="NNS">ideas</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="VBG">Adapting</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">structure</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="JJ">digital</span> <span class="NNS">media</span> <span class="VBP">–</span> <span class="IN">as</span> <span class="DT">a</span> <span class="NN">web</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="NNS">connections</span> <span class="VBP">–</span> <span class="IN">onto</span> <span class="PRP$">our</span> <span class="NN">way</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="VBG">working</span> <span class="NNS">allows</span> <span class="IN">for</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">perseverance</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="NN">sharing</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="PRP$">our</span> <span class="JJ">valued</span> <span class="NNS">resources</span> <span class=":">:</span> <span class="NNS">languages</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">knowledge</span> <span class="PRP">they</span> <span class="VBP">carry</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="DT">The</span> <span class="NN">Future</span> <span class="VBZ">is</span> <span class="JJ">Multi-lingual</span> <span class="RB">However</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="IN">despite</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="JJ">crucial</span> <span class="NN">importance</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="JJ">digital</span> <span class="NNS">platforms</span> <span class="PRP">we</span> <span class="VBP">have</span> <span class="VBN">seen</span> <span class="IN">that</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">work</span> <span class="MD">can</span> <span class="VB">grow</span> <span class="IN">into</span> <span class="JJR">more</span> <span class="IN">than</span> <span class="RB">digitally</span> <span class="VBN">published</span> <span class="NNS">pieces</span> <span class="RB">once</span> <span class="PRP">they</span> <span class="VBP">have</span> <span class="VBN">reached</span> <span class="DT">a</span> <span class="JJ">widespread</span> <span class="NN">audience</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="IN">From</span> <span class="PRP$">its</span> <span class="JJ">digital</span> <span class="NN">space</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="NNP">Ngũgi</span> <span class="VBP">wa</span> <span class="NNP">Thiong</span> <span class="NNP">’</span> <span class="MD">o</span> <span class="VB">‘</span> <span class="JJ">s</span> <span class="NN">story</span> <span class="VBZ">has</span> <span class="VBN">been</span> <span class="VBN">adapted</span> <span class="IN">for</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">stage</span> <span class="IN">on</span> <span class="JJ">several</span> <span class="NNS">occasions</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="DT">Each</span> <span class="NN">dramatization</span> <span class="VBD">celebrated</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">power</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="JJ">cultural</span> <span class="NN">diversity</span> <span class="IN">in</span> <span class="VBG">imagining</span> <span class="JJR">better</span> <span class="NNS">worlds</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="RB">Secondly</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">story</span> <span class="VBZ">has</span> <span class="RB">also</span> <span class="VBN">gone</span> <span class="IN">into</span> <span class="NN">print</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="IN">In</span> <span class="NNP">Sweden</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="IN">as</span> <span class="DT">a</span> <span class="NNS">children</span> <span class="NN">book</span> <span class=":">;</span> <span class="IN">for</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">occasion</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NNP">Mboka</span> <span class="NNP">Festival</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="NNP">Arts</span> <span class="NNP">Culture</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="NNP">Sport</span> <span class="IN">in</span> <span class="CD">three</span> <span class="JJ">Gambian</span> <span class="NNP">Languages</span> <span class="(">(</span> <span class="NNP">Wolof</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="NNP">Mandika</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="NNP">Fula</span> <span class=")">)</span> <span class=":">;</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="NNS">publishers</span> <span class="VBP">across</span> <span class="NNP">Spain</span> <span class="MD">will</span> <span class="VB">print</span> <span class="NNS">editions</span> <span class="IN">in</span> <span class="JJ">Spanish</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="NNP">Catalan</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="NNP">Galician</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="NNP">Basque</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="NNP">Bable</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="NNP">Occitan</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="IN">From</span> <span class="JJ">digital</span> <span class="TO">to</span> <span class="VB">stage</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="TO">to</span> <span class="VB">print</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="RB">then</span> <span class="RB">back</span> <span class="IN">into</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="JJ">digital</span> <span class="NN">realm</span> <span class=":">:</span> <span class="IN">In</span> <span class="NNP">India</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="DT">a</span> <span class="NN">print</span> <span class="NN">publication</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="DT">a</span> <span class="NN">translation</span> <span class="IN">in</span> <span class="NNP">Kannada</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="DT">a</span> <span class="JJ">Dravidian</span> <span class="NN">language</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="VBD">was</span> <span class="RB">later</span> <span class="VBN">republished</span> <span class="IN">in</span> <span class="DT">an</span> <span class="JJ">Indian</span> <span class="NN">online</span> <span class="NN">magazine</span> <span class="WDT">that</span> <span class="VBD">reached</span> <span class="DT">a</span> <span class="JJ">few</span> <span class="CD">million</span> <span class="NNS">readers</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="IN">In</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NNP">USA</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">story</span> <span class="VBD">was</span> <span class="VBN">nominated</span> <span class="IN">for</span> <span class="DT">a</span> <span class="NN">project</span> <span class="WDT">that</span> <span class="VBZ">aims</span> <span class="TO">to</span> <span class="VB">make</span> <span class="JJ">short</span> <span class="JJ">digital</span> <span class="NNS">eBooks</span> <span class="JJ">available</span> <span class="IN">on</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">subway</span> <span class="IN">for</span> <span class="DT">a</span> <span class="NN">year</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="EX">There</span> <span class="VBP">are</span> <span class="JJR">more</span> <span class="IN">than</span> <span class="CD">six</span> <span class="CD">thousand</span> <span class="CD">nine</span> <span class="VBD">hundred</span> <span class="JJR">more</span> <span class="NNS">languages</span> <span class="IN">across</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">world</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="RB">so</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">story</span> <span class="NNS">travels</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="IN">In</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">future</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="PRP">we</span> <span class="VBP">hope</span> <span class="TO">to</span> <span class="VB">see</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NNS">translators</span> <span class="IN">that</span> <span class="PRP">we</span> <span class="VBP">work</span> <span class="IN">with</span> <span class="NN">move</span> <span class="IN">on</span> <span class="TO">to</span> <span class="JJR">bigger</span> <span class="NNS">challenges</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="IN">For</span> <span class="PRP">them</span> <span class="TO">to</span> <span class="VB">take</span> <span class="RP">up</span> <span class="NN">translation</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="JJ">fictional</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="JJ">non-fiction</span> <span class="NNS">books</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="IN">While</span> <span class="JJR">shorter</span> <span class="NNS">works</span> <span class="MD">can</span> <span class="VB">be</span> <span class="VBN">read</span> <span class="RB">much</span> <span class="RBR">more</span> <span class="RB">easily</span> <span class="VB">online</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="JJ">actual</span> <span class="NNS">books</span> <span class="MD">may</span> <span class="VB">require</span> <span class="NN">print</span> <span class="NN">publication</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="IN">in</span> <span class="DT">this</span> <span class="NN">sense</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">digital</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="JJ">analogue</span> <span class="NN">co-exist</span> <span class="IN">in</span> <span class="JJ">mutual</span> <span class="NN">advantage</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="IN">Over</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">course</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="JJ">ten</span> <span class="NNS">years</span> <span class="PRP">we</span> <span class="VBP">envision</span> <span class="VBG">having</span> <span class="VBG">ongoing</span> <span class="NNS">translations</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="RB">about</span> <span class="JJ">ten</span> <span class="JJ">different</span> <span class="NNS">stories</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="IN">With</span> <span class="DT">each</span> <span class="NN">story</span> <span class="VBN">translated</span> <span class="IN">into</span> <span class="DT">a</span> <span class="CD">hundred</span> <span class="CC">or</span> <span class="JJR">more</span> <span class="NNS">languages</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="PRP">we</span> <span class="MD">will</span> <span class="VB">have</span> <span class="VBN">made</span> <span class="PRP">it</span> <span class="DT">a</span> <span class="JJ">normal</span> <span class="NN">practise</span> <span class="TO">to</span> <span class="VB">write</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="VB">translate</span> <span class="IN">into</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="IN">between</span> <span class="JJ">African</span> <span class="NNP">Languages</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="IN">With</span> <span class="DT">this</span> <span class="NN">practice</span> <span class="VBZ">comes</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">idea</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="NN">conversation</span> <span class="IN">between</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NNS">languages</span> <span class="IN">as</span> <span class="PRP">they</span> <span class="VBP">appear</span> <span class="IN">alongside</span> <span class="DT">each</span> <span class="JJ">other</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="DT">The</span> <span class="NN">beauty</span> <span class="VBZ">is</span> <span class="IN">in</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">use</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="DT">any</span> <span class="JJ">known</span> <span class="NN">language</span> <span class="RB">anywhere</span> <span class="IN">in</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">world</span> <span class="IN">with</span> <span class="NN">confidence</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">faith</span> <span class="IN">in</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">good</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="WP">what</span> <span class="VBZ">is</span> <span class="PRP$">your</span> <span class="JJ">own</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="VBG">respecting</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">faith</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="NN">confidence</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="JJ">other</span> <span class="IN">in</span> <span class="VBG">using</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="VBG">celebrating</span> <span class="WP">what</span> <span class="VBZ">is</span> <span class="JJ">theirs</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="CC">And</span> <span class="DT">this</span> <span class="VBZ">is</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">future</span> <span class=":">:</span> <span class="DT">a</span> <span class="NN">place</span> <span class="IN">for</span> <span class="JJ">practical</span> <span class="NNS">visionaries</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="DT">A</span> <span class="NN">time</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="JJ">multilingual</span> <span class="NN">pride</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="NNS">connections</span> <span class="WDT">that</span> <span class="VBP">know</span> <span class="DT">no</span> <span class="NNS">boundaries</span> <span class="IN">between</span> <span class="NNS">writers</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="NNS">publishers</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="NNS">readers</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="WRB">When</span> <span class="PRP">we</span> <span class="VBP">act</span> <span class="RP">out</span> <span class="PRP$">our</span> <span class="NNS">ideas</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">future</span> <span class="MD">will</span> <span class="VB">smash</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">difficulty</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="NN">access</span> <span class="IN">through</span> <span class="JJ">digital</span> <span class="NNS">technologies</span> <span class=":">;</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">exclusion</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="NNS">languages</span> <span class="IN">through</span> <span class="NNS">translations</span> <span class=":">;</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NNS">limitations</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="NNS">opportunities</span> <span class="IN">through</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">growth</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="JJ">collective</span> <span class="NN">work</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="PRP">We</span> <span class="MD">will</span> <span class="VB">wake</span> <span class="RP">up</span> <span class="CD">one</span> <span class="NN">day</span> <span class="RB">soon</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="VB">feel</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">light</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="NN">possibility</span> <span class="NN">shine</span> <span class="IN">upon</span> <span class="PRP$">our</span> <span class="VBZ">faces</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="CC">And</span> <span class="IN">because</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NNP">‘</span> <span class="NNP">Upright</span> <span class="NNP">Revolution</span> <span class="NNP">’</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="JJ">digital</span> <span class="NN">innovation</span> <span class="VBZ">is</span> <span class="JJ">inevitable</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">publisher</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">writer</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">translator</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">reader</span> <span class="NN">–</span> <span class="WP">who</span> <span class="VBZ">wants</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NNS">works</span> <span class="TO">to</span> <span class="VB">survive</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="VB">remain</span> <span class="JJ">relevant</span> <span class="NN">–</span> <span class="MD">must</span> <span class="VB">find</span> <span class="NNS">ways</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="VBG">taking</span> <span class="NN">advantage</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="JJ">digital</span> <span class="NNS">technologies</span> <span class="IN">at</span> <span class="PRP$">their</span> <span class="NN">disposal</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="VB">[</span> <span class="NNS">footnotes</span> <span class="$">]</span> <span class="CD">1</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="VBN">Translated</span> <span class="IN">into</span> <span class="NNP">English</span> <span class="IN">by</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">author</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="NNP">Prof.</span> <br>
<span class="NNP">Ngũgi</span> <span class="NN">wa</span> <span class="NNP">Thiong</span> <span class="NNP">’</span> <span class="RB">o</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="IN">as</span> <span class="NN">[</span> <span class="NN">i</span> <span class="VBP">]</span> <span class="DT">The</span> <span class="NNP">Upright</span> <span class="NNP">Revolution</span> <span class=":">:</span> <span class="CC">Or</span> <span class="WRB">Why</span> <span class="NNPS">Humans</span> <span class="VBP">Walk</span> <span class="NNP">Upright</span> <span class="NNP">[</span> <span class="NN">i</span> <span class="VBD">]</span> <span class="CD">2</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="TO">To</span> <span class="VB">be</span> <span class="DT">a</span> <span class="NN">part</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NNP">Translation</span> <span class="NNP">Issue</span> <span class="IN">as</span> <span class="DT">a</span> <span class="NN">translator</span> <span class="VBZ">is</span> <span class="TO">to</span> <span class="VB">put</span> <span class="PRP">yourself</span> <span class="IN">in</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">company</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="JJ">other</span> <span class="NNS">translators</span> <span class="VBG">making</span> <span class="NN">history</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="PRP">We</span> <span class="VBP">publish</span> <span class="DT">each</span> <span class="NN">translation</span> <span class="IN">on</span> <span class="DT">a</span> <span class="JJ">single</span> <span class="NN">page</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="DT">The</span> <span class="NN">language</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="NN">name</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="NN">biography</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NNS">translators</span> <span class="VBP">are</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NNS">credits</span> <span class="VBN">listed</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="PRP">We</span> <span class="VBP">do</span> <span class="RB">not</span> <span class="VB">discriminate</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="CC">nor</span> <span class="VBP">require</span> <span class="DT">any</span> <span class="JJ">advanced</span> <span class="NN">experience</span> <span class="IN">in</span> <span class="JJ">literary</span> <span class="NN">translation</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="DT">The</span> <span class="JJ">only</span> <span class="NN">requirement</span> <span class="VBZ">is</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">desire</span> <span class="TO">to</span> <span class="VB">produce</span> <span class="JJ">authentic</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="JJ">verifiable</span> <span class="NNS">translations</span> <span class="WDT">that</span> <span class="MD">can</span> <span class="VB">communicate</span> <span class="DT">a</span> <span class="NN">story</span> <span class="IN">in</span> <span class="CD">one</span> <span class="NN">’</span> <span class="NN">s</span> <span class="JJ">own</span> <span class="NN">language</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="CC">And</span> <span class="IN">while</span> <span class="PRP">we</span> <span class="VBP">do</span> <span class="RB">not</span> <span class="VB">compensate</span> <span class="RB">financially</span> <span class="IN">for</span> <span class="RB">now</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="PRP">we</span> <span class="VBP">are</span> <span class="VBG">looking</span> <span class="IN">into</span> <span class="NNS">possibilities</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="NN">funding</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="VBG">developing</span> <span class="DT">a</span> <span class="JJ">financial</span> <span class="NN">model</span> <span class="WDT">that</span> <span class="MD">would</span> <span class="VB">allow</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">sustainability</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">work</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
<span class="IN">As</span> <span class="PRP">we</span> <span class="VBP">engage</span> <span class="JJR">more</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="RBR">more</span> <span class="NNS">translators</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">network</span> <span class="NNS">grows</span> <span class=",">,</span> <span class="CC">and</span> <span class="NNS">opportunities</span> <span class="VBP">are</span> <span class="RB">easily</span> <span class="VBN">spread</span> <span class="IN">across</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">team</span> <span class="IN">for</span> <span class="DT">the</span> <span class="NN">benefit</span> <span class="IN">of</span> <span class="NN">diligent</span> <span class="NNS">translators</span> <span class=".">.</span> <br>
</div>
</body>