Pro bono

There are situations in life where hesitating can cost lives. There are situations in life where we cannot remain neutral. There are situations in life where we need to act quickly and efficiently, to focus. The period since 24 February 2022 is one of those situations.

After war broke out, I decided to launch a pro bono campaign with other translators, to help Ukraine. I appealed through professional associations and networks, received replies and established an ad hoc coordination group for qualified translators on our Telegram channel. I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to each and every colleague who has expressed willingness to work on this free of charge, and in particular of course colleagues who have already supported us by translating. 

When war broke out we were not only obliged to work quickly, but also to learn, think and communicate quickly and securely. From my own experience since then, I have learned that the most effective communications take place:

• Between individuals already known to one another, who already trust one another
• If I can verify a new contact very quickly and open up a new, secure communication channel
• If individuals are able to grasp what needs to be done quickly, to focus and target their efforts
• And if individuals are in a position to manage themselves effectively and stay strong enough to work well

The ad hoc coordination group is already operational. We have some 50-70 colleagues working for us pro bono into 20 different languages.

The group translates the following materials in this context:

• Daily news on military operations for a global audience
• Articles and comment by journalists about the latest situation in Ukraine
• Official notifications for refugees from the war
• Press reports and other texts that are required in the circumstances
• We also transcribe video and audio files

If you have an acute, urgent need for translations from and/or into Ukrainian, please email us stating the original text’s

1. Source
2. Author, and
3. Place of publication
4. As well as the languages into which you need a translation

Thank you for your trust and commitment.

Write to us here.