Community groups in Yemen wrote to the local World Bank office asking if they could get an Arabic translation of the conditions the World Bank imposed on the Yemeni government for a $51 million loan. Sorry, the Bank rep told them, English is “the official language to be used in all the transactions and contracts between the Government of the Republic of Yemen and the World Bank.” As Rebecca Harris of the independent Bank Information Center first told the story in an oped on the FP website, the understandably dissatisfied Yemeni activists have now taken their case to the Inspection Panel, the Bank’s dispute mechanism.
Lack of interest in translation at the Bank is a symptom of a deeper problem. As our Aid Watch conference in February 2009 discussed, the most direct way to know whether aid is reaching the poor is to find out in some way: what do the poor themselves say about aid? This is going to be a lot more difficult if the poor have to speak in English!
The World Bank has made a lot of noise about consulting with “civil society.” The Bank brags on its web site: “The World Bank has learned…that the participation of [civil society] can enhance their operational performance…”
Further they claim that the Bank’s engagement with civil society (“the Bank dialogues and consults with CSOs on issues, policies and programs, by listening to their perspectives and inviting suggestions”) allows the Bank to:
Give voice to stakeholders – particularly poor and marginalized populations – and help ensure that their views are factored into policy and program decisions; Promote public sector transparency and accountability…; Promote public consensus and local ownership for reforms…; Bring innovative ideas and solutions, as well as participatory approaches to solve local problems; Strengthen and leverage development programs by providing local knowledge, targeting assistance, and generating social capital at the community level.
Although the Yemeni community groups could not get critical Bank documents in Arabic, they would presumably be glad to know that the above statements about how the Bank will consult them ARE available in Arabic.
This suggests a new objective test of how serious the Bank really is about consulting local populations. How many critical Bank documents are available in the local language? How many “locally owned” Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers are actually prepared in the local language? How many translators does the Bank employ in the field so they can listen to local people? Or best of all but probably a hopeless cause, how many Bank staff working on a project themselves speak the local language? (We may cut them a little slack if the local language is Ucayali-Yurúa Ashéninka, spoken by only seven thousand Peruvians.) Let’s call it “the Rebecca Harris language test” in honor of her raising the issue.
18 Comments
This is a very good point to raise. As stated, if aid is about measuring feedback and listening to the problem then a bank needs to be be able to conduct business in the language of its customers.
No accountable business would perform its activities in a language not used by its customers. Often the language chosen in a bi-lateral relationship is indicative of the power in that relationship. In truly customer/centric exercises, the customer typically dictates the language among other things.
To be fair, I’m betting a little of this comes from the fact that the contract itself is in English and they do not want to provide a translation that might be considered ‘official’ to some extent where some details might be muddled. This could prove contencious.
On the micro scale, I TOTALLY agree that some sort of ’summary of terms’ should ALWAYS be provided in the ‘common’ local language. There is ZERO excuse not to do something like this.
In a more macro sense, it would be nice to see someone like the World Bank actually doing what they say and not just putting it on a piece of paper. Sending English speakers to the ‘field’ for a week to ask questions (using a translator) isn’t good enough.
Maybe they should start by reading ‘African Friends and Money Matters.’ It’s a good read for understanding a COMPLETELY different view of financial matters prevalent in much of Africa (and other developing contexts).
This is an eye opener case for all those who advocate transparency of international financial or other sectors organisations. The issue is not just the use of local languages so the people can understand what is done in their name but also their ability to access documents that are not released to the public because they may contain “sensitive” information. I give you an example by the IMF in its 2008 report on Morocco in French and not Arabic! http://www.imf.org/external/french/pubs/ft/scr/2008/cr08304f.pdf states the followings in French “La politique de publication des rapports et autres documents des services du FMI autorise la suppression des passages contenant des informations sensibles.” “the publication’s policy of IMF reports and other documents authorises the suppression of sentences containing sensitive information”
Who knows what was suppressed? It could be some information that is critical for people to know, because as someone said what you do not know can hurt you.
All the best
Dear Prof Easterly,
I always keep on eye on this blog and I find it to raise remarkable issues and provide some detailed pieces of information. Congratulations for it!
Concerning this post I am not totally satisfied with the content and I would like to raise some questions.
In your papers, books and posts you argue that aid should go to the Poors and to efficient poverty-reducing projects. Would you be satisfied with the World Bank spending a remarkable amount of its resources in translating and publishing? Given the well-known motto “limited resources, unlimited wants”, each dollar given to (further) translation is subtracted to projects (you may argue of a participation-econ.effectiveness dilemma). Alternatively, the only constructive action the Bank could implement is to reallocate its employees from highly skilled (economists, engineers, etc) to local bi/tri-lingual people somehow equipped. Would that be worth?
What do you mean by “critical Bank documents”? Do you think that sophisticated and fundamental econometric research qualifies as such? Those would certainly allow the local community to understand how and why resources were allocated as they are (and then participate). It is true that contracts are probably the core of the problem (but I think zulusafari initial comment is right, translating contracts in local legal language could be very expensive), but it is agreeable to imagine that there are several other documents that contribute to “ensure that their views are factored into policy and program decisions”.
Another point I would like to raise is linked to globalization. As a “white man” (Italian) that has traveled a little bit, it seems to me like the main world languages are fairly spread around the World. Most of World Bank’s documents are in 3 indeed(English, French, Spanish) and most of the people who would like and need to have access to these speak at least one of these languages. As a result, your fair request would address an important but probably marginal slice of these people (but as stated above would have a remarkable cost). Then if we think that most of the people who do not speak an “international language” may belong to the least educated tale of the local society, it is difficult to imagine how they could read and understand a World Bank document, and actively participate to its modification.
Actually, but I am speaking again as a “white man” that has never experienced the situation writing about, I presume in any World Bank local office there are some employees who speak the local language. I presume that the “personal” solution to the problem should be considered. Why should the World Bank set up a big(ger) Translation office, when locally a cheap and effective solution could be found?
You are certainly right on the bottleneck that English (and the main languages) may represent for local people and their participation; it is also true that contracts are especially sensitive; however the opposite situation (with the assumption of “perfect translation”) may not be that satisfactory either.
Sincerely,
Nicola Limodio
http://www.nicolalimodio.com
http://dalleconomiallapolitica.blogspot.com/
It is a fundamental right to read in your language something that affects you. Otherwise you cannot understand what is done in your name. WB policy reports do affect people, even if they are intended for experts who may speak foreign languages. Many NGOs, members of parliaments etc do not speak English or French languages. But, if documents are translated in local languages they can monitor the implementation of their governments’ policies. I know also so many journalists working in Arab language newspapers who do not cover World Bank issues in relation to their countries because material is not in a language they understand, so the public is not informed. Globalisation does not mean eradication of local languages but the opportunity for all to read and understand what is going on around the world in their own alphabet. Those who produce strategic reports about Yemen for example, for whom they are doing that? I presume a minority of a privileged people who are benefiting from an economic situation that the WB is trying to change. Do you think they care? Let them read the Coran and poetry they would tell you. Economics is sophisticated for them. WB operates with someone’s tax money. The cost would be higher if those policies fail because those for whom it is intended do not understand the strategy behind. The World Bank has indeed two powers: one of money with which it can impose structural adjustment, and another of the language. People wants transparency and disclosure but in a language they understand that is true reflexion of what it is said and done in English or French.
Just translate the flipping document, World Bank. Problem solved. Unless you can’t do it; then get locals to do it. Problem solved
Translation is only a small part of this problem. There are a whole host of “back office” processes that follow the money with all donors. While technical staff have generally learned that it is best to consult and get input, when it comes to signing contracts, loan agreements,etc, there is usually no room for even handed negotiations and fair consultation with locals. They are typically faced with a take it or leave it decision so they sign and hope for the best. As a USAID contractor we are faced with this problem on almost a daily basis. We are required to “flow down” all of the conditions of the federal acquisition regulations to subcontractors, including some local organizations. Even if we wanted to make a good faith effort to negotiate such contracts fairly, if we wanted to take out some of the conditions in the subagreements, we would have to go back to Congress and ask them to amend the acquisition laws.
Unbelievable question by Nicola: “a remarkable amount of its resources in translating and publishing”. Simply concerning the amount, how much do you think translation and publishing would cost relative to the whole package of aid? Would that be half or two third? What’s more about the question raised in this post is more than the simple communication, it actually involves how the aid agencies really care about the local or indigenous aid recipients and how effectively the aid could arrive at the people in most need, which is usually the claim of the aid agencies for the use of the money.
The lack of earnest consultation or even much respect for the local population as aid donors operate as a “third force”in the third world is indeed widespread. I applaud you for signaling out the problem. As long as aid is premised on a new division of power to the economic benefit of the donors very little good will come of it. One suggestion would be to give recipient countries greater representation – - majority representation would be best – - on the World Bank Board and include them on international development NGO Boards as well.
Being of distant Italian origin myself – - Italian American on both sides of my family – – I was particularly interested in Nicola Limidio’s comments on world languages, especially as he seems to quite irrelevantly apprise us of his “whiteness” and Italian nationality to make his point. I was amused, first because being white or even Italian seemed to say nothing a propos of his point that three world languages were widely spoken and secondly because of his utter confidence that he was “white” and that this somehow mattered in a discussion of the relevancy of French, English and Spanish.
Until recently many in the U.S. establishment hardly considered Italians white, I remember the time quite well myself, and in a period when we have the first “cafe au lait” President all this talk about who is white, black, yellow or red seems passe. Mr. Limidio should in any case look deeply as I believe the rule for determining blackness was at one time 1/16th black blood so he has a lot to prove to some people beyond suspicions raised by his just being Italian.
SS
Dear SS,
you utterly misunderstood what I meant to say with “white man”, I was clearly referring to Prof Easterly’s book
“The White Man’s Burden”
(please refer to http://www.nyu.edu/fas/institute/dri/Easterly/BookNew.htm)
and remarking the fact that as a westerner (that I clearly indicated in my reply), I can only discuss the issue of aid from a clearly biased perspective.
I would have liked to hear something concerning the contents of my reply, rather than a discussion on who is white or black.
Dear Nicola,
Thanks for clarifying your use of “white man” in your comment, though perhaps you will admit in my defense that it was difficult to tell that you were referring to the book e.g., you say, “As a “white man” (Italian) that has traveled a little bit.” From the grammar and lack of capitalization one does not readily think of the book.
There is though another serious problem with the book’s title: White Man’s Burden. It is obnoxious, racially charged and dissipates the books real message that third world peoples need to help themselves and can do so best through creative and local efforts and not through donor organized planning. I liked the book and always hoped the publisher had saddled Dr. Easterly with the title. After reading some authorized lead postings on this blog I am no longer so sure but sincerely hope that was the case. In any case, as I have said before, I don’t believe that this racially charged way of speaking, though still unfortunately common, is at all helpful. Nor is it accurate once one has examined the genetic make up of the human species re.: color and other inherited traits. We are truly one species, sub-divided by cultures perhaps but certainly not color of which there are as many varieties and shades as bird feathers.
As for your main point the cost of translating, you raise a very valid concern. Could not the Bank at least routinely translate a summary terms and conditions sheet? This I think should be done at a minimum, absent that being sufficient I would lean toward full translation. Translation would be a small portion of the cost of the loan and what one should do if one is trying to promote civil society and democracy. Best.
SS
First tackle the World Bank and then they can take on USAID – also famous for not translating… anything (but their logo). Looks like the Yemenis have their work cut out for them…
The title very accurately describes the neo-colonial mindset that was behind much aid giving.
The poem was written by Kipling in 1899 to celebrate the American conquest of the Philippines. Even at the time Kipling’s poem was contentious. Here’s, courtesy of Wikipedia, a somewhat irrelevant view.
@ Stephen Jones
“The title very accurately describes the neo-colonial mindset that was behind much aid giving…a somewhat irrelevant view.”
Couldn’t access the link, perhaps you can give us the URL?
As for the book, title wasn’t sure what you thought of it. Indeed it would have been better if it was a lead in to a critique of a “colonial mindset” which I dare say still exists. If it was such a critique it was subtle enough to be missed. The most biting edge of the book’s “critique” was that the “planners” mindset was not actually suited to finding creative solutions. Not particularly anti-colonial.
SS
I appear to have forgotten the href in the link.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:The_white_mans_burden.gif
And here’s a link to Kipling’s poem.
http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~wldciv/world_civ_reader/world_civ_reader_2/kipling.html
The point of the poem is the belief that the white man knows best when dealing with the third world; this belief in innate superiority has been replaced by the belief the expert knows best, whatever his skin color, and is I believe the attitude Easterly is attacking in his book. And I believe it’s still prevalent now, though the beliefs have changed.
Easterly is also criticizing the ‘we must do something’ moral imperative that is there in both the poem and in much development aid.
@ Stephen Jones
“And I believe it’s still prevalent now (attitude of superiority), though the beliefs have changed.”
SS- yu got that right and it’s not helpful to anyone, including us e.g., Iraq.
@ SJ
“Easterly is also criticizing the ‘we must do something’ moral imperative that is there in both the poem and in much development aid.”
SS-Spcialists believe ind doing things together , solidarity.
SS-None of your attributions to Dr. Easterly were evident to me in the book, neither the critique of arrogance nor of sentiments, but if he indeed doesn’t believe we should “do” something why is he in development in the first place? He should have been a rapacious business man though as you seem to point out there are many similarities.
SS
Dear SS,
We evidently have different interpretations of Easterly’s work. Also I have the bad habit of conflating things I read, so possibly I am talking about ideas gleaned from ‘The Elusive Quest for Growth’, rather than from ‘The White Man’s Burden’.
Sorry mate, but sounds like buzzwords.
You’ll have to ask him, but I don’t believe he is in ‘development’ any more. And believing ‘we must do something’ (possibly the most nefarious meme to have ever evolved) doesn’t mean that when you know exactly what needs to be done, and have the means and co-operation to do it, you shouldn’t do it.
Professor Easterly, I cannot comment on Yemen but I can say that: (i) the WBG translates all sorts of documents into other languages and has done so for many years(Spanish, French, Portuguese and Swahili in my own experience); (ii) WBG legal documents translated into something other than English bear the label “The English version is the official version” so it is utterly uncontroversial to do such translations; (iii) many documents originate in languages other than English (PRSPs, which are written by governments anyway); Environment and social impact assessments written by local experts; aides-memoires; correspondence with governments and technical agencies) and are not translated into English so the problem of translation from English never arises; (iv) the snark about the language skills of Bank staff is beneath you; as you know perfectly well, the Bank has offices all over the world staffed with nationals and expats who speak many languages beyond English, in addition to staff working from Washington who are also fluent in many languages. Taking the example of Africa, which was extreme language fragmentation, there would be very very few projects where no one from the local Bank office does not speak the principal African langauges.