[WSIS CS-Plenary] IMPORTANT: PrepCom IIIA Translation

[karen banks]

hello everyone

As we're preparing for next week, and considering the heavy demand for 
translation this past week, i thought we should agree on translation 
processes for PrepCOmIIIA.

Firstly, i want to thank Adam Peake for taking on management of the plenary 
list and liasing with the translation team while i've been otherwise 
committed. It's not an easy job as adam now knows ;), and as the work is 
largely invisible, can go unnoticed.

Second, re translation. I think we need to revisit the processes we 
outlined in the translation list, and make sure that we are all aware of 
them and then try our best to follow those processes. If we don't follow 
the processes we outline, we find ourselves duplicating work which of 
course is frustrating, time consuming and generally raises the anxiety 
levels for everyone ;)

So, here's the proposal - where we need to action, i have enclosed comments 
in *** asterisks **:

1) Could we make sure that everyone who is doing voluntary translation, is 
subscribed to the translation at wsis-cs.org list - and it is quite possible 
that some of you have asked me to do that already, and it has fallen out of 
my TODO basket.

** please send me your details if you need to be added to the translation 
list - please send this to karenb at apcwomen.org and NOT to this list **

2) Could we hear from people on the translation list, who are prepared to 
commit some time next week to translation.

** again, let me know by email if you are available, and if you will be 
able to work on-site, or remotely **

3) The process we have used to date (which is still quite embyronic) works 
like this.

Criteria for translation
------------------------
- important informational messages from the CSD or the ITU
- official WSIS documents (eg the samassekou letter and non-paper)
- Content and themes group documents (for example, sally and bill's 
response to the non-paper and the Content and themes non-negotiables)

I think we have to prioritise these documents over specific caucus and 
working group documents, though of course if time permits, we can try to 
translate such documents.

4) Content and themes co-coordinators (sally/bill or someone they 
designate) should request,  when they post to plenary/CT - for translation

5) I (or someone else we agree) then passes that request to 
translation at wsis-cs.org

6) If someone is prepared to translate the document, they announce so, 
quickly, in the translation list so as to avoid the situation where we have 
two or more people translating the same document.

7) the translated document is then posted back to translation at wsis-cs.org, 
and one person (which we will decide internally in translation at wsis-cs.org) 
posts to plenary/ct

***** I have cc'd this message to translation at wsis-cs.org and would ask for 
volunteers to translate this message into french and spanish *****

we don't really have time to discuss this proposal in detail, so hope that 
it will suffice for now - but if there are glaring errors or gaps, let me know.

karen