World Association of Arab
Translators & Linguists
www.arabswata.org
www.arabswata.info
www.watapedia.org
Doha – Qatar
info@arabswata.org
009745272872
009745626208
Preliminary
Arabic civilization has been marked through its history by universality
and openness. By the means of its language and by translation, it has
learned from Greeks, Persians, Copts, Latins and Hindis and it has
taught to Europeans and Occidentals from the Middle Age till
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nowadays. Through these exchanges, it has significantly enriched the
common human heritage in Philosophy, History and Sociology,
Literature, Music, Medicine and Optics, Chemises and Physics,
Architecture, Engineering and Mechanics, Mathematics, Astronomy as
well as Administration and State Affairs.
In the history of the evolution of human thought, we note the
translation of major works from Greek to Arabic in Syria, from Persian
and Hindi to Arabic in Iraq, from Copt in Egypt, from Latin in North
Africa and Andalusia. Those translations allowed the birth of the
critical thought and the creation of evermore-evolved works that have
been at their turn translated from Arabic to Latin and other European
languages from the Renaissance Period on. These Arab productions
brought a fundamental contribution to the birth of the scientific and
rational thought in the world. In the eve of the 20th Century a renewal
of interest for translations developed in Arab Countries, starting under
Mohammed Ali in Egypt and continuing through private and public
institutions till nowadays.
Birth of an idea and creation of WATA
Aware of this rich heritage, a group of good willing translators,
linguists and researchers headed by Amer al-Azem created in 2003
an association aimed at gathering the Arabic translators and linguists
worldwide. The general philosophy of the association is to bring a
stone to the common human heritage and to spread knowledge in
Arabic.
Thousand of translators were contacted throughout the world via the
translators and interpreters communities and were asked to express
their opinions in the subject. The sum of their inputs, analysis and
critics were used as the basis to build this universal house of Arabic
translation, called after a public international poll: ARABSWATA for
World Association of Arab Translators & Linguists.
A team of qualified translators and linguists were gathered under the
coordination of Amer al-Azem, the ideator. Al Azem realized from the
beginning the absence of such an association in the Arab world and
furthermore the lack of significant glossaries and translation tools
from and into Arabic, frequently requested by professional translators
for their everyday works.
The ideas and the main lines were launched in translators and
linguists' communities on the Internet. Thousands of enthusiastic
replies and inputs came altogether from engaged and professional
Translators, Interpreters, Linguists, Researchers, Academicians,
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Writers and Journalists as well as from some International Cultural
Organizations.
The sum of those ideas and suggestions were used as a platform
to build ARABSWATA.
Three main targets were clearly defined:
1/ The creation of the World Association of Arab Translators &
Linguists;
2/ The creation of a Publishing House specialized in translated works,
bilingual glossaries and translation journals;
3/ The creation of an International Translation Academy, oriented to
excellence.
Mission and Objectives
Analytically the detailed objectives came out as follows:
* Spreading the use of Arabic language and introducing Arabic culture
and civilization worldwide;
* Encouraging the academic studies and researches with (or without)
other Institutions related to Arabic language, linguistics and
translation/interpretation fields;
* Compiling referential glossaries from and into Arabic, in general or
specialized fields;
* Providing jobs, work tools as well as consulting to Translators,
Interpreters and Linguists;
* Creating Translators/Interpreters as well as Agencies database to be
used and spread worldwide;
* Acting to protect and tutor the profession of Translator/Interpreter
according to International Translators Charts;
* Ruling periodical accreditation and certification sessions & exams in
the Arabic Countries;
* Organizing International scientific and technical meetings and
congresses to exchange know-how and to promote the profession, its
standards and its criteria;
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* Translating significant references, masterpieces and other works and
promote that through International Annual Awards ruled by
recognized Academicians;
* Launching of one or more websites designed to be the Arabic
linguists' community workshop;
* Open offices for the association in different Arab countries;
* Signing partnership contracts with peer Official and non-Official
Organizations, as well as concerned institutions and companies as:
publishers, translators' communities, philanthropic and/or cultural
institutions and others;
* Creating an international web based school specialized in teaching
Arabic to non-Arabs;
* Founding a Publishing house specialized in Translated works
from/To Arabic;
* Creating an International Arabic translation studies Academy to
teach translation/interpretation from and into Arabic.
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Achievements (as per 2008)
Since 2003, WATA has actively attracted an important number of
highly reputed scholars, academicians, professional translators,
interpreters and linguists. It has now more than 13.000 registered
members and a specialized mailing list of more than 100.000 persons.
Run from Qatar, WATA has achieved international repute and
presence in almost all issues related to Arabic translation.
Faithful to our original mission, we continue to instruct the members
about new developments in the field of translation and interpreting.
Members and veterans exchange knowledge and expertise through the
website and the periodicals. Specialized training sessions and
translation and interpreting courses are regularly held online. There's
an average of seven yearly courses and workshops that cover different
sides of the translation and interpreting profession. Legal translation
and interpreting, translation and interpreting theory, writing skills,
and contrastive analysis are but a few examples.
More than a hundred reputed scholars, academicians and translators
were interviewed by WATA that published the dialogues in its portal.
Each year, WATA celebrates the first of January the Day of the Arabic
Translator. It has been until now an occasion to honor the works and
achievements of many authoritative actors of the translation and
culture scene. Thus, until 2008, More than 560 translators,
interpreters, scientists, writers, poets, researchers and creators have
been awarded certificates recognizing their contribution and
acknowledging their achievements.
In July 2005, WATA successfully held its first international
symposium in Amman- Jordan. WATA was an official speaker in the
Second Translation Meeting held by the Thought Foundation (Dar AlFikr) in April, 2007.
Workshops were opened to discuss the foundation of sisters'
associations. These efforts ended with the creation of the Egyptian
Translators Association. The Moroccan Translation Association, the
Jordanian and the Syrian ones should be active in a couple of weeks.
WATA published a compilation of the works of 15 Arab literary writers.
WATA members worked for, and finally founded Poets without Borders
that gathers 150 Arabic poets. Hundreds of poems and literary works
were translated by volunteers and published in Arabic, English or
French on the website.
Apart from the numerous bilingual glossaries and compilations, WATA
is working right now to build one of the largest digital open
encyclopedias. WATAPEDIA www.watapedia.org
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One of WATA future plans is the foundation of an international Arab
translation and interpreting academy.
WATA’s electronic journal, with an editorial board of distinguished
academics, scholars, linguists, translators, writers, intellectuals and
professors, carrying out academic articles and researches, has
reached in March, 2008 its fifth digital issue, and is planned to be
published soon on hard copy. WATA Journal: www.arabswata.info
Over the past five years, WATA has been achieving more recognition
from many private and governmental associations. Our members
lecture on translation and interpreting in universities all over the
world.
For a review of the last symposium organized by WATA in association
of Al-Sharq Newspaper and Training Centre in Qatar, please visit our
website where the lectures are published along a photographic report.
If you would like to join us, or for further information, please visit our
Website
www.arabswata.org
Forums
www.arabswata.org/forums/
WATAPEDIA
www.watapedia.org
Doha – Qatar
info@arabswata.org
009745272872
009745626208
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