FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) | Awaaz Collective

About Awaaz Collective

1. What is Awaaz Collective?
Awaaz Collective is a dedicated, not-for-profit community of interpreters, translators, and language activists. We work to bridge language barriers and build linguistic justice by providing critical translation and interpretation services to individuals and organizations working for social change.

2. What is your mission?
Our mission is to make social, political, and cultural discourse accessible across languages. We believe that breaking down language barriers is essential for creating equitable and inclusive spaces, and we support those who are often marginalized by dominant languages.

3. What does "Awaaz" mean?
"Awaaz" is a Hindi/Urdu word meaning "Voice." Our name reflects our core goal: to be a voice for the voiceless and to amplify the voices of marginalized communities by ensuring they are heard and understood across languages.

4. Are you a registered organization?
Yes, we are a registered not-for-profit society.

Our Work and Services

5. What specific services do you offer?
We provide a range of language services, including:

• Translation: Written translation of documents, reports, pamphlets, social media content, and educational materials.

• Interpretation: Live interpretation for events, meetings, workshops, and conferences.

• Transcription: Converting speech from audio or video into written text.

• Language Support: General support for making public discourse more accessible.

6. Who do you typically work with?
We collaborate with individuals, non-profits, people’s collectives, and movements that are working towards social, political, and cultural change but may lack the resources for professional language services.

7. What languages do you work in?
While our core team has strengths in South Asian languages, our network includes volunteers and professionals for a wide range of languages. The specific languages for a project depend on the current availability of our collective members.

8. Do you work only in India?
While our focus is strongly rooted in the Indian context and its linguistic diversity, the nature of our work is global. We support movements and individuals internationally, provided we have the language capabilities in our collective.

Getting Involved & Supporting

9. How can I become a volunteer translator/interpreter?
We are always looking for passionate individuals to join our collective! If you have proficiency in two or more languages and believe in our mission, please get in touch with us via our Contact Us page. Let us know about your language skills and areas of interest.

10. What kind of volunteers are you looking for?
We need:

• Translators & Interpreters: For various language pairs.

• Transcribers: To work with audio and video content.

• Proofreaders & Editors: To ensure the quality of translated texts.

• Language Activists: Anyone passionate about linguistic justice, even without formal translation experience, can help with outreach, coordination, and community building.

11. Do I need professional experience to volunteer?
While professional experience is valuable, it is not always mandatory. We believe in a community-oriented approach and provide a supportive environment for passionate individuals to contribute and grow their skills.

12. How can my organization collaborate with you?
If your organization's work aligns with our values and you need language support, we would love to hear from you. Please reach out to us through our Contact Us page with details about your project and needs.

13. How can I support Awaaz Collective financially?
As a not-for-profit, we rely on donations and grants to sustain and expand our work. For information on making a financial contribution, please contact us directly.

Policies & Operations

14. Are your services free?
Our primary goal is to support under-resourced groups and social change movements. We operate on a solidarity model, often providing our services pro-bono or at highly subsidized rates for those who cannot afford them. For organizations with funding, we encourage a contributory model to help sustain our collective.

15. How do you ensure the quality and accuracy of translations?
We have a rigorous process that often involves multiple members of the collective. This can include translation, followed by proofreading and editing by another linguist, and subject-matter checks to ensure technical and contextual accuracy.

16. What is your stance on linguistic justice?
We believe that language can be a tool of both exclusion and empowerment. Our work is rooted in the principle of linguistic justice, which challenges the dominance of certain languages over others and advocates for the right of every individual to access information and participate fully in public life in their own language.

Contact

17. What is the best way to contact you?
For all enquiries—whether about volunteering, collaboration, or our services—please use the form on our Contact Us page. You can also email us directly at:  collectiveawaaz@gmail.com