Language: the power to Heal and Harm

Ellie Kemp is the strategic partnership director of the humanitarian linguistic organization, Clear Global. In this episode, Ellie talks about how language is tied up with power dynamics, and how this is amplified within the aid system. In an Anglo-centric sector, professional standards and official documentation are developed in English, reflecting a certain worldview. Ellie says this hinders communication and access to resources for affected communities. Crucially it also affects the reporting and prevention of sexual misconduct, as survivors may not be able to communicate their experiences as effectively and coherently as their abusers. Ellie talks about successful initiatives used to break down barriers, including listening stations to allow people to provide feedback in their own language, and developing glossaries in multiple languages. She also says AI language technology has the potential for improving communication, providing work is done to assist machine learning of marginalised languages.