Trevor Deck is part of SIL’s new Global Diaspora Team, with ILS Strategic Initiatives. Recently he’s been identifying displaced language communities in San Diego, engaging them to work in Bible translation projects. As a Global Diaspora Specialist, he is excited to research and develop diaspora approaches and methodologies for the global context. Trevor has previously served with SIL in Bulgaria and Bangladesh.
Where Are All the Communities that Use This Language? - Implications for Bible Translation with Displaced People
Abstract
SIL’s Multilingualism, Urbanization and Scripture Engagement (MUSE) task force has offered two guiding questions to be asked for all Bible translation programs. The first is “What are all the languages this community uses?” The second, “Where are all the communities that use this language?” is the topic for this paper. This second question becomes increasingly important as more and more language communities become dispersed and displaced.
Whenever there are people who identify as part of the language community who are living apart from the homeland, these segments of the language community need to be considered, as well. The different contexts and dynamics of diaspora communities make it important to reevaluate our perspective on various aspects of Bible translation programs and the communities they serve. These aspects include: social networks, potential contributors to Bible translation teams, organizational structures, partnership between organizations, security and safety of those involved, language vitality and language variation in different locations and generations, and the role of technology.
This paper addresses some of the challenges associated with “remote projects” by showcasing some of the methods and approaches already happening in Bible translation work with diaspora. Learning from past and current projects is vital for knowing how to move forward.