Together We Can

During the past few weeks, there have been times when it has felt like we’ve all decided to just take a vacation from talking and worrying about Covid-19 as we’ve focused, instead, on the #BlackLivesMatter protests and the history of systemic racism in America.

But as necessary and important as all this soul-searching and activism are, the fact of Covid-19 remains. By the end of May, the virus had been the world’s leading cause of death for almost exactly one month—having caused around a hundred thousand more deaths in 2020 than its closest lethal competitor, malaria.

The tragedy of this novel disease is still very real, and it is still wreaking havoc around the globe, devastating first populations and then economies—which will in turn cause more deaths among many of the world’s most vulnerable populations.

What can we do?

Here on our website, we’ve told stories of an indigenous community in Peru coming together and using what little resources they have to support each other through their challenges; and we’ve challenged you to consider coming alongside them. When libraries closed down all over the globe, we were reminded of the importance of access to reading materials, and of the challenges many minority language communities face in accessing books in their own languages. And on a personal level, we of course continue to advocate for following the guidance of health authorities. We encourage you to seek out good information for yourself, and to practice community-care by taking steps to prevent the spread of the disease.

We are also proud to be a part of ongoing efforts among our many partners to improve medical messaging around the world—helping medical professionals as they ensure that minority language groups will receive good, timely information that will help them as they join the global fight against this virus. For example, SIL International has continued to develop Tips for Translators, a resource specially designed for those tasked with producing informational materials on COVID-19 in local languages. Suggested phrases in basic vocabulary make complex terminology easier to understand and to translate. These Tips for Translators are now available in English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese.

We’re actually actively compiling a list of existing COVID-19 resources available in other languages. Resources can be browsed by the primary country where the language is spoken, or by the organization responsible for the resource. It’s an ongoing process, so please feel free to contact us with any corrections, additions, or questions.

At times, life can feel like one enormous battle after another—often against seemingly insurmountable foes like racism and this global pandemic.

But in countless small ways, we have seen the efforts of individuals like you bear real fruit. These challenges may always be with us, but together we can and will make a difference.