Oxford Handbook of Translation and Social Practices

I recently received my author copy of this beautiful and useful book. The Oxford Handbook of Translation and Social Practices edited by Meng Ji and Sara Laviosa is a great resource for everyone interested in the social aspects of translation. In about 30 chapters it covers topics such asTranslation and Society, Translation and Conflict Mediation, Translation and Inclusive Society, and so much more. My chapter is part of the Translation and Sustainable Development section that also takes about sustainable development goals and energy translation. In the chapter Development Aid in Translation (co-authored with Kathleen Ahrens) I examine the introduction of the civil society concepts in post-socialist Macedonian through the English language. The article is based on my personal experience as a development worker in Macedonia, as well as interviews with six other employees of development organisations both international and national. By looking at translation practices in this sector show the "dominance of the anglophone models, concepts, and terminology [...] that has resulted in the export of jargon specific language related to development" (pg. 256). This language is often unintelligible for the general population and thus contributes to the lack of trust in international and national NGOs. Additionally, grassroots actors feel left out of the process of localisation of development concepts.