ISI's Website Translation Gives Voice to Otherwise Isolated Mayan Women, Helps Non-Profit 'Chiapas Project' Generate Income for Indigenous Artisans.

LOS ANGELES -- A good translation transcends words.

Mayan women from jungle villages in Chiapas visit an Internet cafe in the nearest town. They log onto the Chiapas Project website (www.ChiapasProject.com) and see their own isolated lives represented for the world to see. And they get a thrill.

Not just from the fact that the non-profit Chiapas Project is helping them earn an income by selling their artesanias in the United States - though that certainly gives them a much-needed economic boost.

No, the main thrill comes from the fact that they are seen. Their sense of isolation is eased, because the Chiapas Project website tells their story to anyone who visits the site - in both English and Spanish. ISI Translation Services (www.ISItrans.com) translated the website for The Chiapas Project, but both organizations acknowledge that it's about more than just making the words understandable.

"This is a great example of how language is completely integrated into an outreach effort," said George Rimalower, ISI president. "This translation project is more than just translating word-for-word. It's about helping people understand the lives of these remarkable women. Translation and language can bring people together - no matter how geographically removed they might be from each other."

The Chiapas Project works with women's artisan cooperatives in Chiapas, Mexico's southern-most state, to help them find a fair market for their products in the United States. The Chiapas women also receive training in stitching, dyeing, design, computers and Spanish. Students and faculty from Oakwood School in Los Angeles sell the goods, initially in the Mercado La Paloma in Los Angeles and at increasingly varied events and locations throughout Southern California. They've raised $550,000 since 2000 - all of which has gone directly to the women. An Oakwood delegation visits Chiapas every June; roughly 200 students and faculty have participated.

"There are practical reasons for offering our website in both English and Spanish - many of the people who buy the products here in LA would actually prefer to read about the project in Spanish," said Mickey Morgan, Oakwood faculty advisor for the Chiapas Project. "But for the Chiapas women it's about being seen. They take it very seriously that there are people around the world who can now see their lives." Morgan just returned from taking another group of Oakwood students down to Chiapas last month.

For the women, Spanish is not their primary language. In fact, until recently, Mayan village women weren't taught Spanish as a way of keeping them in the village. But now that they're gaining an economic standing on their own, they are interested in being able to deal with the world beyond their own borders.

"They are learning Spanish, and the website is a big part of that," said Morgan. "ISI has been a pleasure to work with, and their translations are fantastic."

About ISI

ISI (www.ISItrans.com) enables successful communication through full-service language and localization solutions, from a global team of linguists deeply rooted in the cultural and technical nuances of virtually every language used in business.

With $18, a blue blazer and a yellow VW, George Rimalower started translating in the '70s back when the typewriter was high-tech. He founded ISI Translation Services, Inc., in 1982 and was joined by his wife Cathi in 1986. Today, ISI is known worldwide for combining the latest technology with expert human touch at every stage - from project management to translating, editing, desktop publishing, proofreading and review - to enable successful communication in 100 languages and dialects. ISI serves a wide range of industries and organizations, specializing in healthcare, life sciences, pharmaceutical and financial services. ISI was one of the first to address the special linguistic and cultural needs of both non- and limited-English-proficient communities of the United States. ISI is based in Los Angeles, with hundreds of translators in the United States and worldwide.