AATIA 25th Anniversary Party: Preliminary planning has begun to commemorate the association’s 25th anniversary later this year. Details are still being discussed to celebrate this significant milestone.

Professional development: Initial communication has been made with Xosé Castro to bring him to Austin this year. The board is currently working out the logistics for this special guest. Stay tuned for more details.

The Pro-bono project was established as a way to utilize AATIA’s members’ translation skills for the community. AATIA members will donate 100 pages of Spanish translation. Only nonprofit organizations that employ less than 50 employees and provide health, education, social services, or legal services to the Spanish speaking community are eligible. The Board will determine the winning nonprofit. Volunteers are needed to assist with translation for this project, a project coordinator to lead these efforts and editors. If interested, contact any board member.

Office status: Esther Diaz met with City of Austin representatives to discuss the status of our office space. We have been offered a lease for another year at the same rate; however, the association needs to report and show how we are helping the community, show that the space is being utilized by meetings and share our wireless account with other tenants. Our office space might be moved to another spot within the building.
  

Membership: Our overall membership numbers as of April are 230. We had 23 new members as of January 1st.

If you would like to view a complete record of this board meeting, contact Marcela Ramos, Secretary, at secretary@aatia.org.

Leonard Sepeda interprets for nurse Becca Mielke at Dell Children's Medical Center, photo by Walter Brewer, Austin American-Statesman

Jerome’s decades-long work based on the original Hebrew texts, along with later revisions of the New Testament translations from the Greek, became the basis for the Vulgate Bible.

In 1991, The Public Relations Committee of the International Federation of Translators declared September 30th, the date of St. Jerome’s death in 420 A.D., as International Translation Day.

The AATIA salutes linguists everywhere, and is proud to be among those who help people understand each other.

Michael Blumenthal 
 

Russian Life,

“This is a truly non-profit collaboration between cultures,” said Publisher Paul E. Richardson. “Russian authors have donated their works, American translators, designers and editors all worked pro bono, and books will be sold worldwide directly to consumers, using the power of the internet and digital publishing to ensure that the maximum return gets back to Vera Hospice Fund. Readers will receive some truly great works of modern Russian literature and at the same time help provide end-of-life care for countless fellow human beings.”

100 percent of the profits from book sales will be donated to the Vera Hospice Fund, a Russian not-for-profit enterprise dedicated to supporting hospice care. Click here to purchase Life Stories.

The wiki is now up that we will use to translate the communications coming out of Iran. For the present time, the only text on the wiki is a page from a samizdat newsletter being distributed among the Iranian protesters called Khyiban (Street). If you would like to help to translate immediately, please go to http://translate4iran.wikispaces.com/Khyaban+4.2 Please recall that you don’t have to be a Farsi translator or even a Farsi bilingual to help!  We desperately need help from English writers, editors, proofreaders, publication relations professionals, techies, geeks, and administrative personnel.

To learn more, click here.

Approximately 50 members and guests attended the meeting, which featured Marianne Martinez, International Program Coordinator for the City of Austin, who gave a fascinating presentation on the Sister Cities program housed at the International Center of Austin.  The concept of International Sister Cities, the umbrella program, was first introduced by President Eisenhower to build international relationships and promote global exchange. 

Austin has ten Sister Cities: Adelaide, Australia; Koblenz, Germany; Lima, Peru; Maseru, Lesotho; Oita, Japan; Saltillo, Mexico; Taichung, Taiwan; Xishuangbann, China; Old Orlu, Nigeria; and Gwangmyeong, Korea.

Secretary Julie Nordskog introduced Nominating Committee members Carlota Grimes (Chair), Marco Hansen, and Carolina Modesto. She also encouraged members to contact a committee member or herself in order to run and/or suggest candidates for the 2009 Board of Directors.  The deadline for nominations is August 15.

It also contains farewells from regular columnist and cartoonist Tony Beckwith and editor Michael Conner, plus a recap of entries posted on the blog in the period since the previous issue of the newsletter.

• Find out more about the requirements and benefits of obtaining your Minority-Owned Business Enterprise and/or Women-Owned Business Enterprise Certification (MBE/WBE) through the City of Austin Procurement Program.
• Learn about Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Certification
• Work with the City’s Vendor Registration Department to add or update your information on the Vendor Registration System.

“In addition to becoming certified for City minority and women-owned business procurement opportunities, Small & Minority Business Resources can help businesses with certification as a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise, used in federal transportation and aviation projects, as well as the Historically Underutilized Business Program, which encompasses the state of Texas procurement opportunities,” said SMBR Director Stephen Elkins.

RSVP to Blender Hill at 512.974.7677.

This program is designed to contribute to the educational, cultural, social, and economic presence of the City of Austin in the international community of nations. You may have noticed the related displays at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.

The meeting, to be held at the Austin History Center (9th & Guadalupe), will have the usual high-quality networking, top-notch refreshments, and other meeting segments, which will be announced here as the details surface.