We strongly encourage cooperation among all sectors to reduce the inequalities of knowledge and the Digital Divide in society in order to improve the quality of life and promote the equality of all people, especially for those with disabilities, the elderly, and the disadvantaged.

Thossaphol NORATUS

President of the International Conference on “Translation, Localization, Interpretation and Sign Language Strategies in ASEAN Community”, World Translators Day 2012,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

On behalf of the Information and Communication Technology for All Club (ICT for All Club), we would like to congratulate all participants and express our deep-felt appreciation for the success of the International Conference on “Translation, Localization, Interpretation and Sign Language Strategies in the ASEAN Community”, held in celebration of His Majesty the King’s 84th  Birthday Anniversary, Her Majesty the Queen’s 80th Birthday Anniversary and His Royal Highness The Crown Prince’s 60th Birthday Anniversary, on September 28, 2012, World Translators Day in Thailand.

We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the Conference Committee for World Translators Day 2012, especially Associate Professor Dr. Maneerat Sawasdiwat Na Ayutthaya, who honored our club by joining the Conference as co-organizer. As our organization's role is  to reduce the inequalities in knowledge and the Digital Divide in society,  we have realized that translation is an important first step to reduce the disparity of knowledge between the people of the ASEAN States and the rest of the world. People in our country would not be able to understand the language, literature, society, and culture of other countries were it not for the translation from the source language. In fact, we would like to issue an open call for more translation of literature and other knowledge in order to build relationships and understanding between the peoples of the ASEAN States and the global community. The benefits are  not only for the able members of society, but also for the blind and deaf, promoting broader understanding and equality.

Today, translation technologies are very advanced. They can partially eliminate the barriers between languages. Many of the participants, who have attended the conference in person, via the Internet, or followed it on Radio or TV, may have used translation services such as Google Translate. It seems that the quality of these services continues to steadily increase.

We strongly encourage cooperation among all sectors to reduce the inequalities of knowledge and the Digital Divide in society in order to improve the quality of life and promote the equality of all people, especially for those with disabilities, the elderly, and the disadvantaged.

Thank you very much.

Thossaphol  NORATUS

President of the ICT for All Club