Thanks to the nature of the modern world, our lives are inundated with details about violence, humanitarian crises, and natural disasters more than ever before. Images and videos instantly make their way to social media and 24-hour news networks, often showing horrors we’ve never imagined. While instances of violence and death due to armed conflict have been decreasing steadily since 1990, a slight uptick occurred between 2014-2016 due to a bloody civil war in Syria. Now, more than ever, it’s important to place value in effective communications, organization, and responsible fundraising to help those affected by violence throughout the world.

Government organizations and NGOs alike are involved in helping to manage refugee crises and to distribute aid to those affected. Because of the myriad of countries involved in these efforts, having rapid, accurate, and trustworthy transcription services to relay information, share intelligence, and survey the situation on the ground is a critical element of keeping aid workers safe and effective.

Achieved through transcriptions of local police or military investigations, video and audio transcriptions, and transcriptions of recorded meetings, having accurate and reliable records helps those in decision-making roles stay appraised of developing situations.

Transcription services for nonprofit and government organizations may also offer multilingual transcription services, which is especially valuable to groups working across borders. When onboarding new staff, having transcriptions of audio and video interviews can be a vital aspect to effectively train and prepare workers for the emotional and material needs of refugees. Furthermore, keeping those written transcriptions can be a valuable part of communicating the gravity of the ongoing situation to wider audiences, helping to boost support and fundraising efforts.

From the standpoint of the refugees, having accurate transcriptions of non-localized video and audio material can help them learn a new language and begin to adjust a different culture. Organizations such as the European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE) help to support new arrivals to their member states, offering guidance, financial assistance, and medical care as they begin to transition to a new way of life. Unfortunately, some of the education and welcoming materials utilize automated transcription services, leaving the translations garbled, incoherent, or simply inaccurate.

Materials provided by these organizations should be accurate to help non-native speakers access services and make decisions based on the information contained within. Without accurate transcriptions, the information provided may be confusing and fail to connect with those who need help.

Moving further up the chain, conferences and meetings between government agencies and NGOs hold a great deal of responsibility in determining the direction and emphasis given to certain objectives and issues at hand. Whether it’s a matter of increasing international aid, helping to increase school attendance by children of refugees, or improving job prospects for affected families, keeping accurate records of discussions is vital to ensuring clear communications between all involved. Having secure, accurate transcriptions of any meetings, agendas, and agreements will hold these organizations accountable and ensure international commitments are kept between all stakeholders.

For more on the importance of accuracy and reliability in the transcription world and how our services could benefit your organization, contact Transcription Hub today.