Remote Translation Offices (RTO) of Jehovah's Witnesses

by Brokeback Watchtower 34 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  Dreamerdude

  I also think an important motivation for building RTOs is real estate proftlits. And orphancrow has a good hunch about getting Satan's governments to support their work. In addition to getting government aid, it can also help Watchtower avoid getting taxed, since they can point to these efforts to support smaller languages, some of which are dieing. Look, we really are a charity!

  Geoffrey Jackson has some direct experience with tapping this revenue stream. He was able to get the Australian government to foot the bill for publishing his Tuvalu an dictionary, when he was a missionary there. Tuvalu has the smallest population of the 196 members of the UN. And only 10,000 people speak Tuvaluan. But look at all the literature published in Tuvaluan on their website. All that for one congregation with 60 publishers.
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  darkspilver

  Hi OrphanCrow

  The translation business is a vital area of activity outside of the WTS and the WTS is an active participant in global initiatives.
  

  That's kinda similiar to the point I was making - the translation into small languages gives the WT enormous kudos in those places - and no doubt is a huge benefit to them wth regard to both the receptiveness to their preaching as well as allowing them the freedom to do so.

  Having this being done locally is both beneficial with regard to accuracy and gives even more increased kudos to them.
  

  Note the box right at the end: "Governmental authorities, academics, and ordinary people have all taken note of the efforts of Jehovah’s Witnesses to promote the education of people worldwide." and then follows with a quote for former Tuvaluan prime minister - in line with what Dreamerdude said above!
  

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  OrphanCrow

  dreamerdude: ...about getting Satan's governments to support their work. In addition to getting government aid

  The JWs are active in asking for that government aid. This is the paper, submitted by a JW, that I had mentioned in my previous post:

  https://oatd.org/oatd/record?record=oai%5C%3Adspace.unza.zm%5C%3A123456789%5C%2F3011

  Author Chisenga, Cecilia
  Title An evaluation of the Literacy Programme offered by the Church: A case of selected Jehova's Witness congregations in Chongwe District of Zambia
  URL http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/3011 
  Publication Date 2013
  University/Publisher University of Zambia
  Abstract This study was an evaluation of the literacy programme conducted by Jehovah‟s Witnesses (JWs) in the selected congregations in Chongwe district in Zambia. The aim of the study was to establish whether the literacy programme conducted by JWs was achieving its aims and objectives. It also looked at the methods and materials the facilitators used when teaching in order to meet the goals of the literacy programme. Furthermore, it has established the literacy level of the learners before they were exposed to the literacy classes.The research design used in the study was the qualitative approach. Data was collected using lesson observation, interviews, miscue test and document review techniques. The population of the study included all the graduates from the congregations visited. The purposeful and snowball sampling procedures were used to select the sites and the participants. Data was collected from four congregations and the sample of the study consisted of forty graduates of the literacy programme of JWs. The main findings of this study were that the graduates of the literacy programme conducted by JWs were able to read the bible and any other literature in Cinyanja. Lack of pens and exercise books may be a contributing factor to low writing skills among the graduates of this programme as they seemed to be doing more reading than writing. The literacy providers require training so that they are exposed to effective adult literacy teaching methods. The syllabic technique the facilitators used was found to be very effective as many learners were able to break through to literacy. Lack of furniture and designated classroom may have been a problem. However, this can be challenged as there are a lot of schools operating without furniture and some, like learners from community schools learn to read and write under a tree. (See literature review)One of the main recommendations of this study is for the Government to recognize the initiative made by church organizations like JW in the fight against illiteracy and support them even by giving them small grants or train the facilitators.

  It is interesting to note that the Kingdom Hall, in the Zambian congregation that the author studied, was financed in the usual way - with a loan from the WT. And then, the WT supplied them with basic literacy aids but it was up to the congregation to sustain those supplies and purchase anything additional that they needed. As well, the JW 'teachers' were not adequately trained.
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  Dreamerdude

  The research here is great! From Brokeback's OP to darkspilver to orphancrow.

  BTW, is there anyone in Wales who only speaks Welsh and no English? Or for that matter, is there anyone in the world whose only language is Scottish-Gaelic? It's cool, but do they really need to publish their propaganda in those languages to communicate with people to the north and west of England?
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  OrphanCrow

  Dreamerdude, no...they don't. They don't need the revitalization of the language but the WT does in order to get funding and positioning.

  Here is a 'funny' story. A few years back, I lived in a semi-remote almost Northern town in Canada. The town had a fairly large Indigenous population and the JWs actively pursued them both in town and on the surrounding reserves.

  My neighbor would get WT literature written in Cree. We would sit and laugh at the "white natives" in the illustrations. I asked her, "Do you know anybody that reads Cree?" She laughed, snorted, and said "No". The language is not read in the communities and the dialects are so varied that the WT literature is, well...useless. Cree is not the only indigenous language spoken in their communities.

  I wish I had kept the Cree Bible Teach book (I think that was the publication...) and had taken it to the university to get analyzed for appropriateness and accuracy of translation. It gets me a bit riled to think of the indigenous population being targeted by yet another pedophile loving cult. They are a people who have deep wounds from the residential school abuse and here we have another religion with pretty pictures and promises, another religion that protects child abusers, inserting themselves into a vulnerable population.
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  Dreamerdude

  Orphan crow, it's sad to think of this as a tool to exploit native Americans further. At the same time they abuse taxpayers in general.
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  Chook

  I reckon the computer geeks running the money machine for mothership would be the most damming leak if there was a Edward Snowden in bethel. I bet these translations houses are for the boys running the money .
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  TheWonderofYou

  2011 an RTO was established in Cheenley? Arizona for the Navajo native speaking American.

  On Oct. 25th, 2014 the 1st JWs assembly took place full in the Navajo language, while 26 other tribes were present at that special occasion.

  See video below

  Hearing the bible in Navajo language for the first time on a navajo congregatio was very emotional experience for many.

  "But you are loosing your culture, you learning a white man's religion!"
  Child: "How, we are learning to write, read and speak Navajo! in the meetings". (Video)

  What an important support to culturale life! Is there any public funding for this literisation work?

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DS6N4FspTBw
  
  ____

  By the way, some years ago as ex-jw I met an presiding overseer and said to him," I'v seen in internet reports about many child abuse cases. He said, dont go so often to the internet! because that was official teaching.
  But how could I have found these nice videos below if I had followed his words?

  _____________

  Below some uncommented impressions found in internet.

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  private video

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ccv6ReiIStI

  

  

  
  
  
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  sir82

  If they're so god-amighty short of money, seems like leasing a few hundred square feet of office space in an out of the way office park would be a far better use of "dedicated funds", rather than building dozens or hundreds of these things.

  Oh...unless of course, instead of being a "religion", the org. is a "real estate development corporation with the ultimate cover which is oh-so-convenient as a dodge for paying taxes". If that were the case, it would make perfect sense.

  Go figure.
  
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  OrphanCrow

  Wonder: Is there any public funding for this literisation work?

  In some places, yes.

  Not to mention that literacy programming is worth its weight in gold in political influence and image making. Awards and recognition from governments like Mexico and Zimbabwe. Alliances with UN organizations to make ease of passage in areas of 'need'. And so on...

  And, as Sir says...a good "charitable" activity to fly under the tax radar