The Campaigners Against Misinformation and Disinformation (CAMDL) in collaboration with the Liberia Translation and Literacy Organization (LIBTRALO), has hosted media and digital literacy training for Liberian language translators.
The training aims to combat false information that would undermine and endangers the country’s peace, rule of law, growth and the governance process.
The training was hosted in Bernard Farm over the weekend.
CAMDL Executive Director, Taweh Johnson, said the initiative was a concrete step towards promoting media and digital literacy as well as critical thinking skills in the country’s underserved linguistic communities.
“Through this training, we want to ensure that all citizens will know how to verify information regardless of the Liberian vernacular one understands, said Mr. Johnson.
He said the 20 language translators were trained to verify online information using digital tools such as, ScamDoc, Google reverse image search, which will empower them to safeguard the country’s information landscape against false and misleading content.
According to Mr. Johnson, the trained translators will share their acquired knowledge and skills with citizens who can read, write, speak and understand any of the Liberian dialects.
During the training session, the trainees also translated short public messages on how to verify information in nine Liberian Languages including Kpelle, Bassa, Gola, Dan/Gio, Gbandi, Mano, Vai. Lorma and Krahn.
Kolliyan Kolubah, President of the Language Association in Liberia, on behalf of the translators, expressed profound gratitude to CAMDI and LIBTRALO for the impactful training which, he said, will go a far way in solving some of the buttock necks facing the program.
From the training, Liberian Language Translators now know the difference between misinformation and disinformation. They have acquired adequate knowledge on the usage of digital tools and online resources to verify information.