[for Amara.org]
[and for EurOpinion.is]

Helloo...
my name is Riccardo.

And I just received an email
about the "International Translation Day"...

and I do want to support it,
as kindly requested:

"raise awareness about their importance"
(subtitles)

The importance of subtitles,
and with it...

for a wider global public...

well, important documentaries
or messages (knowledge, wisdom...)

to make that available.

I do think that is very important.

And when I saw that videos were suggested
as an option, I thought:

"What better than a video in Dutch
and then subtitled in English..."

[instead of always the other way around ;)]

because I think that, amongst other,

the distribution of languages 
should be supported as much as possible!

And that everybody should, actually,
always start in their original language....

and then, if necessary, subtitle it.

My personal story...

I was born in Italy, in Milan.
My father is Italian.

But I grew up in Holland,
from my fourth year on.

My mother is Dutch,
although she was born in Indonesia.

And so, from my youngest years,

I have had the privilege,
to manage more than one langauge.

It is enriching! You grow from it.
Other languages... Other cultures...

With, additionally, what we have here in Holland,
the fact that at school...

you also learn the other 'great' languages
that surround us: German, French and English...

with another advantage on top of that,
-yet another privilege-

that here in Holland, just like in 
Scandinavia or Portugal,

everything on tv or movie...

is SUB-TI-TLED

so you can HEAR the other language!

Not like other countries 
where they are being <i>dubbed</i>

which makes you loose 
the richness of the original language.

Just by hearing the other language
you get to know the other culture...

at least in a certain way.
[and thus, understand it better]

And you loose that by dubbing.

HERE is where I see
an important role of subtitling.

...not dubbing 
as do most 'great' nations,

the great powers of Europa, you know
France, Germany, Italy, Spain...

There, on your TV, you hardly hear...

you don't hear anything else 
but your own language...

that is a limitation.

I think it is a HUGE loss
for the distribution and richness...

of languages and thus culture as well,
because they are closely linked.

So that's why "subtitling"...

I feel a great appreciation for it!

And I was very happy...

when I happened to bump into Amara.
(subtitling service - NON-profit!)

I learned a lot through
the work I have done for Amara...

and now I am continuing it
for my own project.

well... let's say,
in the interest of Europa :)

I think Europa is THE continent where...

subtitling still has to 
play an important role.

Well... Humanity...
In the end, what it's all about...

is SHARING!
and understand each other.

And to understand each other
communication is used...

and that communication...
when it is in different langauges...

you need translations!

Subtitling...

Ik think that...

yeah, the exchange of languages
is also an exchange of culture.

It is my conviction,
that simply everything that exists on film...

should be subtitled,
to all (other) languages that exist.

Considering that the priority
and the importance actually lies with...

those languages
of which there is little 'left'...

due to the 'internationalization'
and well...

let's say after...
the 'globalization' after colonialism.

I think that precisely the languages

that are least spoken
and least known...

most should be 
translated TO and FROM,

to safe guard that language
and the corresponding culture...

and with it also the
"Culturo-Diversity" in the world.

Culturo-Diversity
for global human society...

is just as important as
Bio-Diversity for nature and our planet.

I think that the exchange 
of languages and culture is essential.

I try to work on that myself
for Europa,

where, of course, you have a high concentration
of a variety of languages and cultures.

which I think SHOULD be 
the strenght of Europa...

while all great forces 
seem to make efforts...

to turn Europa into some kind of 
(industrial and homogeneous) amorphous CHEESE.

This would be a deterioration of Europa,
so it must be fought against! :p

To be able to exchange between
the different cultures and languages...

requires translators and subtitlers
as fundamental elements.

I think that MORE, 
much more should be done...

than what is being done now.

I think this adds...

be it to a better Europa ♥
be it to a better World!

And as I said, I am still thankful...

to have been able to learn this 
through Amara...

as well as the use of the infrastructure.

I think this is long enough now,
so: hasta la vista! ;)

(subs other languages, welcome! :)