Report on the Kickoff Meeting for the Revision of the Spanish Translation

By Georges Michelson-Dupont, Vice President, Urantian Foundation, Recloses, France

Members of the revision team for the Spanish translation gathered at 533 W Diversey Parkway this past August for their first meeting. Present were Associate Trustee Olga López and Carmelo Martínez from Spain, Anibal Pacheco from Chile, and Raul Pujol from Puerto Rico. Also in attendance was Associate Trustee Víctor García Bory from New York, who is serving as liaison between the Translation Committee and the revision team. His work includes overseeing the project and coordinating the needs of the team members. Gard Jameson attended as a resource as did I, the Manager of Translations and the chair of the Translation Committee. Peter Russell was invited to serve as the meeting’s facilitator.

The Meeting’s Purpose

1. Facilitate, coordinate, and organize the team of four individuals who will be working together for at least five years on a profound revision of the two current Spanish translations.
2. Create conditions for a dynamic, loving, and working relationship in a spirit of cooperation based on the
   teachings of The Urantia Book.
3. Learn about each other in order to create a high performing team that is engaged in a project to create an in-depth revision and synthesis of Urantia Foundation’s two current Spanish translations of The Urantia Book. It is our hope that it will be a beautiful translation that will appeal to the majority of the Spanish-speaking readers worldwide.

Unfolding of the Meeting

The meeting was conducted by Víctor García Bory and Peter Russell with the following agenda:

Friday: The Human Aspect

1. All persons introduced themselves and expressed their expectations.
2. Each member’s role on the team was analyzed. Their talents, strengths and weaknesses were discovered. Problem solving techniques were discussed.
3. This sharing time together allowed for relationships to be established which was the main objective of this session.

Saturday: The Organization of the Team.

1. All member’s roles were clearly defined as were details for their work flow.
2. An analysis and in-depth study was done regarding the guidelines and methodology to be used in this revision.
3. A demonstration was given on how the new translation website functions which was followed by practice exercises.

In Conclusion

Victor did an excellent job selecting the individuals of this team. He will report on the progress of the revision at our next board meeting. He is dedicated to the success of this project and has been responsive, constructive, and reliable.

The Foundation’s Spanish Revision Team is comprised of dedicated individuals willing to work together in the spirit of brotherhood and cooperation. It is clear to me that the human and technical qualities that each member brings will result in the accomplishment of this work. Their dedication, commitment, and desire to serve the Spanish communities on both sides of the Atlantic has started off the revision project well indeed!