Localisation for peace
As linguists we all know the benefits of website localisation in terms of gaining market share by diversifying into foreign markets, but recently a less often seen aim of website localisation has manifested itself…to promote the laudable aim of engendering peace and understanding between two formerly antagonistic countries.
The Jordanian Embassy in the Israeli Capital Tel Aviv has established a website in Hebrew specially to reach out directly to Israeli’s…it is the only existing official Arab website that is presented in Hebrew. The website itself is administered by staff of the Jordanian Embassy and besides containing articles and news releases intended to convey regional events from Jordan’s perspective to Israeli’s, it also contains a wealth of information for potential Israeli visitors to Jordan.
Information presented within the Jordanian website includes such items as tourist and visa information as well as economic information and translated copies of economic treaties between the two countries. There are also detailed guides for Israeli’s wishing to do business within Jordan.
We can only applaud the Jordanian efforts and hope that they successfully achieve their aims of promoting peace and understanding.