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English translation: informal groups (self-supported)

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
French term or phrase:regroupements solidaires
English translation:informal groups (self-supported)
Entered by: Jocelyne S

16:45 Feb 8, 2010
French to English translations [PRO]
Social Sciences - Social Science, Sociology, Ethics, etc. / Disaster relief
French term or phrase: regroupements solidaires
The context is the January 12 earthquake in Haiti. The term is taken from the bulletin of a local (Haitian) NGO that is distributing aid to victims of the earthquake.

Here's the complete sentence: "De plus [la Commission] repère et travaille avec les regroupements solidaires (organisations spontanées de familles sinistrées qui dorment et vivent dans la rue)."

So far, I've come up with "cohesive groups"; "the Commission locates and works with cohesive groups (ad hoc groupings of families of victims living and sleeping in the street)."

Do you see a better way of expressing this?

Thank you in advance.
cc in nyc
Local time: 01:32
informal groups
Explanation:
Solidaires is often problematic in EN. I think the main idea here is that they are *informal* groups.

You might even get away with dropping the parentheses altogether.

Best,
Jocelyne

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Note added at 1 day22 hrs (2010-02-10 15:35:37 GMT)
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To me, they can't really be that established given the "organisations spontanées" in the explanatory parentheses.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 days14 hrs (2010-02-11 07:45:02 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I really think that you could avoid the problem altogether by dropping the parentheses.

You could use something like:
The Commission identifies and works with informal groups of victims/survivors and families who live and sleep together in the street.
Selected response from:

Jocelyne S
France
Local time: 07:32
Grading comment
Unfortunately "informal groups" does not reflect the "solidaire" aspect, but I think this is the best answer submitted. Thank you very much.
3 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +5support groups (or networks)
Marco Solinas
4 +2self-help groups
Evans (X)
3humanitarian groups
Chris Hall
3solidarity groups
Verginia Ophof
3informal groups
Jocelyne S
2(ad-hoc) mutual-support groups
Sandra & Kenneth Grossman


Discussion entries: 7





  

Answers


3 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +5
support groups (or networks)


Explanation:
One option

Marco Solinas
Local time: 22:32
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in ItalianItalian
Notes to answerer
Asker: Just to clarify: are suggesting "support groups (or networks)" to describe groups of earthquake victims who have lost everything and depend on aid agencies for food and shelter? A note to Chris: the end of my Note to you should have read: "...have regrouped into or formed "regroupements solidaires." Sorry about that.


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Julie Barber: @ fourth - please read the full context, as that is the point - people are supporting each other
30 mins
agree  Evans (X): yes, it can have the sense of being an ad hoc group rather than something formalised.
31 mins
agree  Travelin Ann
56 mins
agree  Julie N L England (X)
2 hrs
neutral  Jack Dunwell: I don't think there is much in the way of support groups in Haïti. They have mostly been left to their own devices. They have to look after themselves.
4 hrs
agree  mimi 254
15 hrs
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37 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
humanitarian groups


Explanation:
Source: http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&safe=off&ie=ISO-8859-1&...

"De plus [la Commission] repère et travaille avec les regroupements solidaires"
=
"In addition [the Commission] locates and works with humanitarian groups"

Chris Hall
Local time: 06:32
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 4
Notes to answerer
Asker: Not humanitarian groups, but earthquake victims who, after losing family members in the disaster, have regrouped into <cohesive units?> .

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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
self-help groups


Explanation:
another option!

Evans (X)
Local time: 06:32
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 12
Notes to answerer
Asker: Maybe too optimistic: "Selon un bilan provisoire[, à Jacmel] on a repéré 162 groupements solidaires pour un total de 10 907 personnes qui vivent dans la rue." But thank you all the same.


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Jack Dunwell: Yes, I've just been working in this area and this sets them apart from official, organised, funded NGO's.
2 hrs
  -> thank you fourth, I do think this could work in the context, as it could describe any informal group, small or large, who are helping each other out in difficult circumstances.
agree  Karen Stokes: Yes, that makes sense in the context
1 day 1 hr
  -> cheers, Karen!
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6 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
solidarity groups


Explanation:
..of victims

Verginia Ophof
Belize
Local time: 23:32
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 20
Notes to answerer
Asker: The problem with "solidarity groups" - which might otherwise be excellent - is that it is so often associated with *supporters* of a target group rather than the people in the target group itself, e.g. Palestine Solidarity Group (based in Chicago), South Asia Solidarity Group (based in London), East Timor Solidarity Groups (various places but not East Timor). Your thoughts?

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16 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5
(ad-hoc) mutual-support groups


Explanation:

In this specific context only. Not an exact translation.

" to identify from among the Haitian population those community organisations and ad hoc groups which may have emerged from the ruins and ..
http://tinyurl.com/ycoj4r2

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 22 hrs (2010-02-09 15:06:09 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Ad hoc means " for this purpose", so I believe it could be used alongside "spontaneously", which is slightly different.


Sandra & Kenneth Grossman
Israel
Local time: 08:32
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in RomanianRomanian
Notes to answerer
Asker: "Mutual support groups" (suggested in juliebarba's "support" in discussion entry) is very close, but I think "ad hoc" corresponds to "spontané" in the parenthetical explanation in my source text. Note: "community organisations and ad hoc groups which may have emerged from the ruins" (from the URL you posed) is very close to the parenthetical explanation in my text ("organisations spontanées de familles sinistrées qui dorment et vivent dans la rue"). Thank you for your post.

Asker: Regarding Note re: "ad hoc" as "for this purpose" -- Yes, but "ad hoc" also means "improvised," which is very close to "spontaneous." Also, a five-word phrase seems a bit wordy. But it might work.

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1 day 22 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
informal groups


Explanation:
Solidaires is often problematic in EN. I think the main idea here is that they are *informal* groups.

You might even get away with dropping the parentheses altogether.

Best,
Jocelyne

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day22 hrs (2010-02-10 15:35:37 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

To me, they can't really be that established given the "organisations spontanées" in the explanatory parentheses.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 days14 hrs (2010-02-11 07:45:02 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I really think that you could avoid the problem altogether by dropping the parentheses.

You could use something like:
The Commission identifies and works with informal groups of victims/survivors and families who live and sleep together in the street.

Jocelyne S
France
Local time: 07:32
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 47
Grading comment
Unfortunately "informal groups" does not reflect the "solidaire" aspect, but I think this is the best answer submitted. Thank you very much.
Notes to answerer
Asker: "Informal" is interesting, although I believe that some are established groups. Thank you very much for your suggestion.

Asker: Re: note just added - Good point; the text in parentheses does specify "spontané." Thank you again.

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