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AI Needs Arabic: The Truth About Language Justice

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Arabic has shaped the world in ways we rarely acknowledge today. Centuries before the digital age, Arabic was a global language of science, philosophy, and innovation. It carries knowledge across continents and cultures. From algebra to astronomy, much of modern thought was preserved and propelled forward thanks to Arabic-speaking scholars.

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A Global Language Left Behind by AI

Today, Arabic is still one of the most widely spoken languages in the world. Over 400 million speakers span across more than 25 countries. It’s one of the six official languages of the United Nations. Yet, an increasingly AI-first world continues to digitally sideline and undermine it; it is glaringly underrepresented in the datasets that train most modern AI systems. 

At NaTakallam, we believe that Arabic is not only a heritage language — it’s a living, evolving system, spoken and shaped every day by millions. Its contributions to our daily lives surpass what most imagine, and its legacy and influence must be protected not just by preservation efforts, but through a firm commitment to language justice — the right of all people to communicate, access services, and participate in public life in their preferred language.

What is Language Justice?

Language justice is about power: who is heard, who is understood, and who gets to shape the narrative. In a world increasingly mediated by technology, the absence of linguistic representation becomes another form of exclusion.  Especially for communities already pushed to the margins.

For displaced people, power imbalances exacerbated by language barriers are even more critical to address. From healthcare to education to legal systems, these barriers can mean misinformation, disempowerment, and invisibility. That’s why language justice is foundational to human rights — and to building inclusive technologies.

NaTakallam puts this into practice by offering interpretation and translation services that are trauma-informed, culturally fluent, and community-powered. Whether through dialect-specific support or mental health-sensitive interpretation, our Language Partners do what machines can’t. They listen, they contextualize, and they connect.

Explore our interpretation and translation services here.

Where AI Falls Short

Modern AI systems like Common Crawl or GPT’s corpora are heavily skewed toward English and other dominant languages. Despite the global reach of Arabic. As a result, AI struggles with Arabic — especially when it comes to dialects, context, and nuance. 

According to NaTakallam translators, literal meaning translations often lose the real meaning of sentences :

" One example I've encountered, where AI fell short, was the translation of the verb to navigate in the context of "navigating an issue". In this case, the machine translation suggested was الإبحار في المسألة (literally to sail in this issue), while the accurate translation in Arabic would be التعامل مع هذه المسألة. This is one of many examples that prove that machine translation is rarely a reliable tool in Arabic translation when it is not reviewed by a professional human translator."

The consequences aren't just technical. They're deeply human.

Why AI Misunderstanding Arabic Matters

Poor machine translation. Misinterpreted sentiment. Exclusion from digital platforms and services. For displaced people and marginalized communities, this kind of digital invisibility mirrors and magnifies real-world inequities.
 

Consider another real-world example: a restaurant attempted to transliterate “milkshake” into Arabic as “مِلك شَك”. However, machine translation misread it as “مَلِك شَك” (malik shek), translating back to English as “King Doubt”—a humorous yet telling illustration of AI’s challenges with Arabic transliteration and context .

Further weight is added to this problem due to the complexity of Arab dialects. When we talk about Arabic, we’re talking about a vibrant spectrum of dialects and expressions—Syrian, Iraqi, Egyptian, Palestinian, Lebanese, Sudanese, and many more. Each deeply rooted in specific histories and geographies. Developers rarely train AI on these dialects.

A study evaluating ChatGPT’s performance in Tunisian and Jordanian dialects showed major gaps in understanding, especially on health-related prompts. That kind of inaccuracy isn’t just inconvenient — it’s dangerous.

Last month, one of our Language Partners, Yara Hasan, took to the stage at the Dubai Future Forum to discuss exactly that:

"When using AI to translate, often memories, identity, and history are erased, especially when using Arabic idioms which can be lost. AI should be learning from Arabic, not the other way around. We have to make the system representative of this culture."

NaTakallam’s Model: Language Justice in Action

At NaTakallam, we see every day how systems that fail to reflect lived experience fail to serve real people. Refugees who have already endured loss and trauma often encounter platforms that don’t understand their words — literally.

That’s why we root our work in human-led, refugee-powered solutions. We don’t just offer services — we offer linguistic equity. From Palestinian proverbs to Iraqi idioms, our Language Partners preserve culture while helping people communicate across borders, systems, and trauma.

In this way, language becomes both a livelihood and a lifeline.

Arabic and the AI We Need

There are reasons to be hopeful.

Initiatives like the Abu Dhabi-based CAMeL Lab for Arabic NLP are proving that community-based, linguistically diverse AI can work — and achieve powerful results.

A recent development worth watching is Yalla AI, which Saudi tech company Yalla Plus launched as an Arabic-first platform. Developers in Saudi Arabia fully built, developed and trained it to reflect the linguistic and cultural realities of Arabic-speaking markets. Most global models flatten Arabic into a single formal register. Contrastingly, Yalla AI aims to support both Modern Standard Arabic and regional dialects.

What’s especially notable is its integration into real-world business tools — like point-of-sale systems in retail and F&B — this makes AI accessible even for non-technical users. Early days, yes, but it signals a growing push from the region to define its own digital future, rather than just adapting to someone else’s.

So What’s Next?

If we want AI — and our digital ecosystems — to serve the world equitably, we must:

  • Invest in multilingual corpora
  • Fund refugee- and community-led tech
  • Treat language preservation as innovation, not nostalgia
  • Center language justice in design and policy

At NaTakallam, we’re proud to be part of this broader shift. Our work sits at the intersection of technology, language, and lived experience. We offer not just services, but insight — real-world data, dialect-specific use cases, and ethical frameworks centered on dignity and inclusion.

This is what Thaura AI is already trying to achieve. This ethical alternative to ChatGPT was built by two Syrian engineers who experienced displacement and witnessed first hand how big techs profit from these models. Thaura AI’s ethical approach relies on data privacy, environmental sustainability – by using 94% less energy than ChatGPT – and amplifying marginalized communities.

At NaTakallam, we’re proud to be part of this broader shift. Our work sits at the intersection of technology, language, and lived experience. We offer not just services, but insight — real-world data, dialect-specific use cases, and ethical frameworks centered on dignity and inclusion.

Want to Support Language Justice in Action?

Language justice doesn’t happen by accident — it’s built through deliberate choices. Whether you’re designing technology, shaping policy, teaching, or learning, your decisions matter. Partnering with NaTakallam is one way to turn values into impact by advocating for AI systems that reflect the world’s true linguistic diversity — not just a fraction of it.

Arabic has always been a language of futures: of possibility, invention, and exchange. In an AI-driven world, ensuring it thrives isn’t optional. It’s a responsibility that will define whose voices shape the future.

Partner with NaTakallam to advance language justice across 100+ languages

Make an impact as an organization or individual:

Support linguistic diversity, empower communities, and help languages like Arabic thrive in an AI-driven world.

Zeina Abou Taha 

Zeina Abou Taha is an intern at NaTakallam, currently transitioning from a career in IT consulting into journalism. With an academic background in Entrepreneurship & Innovation and a passion about exploring the world, Zeina spends her free time traveling, connecting with people from diverse cultures, and writing for her personal blog.

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Language Justice in global conversation

How Language Justice Can Unlock Fairer Global Solutions

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Language justice goes beyond communication – it’s about dignity, access, and equitable participation. Explore the global challenges surrounding linguistic exclusion and discover community-centered approaches that prioritize multilingual access and empower displaced individuals.

If today’s global challenges affect us all, why are so many voices still absent from the very conversations meant to solve them?

The UN documented more than 304 million international migrants in 2024, with 123.2 million people forcibly displaced worldwide in the same year. Everyone who takes part in international dialogue arrives with their own story, worldview and cultural background, often shaped by the language they speak. These perspectives, with all the nuances, are what enrich global conversations.

Language Barriers Block Solutions

But can we really claim to tackle the root causes of global crises when entire communities are excluded from the dialogue – often because of the language they speak? International forums may celebrate diversity, yet by relying on only a handful of official languages they miss a critical opportunity to build a truly inclusive and equitable future. This practice mirrors broader patterns of exclusion in global governance: when communication is constrained to the languages of former colonial powers, countless voices are left unheard. Such reliance reflects colonial legacies, where languages of former colonial powers continue to dictate who participates and whose knowledge counts.

When entire communities are silenced, we don’t just lose fairness – we lose the possibility of more innovative, lasting solutions to today’s challenges.

Language is Power

Language is not a technical detail. It is a matter of dignity, justice and care. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) highlights that language differences prevent people from obtaining protection services and reduce their ability to make decisions. Similarly, The World Health Organization (WHO) supports multilingual communication as a vital method to distribute health information fairly while building up worldwide healthcare systems. Studies in humanitarian and medical environments demonstrate that interpreters function as essential professionals who protect fairness in both healthcare teams and humanitarian operations.

The denial of language access results in the denial of power.

Inside Organizations, the Problem Persists

Exclusion does not only occur in global forums or field operations; it also happens within organizations themselves. Bilingual staff members at international NGOs and agencies must perform interpretation duties during meetings while doing their standard work without receiving payment or acknowledgment. The practice diminishes professional value while creating workplace power imbalances, undermining the quality of communication. Organizations should support their staff dignity by using trained interpreters and  professional services to achieve both quality communication and fair labor practices.

Language Access as Core Infrastructure

Solutions exist. NaTakallam proves that language access needs to be treated as an integrated and holistic element of core infrastructure which organizations should integrate into their fundamental operations instead of treating it as an extra service. International development and policy settings frequently handle translation and interpretation as secondary considerations which results in reduced equity and effectiveness. 

By providing tailored translations and interpretation services to NGOs and institutions, NaTakallam enables organizations to communicate more effectively. Its professional experts combine the translation and interpretation services with professional experts who possess both linguistic skills and cultural understanding, rooted in the Global South and crisis-affected communities. This approach to language justice enhances development initiatives while restoring community control, recognizing local wisdom and enabling meaningful participation in decision-making, as illustrated by UNHCR’s Valencia initiatives where refugee families have been welcomed and integrated through community sponsorship. 

This principle must be applied to global convenings through their actual operational practices. The Human Rights Council at Geneva forces civil society representatives to speak in one of six official languages limiting the ability of community voices to be heard. Such practices reinforce colonial power dynamics, privileging dominant language speakers, while marginalizing local activists and displaced people.

The Power of Removing Language Barriers

The Global Refugee Forum along with other international platforms aim to create stronger partnerships between governments, NGOs, private sector entities and refugees, committing to ensure all voices are represented at decision-making tables. To fulfill that vision, they must treat language justice as fundamental to participation.

Localization as a Pathway

Localization offers a practical pathway forward. The Overseas Development Institute (ODI)’s research shows localization functions as a strategic approach for local practice leadership that operates through power relations while requiring inclusive communication channels. The New Humanitarian warns that external control will continue when international organizations fail to give actual decision-making power to local actors as true empowerment requires them to surrender control to local stakeholders. 

NaTakallam enables NGOs to transition from Anglo-centric methods while removing language obstacles which creates space for local voices to evolve from token participation into authentic partnerships.

Language Justice in Action

This is not theoretical. Multiple international organizations and academic institutions have started implementing language justice through their adoption of inclusive language practices. Columbia, Yale and Georgetown universities integrate NaTakallam to provide multilingual learning and cultural exchange programs through refugee language experts who receive proper payment for their work. 

The Women Deliver 2023 global conference in Kigali received its interpretation services through NaTakallam which provided both spoken language and International Sign Language support. Organizations such as  UNHCR, Save the Children, and OECD, along with NGOs, use NaTakallam for their translation and interpretation and cultural mediation requirements.

A Global Call to Action

Through its model, NaTakallam shows how language justice can materialize with dual impact:  by providing displaced individuals with fair compensation as tutors, translators and interpreters, and by supporting organizations in championing meaningful stakeholder participation from grassroots activism and humanitarian aid to high level stakeholder and executive convenings. NaTakallam demonstrates that language inclusion should be both policy and practice through its partnerships with more than 110 countries which serve hundreds of organizations and academic institutions. It´s proof of the transformative power of removing language access barriers to decision-making.

The ability of all voices to participate in meaningful dialogue depends on their ability to be heard. The fight for language access in international meetings serves as a critical test to determine if global governance delivers on its commitment to inclusivity and justice. 

NaTakallam partners with NGOs, international organizations and universities to turn this commitment into practice.

Learn More About NaTakallam's Interepretation Services

Are you ready to embed language justice into your convening approach? Discover how our translation, interpretation, and cultural mediation services can ensure that every voice is heard.

Cintia Franco

Cintia Franco is an intern at NaTakallam, currently completing her Bachelor’s degree in International Relations and Business Management in Geneva. She is passionate about cultural exchange.

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5 Incredible Latin American Feminists You Need To Know

Blog contributor: Maria Thomas

Women’s History Month or any day of the year, here are 5 Latin American feminists you need to know and celebrate!

1. Frida Kahlo (Mexico, 1907-1954)

Frida Kahlo was a Mexican artist known for her paintings that explored themes of female subjectivity, sexuality and marginality. Through her highly symbolic canvases, many of which were built around her own self-portraits – for example, Self-Portrait with Cropped Hair, Self-Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird – Kahlo eschewed gender stereotypes and gave voice to often taboo aspects of femininity.

2. Excilia Saldaña (Cuba, 1946-1999)

Excilia Saldaña was an award-winning Cuban essayist, poet, translator, academic and author of children’s books. Her works – including the book, La Noche (‘The Night’), poems such as My Name (A Family Anti Elegy) and short stories like Kele Kele – were very important contributions to the creation and consolidation of a tradition of Afro-Hispanic women writers and artists.

3. Cecilia Vicuña (Chile, 1948-)

Cecilia Vicuña is a Chilean poet and multidisciplinary artist. Her works, which include collections of poems such as Precario/Precarious (1973) and Unravelling Words and Weaving Water (1992), and art installations such as Could-Net and Quipu Menstrual, are grounded in her understanding that the political, environmental and indigenous are inherently connected and must be addressed as such. Also, central to Vicuña’s works are her explorations of the connections between gendered injustice and environmental despoliation.

4. Selva Almada (Argentina, 1973-)

Selva Almada is an Argentinian writer who is considered one of the most powerful voices of contemporary Argentinian and Latin American literature. She is also recognised as one of the most influential feminist intellectuals of the region. Her works, particularly her book,  Dead Girls – originally published originally in Spanish as Chicas Muertas in 2014 – highlight issues such as gendered violence, femicide and the legal inadequacies of Argentinian legal systems in addressing them.

5. Clarice Lispector (Brazil, 1920-1977)

Clarice Lispector was an Ukranian-born Brazillian novelist and short-story writer. Her family fled Western Ukraine to escape the pogroms that followed World War I and the Russian Civil War. Her works written in Portuguese include short story collections such as Laços de família (‘Family Ties’) and Para não esquecer (‘Not to Forget’), and novels such as Perto do coração selvagem (translated and published in English as Near to the Wild Heart), A Paixão segundo G.H. (translated and published in English as The Passion According to G.H.). French feminist writer Hélène Cixous credits her works with “exploring women’s identity with a depth that no one has achieved until now”.

Learn Spanish and explore the worlds of these inspirational women with NaTakallam!

We are a women-led and women-fueled community that offers language sessions in Spanish, among other languages. Our Latin American native language tutors are individuals who have been displaced from countries like Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Guatemala, and are currently resettled in neighboring countries such as Uruguay, Costa Rica, the United States, Ecuador, Trinidad and Tobago, and Argentina. 

Brush up your Spanish skills, delve into Latin American cultures and experiences, and celebrate these incredible women, today and everyday!

 

This piece was contributed by Maria Thomas, a copywriter with NaTakallam. She is currently pursuing her doctoral studies in art history. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, powerlifting and going on hikes.

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5 Incredible Arab Feminists You Need to Know

Blog contributor: Maria Thomas

NaTakallam is marking International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month by highlighting some of history’s most celebrated feminists. This week, join us as we take a look at 5 incredible Arab feminists we all need to know.

1. Nawal El Saadawi (Egypt, 1931-2021)

Nawal El Saadawi was an Egyptian feminist writer, activist and physician. Her works such as The Hidden Face of Eve (الوجه القاري للمرأة العربية, Al-Wajh al-qari lil-mar’a al-‘arabiyyah), A Daughter of Isis, and Memoirs of a Woman Doctor have over the years become a cornerstone of Arab feminism. In Saadawi’s own words, her writing was a weapon which she exercised against the autocratic power of state and that of the father or husband figure in the family.

‘‘The written word is an act of rebellion, against injustice exercised in the name of religion, or morals, or love.’’ – Nawal El Saadawi (A Daughter of Isis)

2. Fatema Mernissi (Morocco, 1940-2015)

Professor Fatema Mernissi was a Moroccan writer and sociologist. Her works include her revolutionary book Beyond the Veil (1975), a fictional memoir, Dreams of Trespass: Tales of a Harem Girlhood (1994), and The Forgotten Queens of Islam (1990). Her scholarship thwarts the popular notion that female subordination is rooted in religious texts and argues that this misunderstanding ‘‘sprang from centuries of misinterpretation by male leaders intent on maintaining the sexual status quo’’. Mernissi was a pioneer of Islamic feminism and inspired Muslim women, especially those from humble backgrounds, in their struggles for human dignity, equality and social justice.

3. Sahar Khalifeh (Palestine, 1941-)

Sahar Khalifeh is a Palestinian writer known for her gripping novels such as Wild Thorns (الصبار, Al- Sabaar), The Inheritance (الميراث, Al-Mirath), and My First and Only Love (حبي الأول, Hubbi al-Awaal). Her writings focus on female characters with strong personalities. She masterfully connects the plight of the nation with that of women, pointing out that the devaluation of women obstructs nationalist ambitions

‘‘I could see very clearly that the debacle of 1967 was the fruit of a rotten tree that needed a cure – the internally defeated do not triumph. The cure must start with our households and with those in power, with our social values and ties, with the fabric of the family, with the rules and basics of the upbringing of the individual at home, in school, and at university, and then progress to the street.’’ – Sahar Khalifeh (My Life, Myself, and the World)


4. Ghada al Samman (Syria, 1942-)

Ghada al Samman is a Syrian journalist and novelist, best known for her sublime short stories. Her writings are collected in volumes such as عيناك قدري (Aynak qadiri, ‘‘Your eyes are my destiny’’), لا بحر في بيروت (La bahar fi Beirut, ‘‘No sea in Beirut’’), and  رحيل المرافئ القديمة (Rahil al-marafi al-qadima, ‘‘The departure of the Old Ports’’). She also wrote two novels – Beirut Nightmares ( كوابيس بيروت, Kwabis Beirut) and ليلة المليار (Laylat al-milyar, ‘‘The Eve of Billion’’). Samman’s works are a bold commentary on contemporary social and political realities. She established the Ghada al Samman Publications in 1977 to publish her own writings free of editorial interference and censorship.

5. Assia Djebar (Algeria, 1936-2015)

Assia Djebar was an Algerian writer, translator and filmmaker. She is known for works such as La Soif (“The Thirst”), Les Enfants du Nouveau Monde (‘‘Children of the New World’’), and Fantasia: An Algerian Cavalcade (original title: L’Amour, la fantasia). Although her writings are not in her mother tongue – Arabic, she had a keen interest in the language and used French to ‘‘reproduce Arabic rhythms’’. Her writings explore the struggles she knew both as a feminist living under patriarchy and an intellectual living under colonialism and its aftermath.

Learn Arabic and explore the writings of these incredible women with NaTakallam! We are a women-led and women-fueled community that offers language sessions in Modern Standard Arabic and 7+ dialects.

This March, purchase 5+ hours of language sessions and get 1 hour FREE – as a gift to you or perhaps – to mark the occasion – an amazing woman in your life.

This piece was contributed by Maria Thomas, a copywriter with NaTakallam. She is currently pursuing her doctoral studies in art history. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, powerlifting and going on hikes.

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The Human Rights Advocates Teaching You Languages

Today, December 10th, marks Human Rights Day – the day the UN General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948… and a day to commemorate in all languages.

Did you know, many of our Language Partners are human rights advocates themselves!

Mahmoud: Women’s Rights in the Middle East

“This year during COVID times, I started an Instagram account supporting women rights and speaking on human rights topics in the Middle East. My goal is to shed light on the growing gender equality movement in the Middle East covering topics such as toxic masculinity, relationships, the upbringing of children and mental health. Moreover, I started working as a cultural mediator for the European network for the work against perpetrators of gender-based violence, a project by the European Commission, and I will have my first webinar about this topic very soon.”

– Mahmoud, Syrian Language Partner based in Germany

Leila: Giving a voice to the voiceless

“Most of my studies are about voiceless people from the Middle East. This year during the very hard times of the pandemic, I started to focus on presenting my ideas and interpretations via zoom workshops and talks, as well as building a series of podcasts. In these podcasts, we try to educate the people about their past. Our goal is to show that there are always traces of subordinated voiceless people neglected by governments and some historians. The history is not only of well-off people, but all the human beings, despite their ethnicity, sex, and social class, should have their space in history. The history of the Middle East, in most cases, is comprised of the stories of victorious kings, armies, and masculinity-we are trying to transform all these presumptions. I am also writing applications and hope to get some amount of money to continue my project on voiceless people in Europe.”

– Leila, Persian Language Partner based in Sweden

Luis: Fighting against corruption

“I am a former anti-corruption prosecutor and I worked in high impact cases within my country which were of national significance. One of them even reached the USA. In the cases I worked, I managed to prosecute high State officials and powerful national and international businessmen, which led to my being harassed.

As there is no protection from the State institutions in Guatemala, despite the various complaints I presented to make it known that my family was in danger, the level of persecution against us was such, that it led to my current refugee situation in the US. Nonetheless, I feel very happy with the work I did, because fighting corruption is synonymous with supporting Human Rights. Corruption limits people’s access to good education, food, health, housing, among others, and despite being away from my home and loved ones, I know that I did the right things in the right way.”

– Luis, Guatemalan Language Partner based in the US

Fanar: Refugee & Asylum Rights to Resettlement

“After more than 4 years of waiting in my host country, I am finally getting the chance to get an asylum visa to France through the French Embassy. It was like a miracle for me to get it especially in this hard year for most of the people. I didn’t believe in good in this world, but we found very good hearted people that helped and still want to help us.

I am expecting to travel in the next few days with my family and I am very excited to move to a new country and have a life after years of being a refugee in Jordan where I wasn’t even recognized as a refugee by the UNHCR. I hope this gives hope to others who are in need for it.

NaTakallam is a great opportunity for me because I could not work in Jordan as an asylum seeker. I feel happy and hopeful every time I get a new student. NaTakallam is the place where I can meet different and new young people that encourage me to look forward. I am very glad to be one of the Language Partners in such a wonderful organization. I feel liked and confident whenever I talk to one of my students. I can see their kindness in their words and compliments that makes me so happy and satisfied. There are students that care for my asylum status and try to send me online jobs: one time my sister got a job because of my student sending me a link she found and thought of us!”

– Fanar, Iraqi Language Partner based in France

Join us today, and every day, in celebrating human rights, and all the unsung heroes around the world who stand up for humanity every day

Want get to know these heroes further and perhaps even learn languages with them?
Sign up for language sessions (in 9+ languages) with them here! Or maybe even gift them to loved ones this holiday season.

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