Technical experts, government employees, academics and others are trained at an early age to shorten terms into acronyms. This makes their writing hard to read and difficult to locate on the Internet, writes Floyd Whaley, Editor of the Asian Development Blog, in his second guest post for the United Nations University. … Acronyms – or a series of letters that represent a longer phrase – are common in many professions and organisations but they are also a good way to FYRTCD your writing. Odd...
Do you know the difference between a migrant, a refugee, and an internally displaced person (IDP)? Between a special political mission and a peacekeeping operation? Between Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5 on Gender Equality and SDG 10 on Reduced Inequalities? The UNU Jargon Buster is a glossary app for UN terminology: from simple acronyms to political proceedings to technical designations. All entries are linked to online references or further readings, and arranged alphabetically, by sourc...
‘UN peace operations need less jargon and more direction’ ran a headline in early April – just as we were testing a new version of our app, and just as we were posting a new blog in our peacekeeping series. It was virtual serendipity. The article asks if a new UN mission in Colombia should be designated a ‘peacekeeping operation’ or a ‘special political mission’. First, say the authors, it’s a question of image: as the former is generally associated with failed states. Then it’s a question of fu...
‘No human being is illegal‘ headlined a recent article in the Guardian, stressing how “the phrase ‘illegal immigrants’ is neither ‘accurate nor neutral’.” Heard time and again in the US presidential campaign, it’s yet another example of a dubious, ubiquitous term shaping the political debate — and yet another reason for the UNU Jargon Buster. Our glossary app not only clarifies hundreds of social, political and economic terms, it aims t...
What exactly do people mean by 'agrodiversity', 'formal remittances' and 'sustainable development'? Do leaders and scholars use similar concepts in different ways? Do they know their PoCs from their POCs?...
Jargon alienates readers and increases confusion and conflict, particularly on issues of global concern. To address this problem, UNU-MERIT began work on a “jargon busting” glossary back in 2012. Now, having won a PREMIUM proposal from Maastricht University, it will turn this glossary into an app while partnering with other UNU institutes to expand its coverage. As part of UNU’s mission to function as a bridge between academia, the United Nations and the general public, UNU institute...