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THE
MEGAVOICE
PROJECT |
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BACKGROUND
TO THE MEGAVOICE PROJECT
The Bible
Society in Northern Ireland has a Vision, that:
All the world
would have access to the Scriptures,
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in their
mother tongue, |
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in a medium
they can understand, |
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at a price
they can afford, |
And all would
be helped to interact with the Word of God.
Our task is
complicated by three things:
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The number
of languages spoken in the world (over 6,800); |
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The small
number of languages (405) that have a complete Bible; |
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The number
of people who are illiterate (est. 1,800,000,000) - that means
they can't read anything, even in their own language. |
We are working
with 136 other Bible Societies, translation consultants and local
Mission agencies to provide faithful translations of God's Word,
direct from the Hebrew and Greek manuscripts, and to distribute these
where they are most needed. The Bible Society movement is currently
funding over 850 translation projects.
In order to
get the Scriptures to those who can't read, a new approach is needed.
Books can't be
used, video/TV is expensive, and audiocassette tapes need a power
source. (In many countries, even batteries are unobtainable for
radios or tape machines). So the Bible Societies started looking for
something that:
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Could
ultimately hold all 66 books of the Bible; |
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Would allow
people to listen to the Scriptures being read; |
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Would be easy
to use, durable, and cheap to produce; |
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Would not need
a power source, and would continue to work for years; |
The result is
the Megavoice - a hand-held computerised player that
plays a digitally recorded reading of Scripture. It is powered by
solar power, but battery or mains electricity options are also
available. The memory chip can hold hours of speech in any language
that already has a Bible translation. It can be listened to by
holding it like a mobile phone, or through an earpiece. It could even
be played to a group by setting it on its stand on a table, or
through an external speaker.
The company
developing Megavoice specialises in the design and manufacture
of wireless communications products.
In 2001, 4,000
Megavoice audio decks were placed on trial in a number of
countries, as a pilot scheme. The languages to benefit from the first
trial of this new technology were chosen to allow evaluation in a
range of extreme operating conditions. They included:
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An Albanian
version for helping refugees in Kosovo; |
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An Arabic
version used in the heat of Egypt and other Middle east countries; |
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The French
version went to West/Central Africa, the Caribbean and Canada; |
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The Portuguese
version is in the Amazon region of South America; |
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The Tamil
version went to Sri Lanka where audiocassettes are impractical, due
to the cost of replacement for battery-powered audio products. |
The feedback
from the trials is very encouraging in terms of ease of use and
reliability. Due to the continually reducing cost of computer memory,
a device containing the full Bible is now becoming feasible.
The new
production model that is being purchased by the Bible Society in
Northern Ireland for distribution in Egypt has benefited from a
number of improvements based on that experience:
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A
'navigation panel' on the front to move through the message, with
pause and stop buttons, on/off button to preserve power, and 7-step
volume control; |
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Sound
provided by a built-in speaker - the quality of the sound has been
greatly improved from the early models, important for clarity when
the message is in the Arabic language; |
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An earbud
connection for private listening; |
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A DC input socket
for mains connection, if required; |
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An external socket
for connection to a loudspeaker; if required. |
This
constitutes a high-specification product and it is illustrated below.
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Normally, a
single language will be used for each batch, determined by the
country and area it is being shipped to.
The Bible
Society in Northern Ireland has made a commitment to provide
substantial portions of Scripture on the new Ambassador
Megavoice model at a cost of no more than $20 or £13.00 each.
4,000 units were ordered in May 2003 for delivery in Autumn 2003. |
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Each Megavoice
will contain a recording in words and music entitled A Life of Christ.
It contains New Testaments readings in Arabic that centre on the
life, ministry, death and resurrection of Our Lord. These will be
distributed by the staff of our sister Bible Society in Egypt,
through Pastors and direct to local Arabic-speaking people, so that
they will have the chance to hear God's Word. Our network of
relationships with other Bible Societies ensures that Scriptures, in
all available formats, (print, audio, video) are personally presented
to those who need them. Where poor families are unable to meet the
cost of a Megavoice, the Bible Society in Northern Ireland
will provide a subsidy to ensure that this exciting new Scripture
product will be affordable.
The cost of
the project will be around £50,000, excluding freight, Customs
and distribution costs.
The number
of Megavoices being provided is being made possible by the
generous support of individuals and churches in Northern Ireland.
Their encouragement to date has allowed the Society to make a
commitment to this, the largest and most ambitious single project
undertaken by the Society to date.
Each gift that
the Society receives will go towards the purchase of a Megavoice
for a family or group. If the target is exceeded, funds will be
directed to similar imaginative Scripture distribution projects in
the region.
We believe
that this technology holds great potential to reach many, many people
today who are currently cut off from experiencing the Word of God due
to poverty, ignorance and illiteracy. We are convinced that God will
use that gift to change many lives throughout our world.
Further
information about this and other BSNI activities, including
fortnightly Prayer
Information by E-mail, may be obtained by contacting us by
phone, letter or E-mail:
John Doherty
(General Secretary), or Julie Moore (Gift/Project Manager)
The Bible
Society in Northern Ireland
27 Howard Street
Belfast BT1 6NB
Tel (028)
9032 6577
EMail:
GSec@bsni.co.uk
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