UNFG

"The UNFG developed the Program for Capacity-Building in the Field of Language Transparency Impact. The program assists in dispensing with harmful idiomatic practices, and promotes the use of a standardized international framework for document authoring. Designed as a Public-Private-Sector Partnership within the Framework of the Global Compact, and supported through supplemental grants from individual donors, the program has made a significant contribution in this field."

That would be the United Nations Fund for Gobbledygook, supported by the Plain English Campaign.

HT: Good Intentions

Plain English Please

Matt Ranil at Aid Thoughts has a great post about aid jargon (the choice quote being "buzzwords, and their satanic progeny, acronyms").

I think we need a Plain English Campaign for aid; with a charter and everything. The British version has, I think, done a reasonable job of pestering government whenever they talk jibberish, and has attracted lots of media attention. They even have a cool online "Drivel Defence" software. Might have to see how some aid projects fare!

Alanna Sheikh also has a great series of posts on the subject here.

Incidentally, the word gobbledygook, meaning nonsensical language, was coined by Maury Maverick actually referring to civil service jargon. Maury was also the grandson of cattle rancher Samuel Maverick who coined the term "maverick" because he didn't brand his cattle.