Greetings Friends!
We are planning for an historic moment. An estimated 20,000 grassroots
organizers, workers, union members, community members, people of faith,
educators, youth, peace activists, immigrant and indigenous populations,
and displaced folks and evacuees are planning to convene in Detroit for
the second United States Social Forum in June 2010. They will be
gathering to learn from each other, build bridges between their
communities, and share their visions for a more just world. (For more
information on the forum, visit the website
These important conversations can only happen through language
negotiation: transmitting the meaning of the message without losing the
flavor provided by the speaker. Interpreters – both spoken word and
sign language – are key to this negotiation.
The organizing committee of the US Social Forum is calling for
interpreters and translators of all languages to provide
translation/interpretation services in anticipation of and throughout
the gathering. Linguistic and interpreting proficiency are important,
as are a passion for social justice, languages, and helping people to
connect across linguistic barriers. The US Social Forum has not
designated any “official” languages; any and all language combinations
are welcome. There is a particular need however for Spanish/English and
Arabic/English interpreters and translators.
The call at this time is three-fold. The most immediate call is for
interpreters and translators. There is a time-sensitive need for folks
who are interested in translating materials prior to the forum (the
translation of materials is primarily from English into Arabic and
Spanish). We also will need a strong team of qualified interpreters to
provide simultaneous interpretation during the many events of the US
Social Forum. If either of these is you, please send your name and
contact information (email and telephone) to the Language Access Team
ASAP at ussflangacc@…
contact you shortly.
The second part of the call is for folks who would are able to invest a
little more time in the process and are willing to serve on the planning
and oversight committee for language needs. This committee will
negotiate interpreter logistics (recruiting, scheduling, and
orientation), work with the program committee to address language needs
at the US Social Forum, and engage other issues to ensure optimal
language accessibility. A team of four or five folks that could take
point on major areas of work would be ideal. The commitment at this
time is to bimonthly calls. Needless to say, the more folks step up,
the lighter the load on everyone. Also, we are committed to process
that allows for full participation and that is transparent. If this is
you, please let us ASAP at the above mentioned email.
Lastly, we are reaching out to persons and organizations that own and
use interpretation equipment (shortwave microphone transmitters and
receptors). We hope to minimize the cost of having to buy or rent the
amount of equipment necessary for an undertaking of this size. If you
or your organization own or have access to this any type of
interpretation equipment, we ask that you consider sharing that
equipment with the USSF for use at the forum. If you are so willing,
please let us know via the above contact info.
While we encourage anyone who is interested to step up and participate,
we would ask that folks take a minute to reflect on their capacity to do
the work before committing. Language accessibility is very important to
the success of any social justice gathering. When folks can’t follow
through on their commitments, it puts a strain on the other interpreters
and can result in participants being left out of the communication process.
The US Social Forum is an exciting, historic process. We invite you to
be a part of transforming local communities, the United States, and the
world.
Sincerely,
The Language Access Working Group