Proposal for a Babels seminar

Dear all,

Some of you might remember that a few of us had started looking into this workshop a few months ago, and the results of our musings had been posted on the genese@babels.org mailing list (Babels France’s internal discussion list) and on Babels forum. The idea had then been met with positive responses.

The intended debate in Angers purposes to give Babels time and space to introduce itself, to present its activities and start a dialogue with people who might never even have heard of Babels, or do not know us well enough. The workshop is intended to be a privileged moment for Babels to talk with the many people who have been in touch with the network over the past few months and whose requests for translation and interpretation we may sometimes have refused. But it will mainly be an ideal time for Babels to explain what the network is doing and what are its objectives. It will allow us to show what it has taken-and still takes-for Babels to exist, and what generally lies behind Babels. What happens when Babels organises interpretation at a Social Forum, for example ? We will be able to cover a wide range of issues going from recruitment to the work done by what has come to be known as the ‘financial brigade’, from planning interpreters’ booths to translating written documents, via logistics such as food, accommodation and drinks for hundreds of people. We feel that it would be a shame to miss such an opportunity. We have thus worked on an idea of a workshop which could look like the following... but we need several Babels’ people to get involved and come to Angers.

Who would like to talk about their experience within Babels ? The audience will be composed of French NGOs’, networks’ and movements’ members who generally are involved with the social forums. It would be good to present Babels’ working groups. Who would like to explain the work done within the ‘financial brigade’ ? Who would like to show how interpreters’ booths are planned ? To tell what Transtrad is ? To explain what Nomad is about ? What Babels-Tech does (we also need to present the tools developed by Babels !) ? This also means that Babels must pay for/reimburse return tickets to Angers. What kind of money does Babels have for this sort of thing ?

Angers workshop-proposal

Aim : to introduce Babels and to start a dialogue with organisations that may have requested Babels’ help or wish to request Babels’ help, but do not always understand our object. Facilitator : Florent Schaeffer, Cedetim

PART 1 : Babels, what is it and what is it for ?

Babels since Florence : figures, achievements, interpreters tell their stories (Florence, Annemasse, Paris, Mumbai, etc), Babels’ history. What do Babels’ coordinations do ? It would also be good to have ESF 2002 (Florence) and ESF 2003 (Paris) organisers talk about how they went about with interpretation, from their point of view ? When organisations, movements, networks or NGOs want Babels to participate in an event they organise, what do they expect ? What image have they got of Babels ? What is their reaction when Babels refuses to undertake interpretation ? What do they do in case of a negative answer from Babels ? How is Babels considered within the Social Forum movement ? Babels and the WSF (Italy decision) The concrete tasks Babels undertakes when preparing a social forum. What are the different working groups ? What do we need to interpret properly, respectfully for the speakers and the audience ?

— -Speakers to be identified---

Debate

PART 2 : Babelian exercises

Babels’ concrete work. The speakers and the audience interact through practical exercises such as : people are asked to rephrase (instantaneously) what somebody is saying, etc. Will depend on the equipment we have. Audience requested to repeat/interpret/summarise the speakers’ discussion (all in French except if we have a Babels’ member from outside France. Would be good to stress the international dimension of Babels+show what interpretation is, live.) Exercise on ‘difficult words’. How do we go from one language to another when practices, notions, concepts are totally different ? Translating = going from one culture to another.

PART 3 : What is the role of interpretation at social fora ?

Allows the movement to save money BUT that is not the main point. Nomad and the practicalities. Empowerment and the fact that tools, practicalities are eminently political. The professional/beginner debate, the voluntary/paid debate : what does it mean for a professional interpreter to interpret voluntarily ? Babels also allows other people to achieve some kind of empowerment : by translating languages that are not usually translated, we allow people who’re usually barred from talking in international area to have their say. See thus the Importance of sign language, of African and native american languages, of the so-called minority languages, etc... Debate, perhaps with people who have negative comments on Babels. Finally, explain how people can get involved with Babels.

Proposal worked on by Stéphanie Marseille, Jeanne Gaffet, Emmanuelle Rivière