Mombasa Report

Background

The Babels network is exploring various options and possibilities for making Nairobi 2007 work as far interpretation is concerned. As Babels prepares for the 7th edition of WSF past experience suggests that Nairobi 2007 holds potential for ensuring that past interpretation hitches can be overcome. By the same token Nairobi also opens up a new challenge, that of making sure as many languages are mainstreamed to open up participation for people that language has locked out of this important process.

To make this happen regions in Kenya and indeed Africa must set up interpreter volunteer networks that will join the Babels family come 2007 to deliver the engagement to as many people as possible. Consultations with Thanos Chrysos, Laurent of the Babels network, Elizabeth and Patrick Ochieng in Mombasa took some time to consider options and possibilities in planning for 2007.

Rationale

Time is short indeed to mobilise people in Africa with capacity to provide voluntary support to the international Babels team that will be coming to Nairobi. In order to lessen the burden of the central planning group, actors in the regions would be best placed to start the process of mobilisation of interpreter networks that will join the bigger team. This would allow for the consolidation of a team with sufficient understanding of context which is very important in making interpretation useful to end users. Once mobilised such local networks would be inducted on WSF terminology, lexicons, glossary etc and in the networks they would have the ability to practise words of context and benefit from basic literature on interpreting in order to have them build sufficient confidence for the challenge of 2007. The network would also enable common learning from the Babels website, CDs, videos, talks and mail lists through localised leadership and initiatives. If anchored around a local institution it is possible that the network can have a day with computers to browse WSF and other sites. The localised networks would also enable participants to be well prepared to understand what it means to volunteer.

Proposed Actions

Ujamaa Center accepted that its networks and facilities could be used to identify potential interpreters. That each week the local regional social forum committee meets to plan at Ujamaa Center would assist in helping mobilise the volunteers and Elizabeth undertook to round up people in interpretation who could take interest in this proposal.

The plan envisages a situation where Digo, Giriama, Taita all termed as other languages would join the league of Kiswahili, Arabic, Italian, German, French, Spanish and Portuguese at least all spoken in the coast and for which interpreters can be found. It is projected that Lamu would provide good ground for Arabic interpreters while Malindi and Mombasa would provide mainly Italian, German in that order and the rest could come from any of the districts of the coast. In terms of actual numbers it was projected that the coast participation would be predominant in about eight thematic spaces of the WSF territory to which 2 interpreters per language were suggested. Issues such as poverty, land, environment, titanium and mining generally would interest the region. Listed below is a rough idea at least how many volunteers would be mobilised.

 Other languages 48
 Kiswahili 16
 Arabic 18

Total 82

Major Languages

 Italian 6
 German 6
 French 6
 Spanish 6
 Portuguese 6

Total 30

Grand Total 112

The process would require 3 mobilisers to Lamu, Malindi, Kwale and Mombasa to identify these potential volunteers. Practically it is suggested that an action plan tentative would take the following shape :

Two coordinators [Elizabeth and Patrick] would roll out this plan and sustain the network till January. Babels representatives would have to attend the basic orientation and training which would be done locally. Following the first basic orientation a joint meeting preferably in Mombasa for 2-3 days the volunteers will meet in their respective regions regularly for preparations with support from the coordinators. The training which should bring all the volunteers together again will focus on the technical issues and planning for Nairobi 2007. The coordinating team should meet in January and finalise the logistics and travel plans. These activities cannot take place without a budget. Tentatively the mobilisation budget peters out to what is presented below :

Budget

Mobilisation

Other areas that will require budgets but which could not be projected are the following :

Basic orientation
 Venue
 Travel
 Communication
 Information packs
 Stationery

Training
 Venue
 Travel
 Facilitations

Prepared by Patrick Ochieng, Elizabeth Mwamburi in counsultation with Thanos Chrysos and Laurent

For further information Contact Elizabeth Mwamburi