BabelsReport20.10.05

Babels meeting 20-10-2005

Participants: Kostas, Luis, Anastasia, Lina, Nikos (newcomer), Dimitris, Panayiotis P., Agheliki, Maria R., Roula.

The topics discussed in yesterday’s meeting were the following:

1. Selection

2. Lexicons

3. Babels Outreach Events

4. Internship in France

5. Vienna EPA

1. Selection

Regarding selection, it was decided that 2 people from Babels-el should participate in the selection group of European coordinators. The first would be Roula Skoula, who is a tour guide and was present in Porto Alegre in the WSF in February 2005. However, she is not in the esf06 list of European coordinators and we should ask the European coordinators to add her email address to the list. The second person is Artemis, a professional interpreter, who organized the EPA in Athens in February.

Apart from this, in a previous meeting, Babels-el had decided to have personal meetings with the Babels volunteers based in Athens and then in other parts of Greece. We had decided to have personal appointments, to meet them personally because organizing the Greek booth is a great responsibility and because we would like to tell people that Babels is not a service provider and that we are a network in which many people can participate. To this end, we took a look at the PHP list and found out that there are 57 people based in Greece who have signed up with Babels. We also made a questionnaire –which is currently only in Greek but it will be translated into English- which will help us assess the volunteers’s experience and help us identify the degree they can help in the ESF process.

Nikos M., a newcomer and a translator in Greek newspaper, proposed to make a kind of “database” in the ACCESS programme and he will help us classify the responses we will receive.

As far as the appointments are concerned, we agreed that there should be 2 Babels coordinators, and one of them at least should be professional interpreter. Several people stated their availabilities but one of the major problems is that too few professional interpreters attend these meetings. Consequently, we would have to contact them personally and ask them if they want to take part in the interviews.

People who stated availabilities in the appointments: Dimitris, Luis, Agheliki, Roula, Kostas, Panagiotis P.

Interpreters that should be contacted: Artemis, Veronica, Maria.

2. Lexicons

Costas Athanasiou is responsible for this group and what they have decided to do is to take a look at the existing Babels lexicons and check them. Then they decided to add a column with the Greek equivalent term. They have already checked and found the Greek terms for several lexicons and they will soon send them to the “parla” list for the rest of us to see.

In this group, there also participate Maria R., Lina, Panagiotis P. and Agheliki.

3. Babels Outreach Events

I had contacted university students from various youth political organizations in order to discuss about organizing an event about Babels in the School of Philosophy in Athens. Unfortunately, nobody showed up but they had informed me that they are willing to help. After a discussion, we decided that we wanted to organize an event as open and as big as possible to attract lots of students. We also decided that we want to have 2 speakers; one from the ESF and one from us. This is because there are many young people in Greece who do not know what the ESF is. So, it would be a good opportunity to say a few things about the Forum first and then discuss about Babels.

However, there are certain points that should be discussed thoroughly:
a. The date of the event
b. Where exactly the event will take place (in the uni of course but in which room)
c. In what we will motivate people and persuade them to come to the event. For example, is it a good idea to talk to university professors as well? If yes, who are they?

Regarding motivation, we agreed that it should be in three stages:
a. Put the Babels poster everywhere in the uni
b. Make another low-cost poster announcing the date of the event.
c. One week earlier, giving out leaflets
d. Announcing the event at the various rooms and amphitheatres

First of all, we should talk to students from left political entities, that participate in the forum, and discuss with all of them.

Apart from the event in the School of Philosophy, there will be events in the university of Thessaloniki, Corfu and we’ll send the Babels’s material all over Greece.

Another event we should definitely follow is the Tour Guides’s conference in 30/11-1/12/2005. Roula is the president of the tour guides’s trade union and she asked for a babelit@s to go and talk to the conference. We agreed that it is a very good opportunity for babels-el to enlarge and Dimitris might give a speech since he is the member of a local branch of Greek Social Forum and is in Babels as well.

4. The Internship

The Internship offered by Echanges et Partenariats
It was decided that Graziella is a very good case. We agreed that the fact that speaks Greek and that she has participated in the organization of the WSF are two very important issues. However, the issue of her ticket from Brazil to Europe is one thing and the other is to try to offer hospitality accomodation to her for four months.

Another offering was from Agheliki from Babels-el who speaks French –she has studied French Literature at the University of Athens- and she is willing to go to France for one month and then work for Babels in a part-time basis. The disadvantage in this case is that she has no experience in the organization of a SF.

5. Vienna’s EPA

As far as Vienna’s EPA is concerned, we agreed to write a letter in German and send it to the Austrian interpreters through the database. Then, we shall gather the responses of those whose interested in coordinating things and send their contact to Leo G.

Next Babels-el meeting on Thursday 27 October, 20:30, at the Metanaston Club, Tsamadou 13a, Exarheia.

Babels-el

AnLa