WHY LANGUAGE PROFESSIONALS MATTER: EXPERIENCES FROM THE FIELDFrom Theory to Real Change

Gabriela Rodas, Veronica Costea and Eliana TrinaisticMCIS Language Solutions, Toronto, Ontario

AGENDA1. Background2. Food for Language3. Documentaries for Change4. #Interpreters4Syria5. Social Impact of Translation

BACKGROUNDMCIS’ MISSION: IMPROVING ACCESS TO CRITICAL INFORMATION AND SERVICES THROUGH HIGH QUALITY LANGUAGE SOLUTIONS

ARE WE MEDIATORS OF SOCIAL DIALOGUE?

Complex migration patterns changing the role of language professionals

“There is an identifiable set of basic information needs that individuals need met to navigate everyday life, and that communities need to have met in order to thrive. […] A large body of research suggests […] that access to information and, equally, the tools and skills necessary to navigate it are essential to even a minimal definition of equal opportunity and civic and democratic participation. Further, both traditional and contemporary analyses have demonstrated access to information […] to be essential to community economic wellbeing and democracy.” (Friedland et al., 2012)

From mediators of social dialogue, language professionals are turning into agents of social change

HOW DO WE KNOW WE ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE?

Challenges: How to connect language professionals to positive, measurable social

impact How to measure individual impact How to measure the industry impact How to create partnerships with various stakeholders for shared

impact

MEASURING SOCIAL IMPACT IN THE LANGUAGE INDUSTRY

FOOD FOR LANGUAGE – A COLLABORATIVE STORYTELLING EXPERIMENT (2013)

WHAT, WHO, HOW? A recipe book based on personal stories and

recipes in four main categories (appetizers, mains, sides and desserts) shared by MCIS Language Service staff, interpreters and translators and Sandgate Women’s Shelter staff and clients

Focused on issues of how food transcends cultures and contributes to the Canadian multicultural fabric and our global citizenship

The goal Promote diversity and understanding about how

we change our communication through the medium of food when we are exposed to a dominant language

Translators and interpreters as story tellers Translators and interpreters as

interviewers, photographers and cultural mediators

CREATING COMMUNITIES By providing additional opportunities for skills building for translators and interpreters (event planning, book production, marketing, fundraising and book launch)

By using social media to create and maintain special interest groups

By increasing internal capacity to manage volunteers and loyalties

DOCUMENTARIES FOR CHANGE –HARNESSING THE POWER OF DOCUMENTARIES TO CREATE SOCIAL CHANGE (2014-15)

MCIS’ interpreters and translators are interviewers and documentary makers

1 year of workshops (e.g. The Art of Collaboration, Diversity of Voices, Telling Meaningful Stories, Building Trust, The Idea Workshop, Visuals and Sound in the Story)

1 year of community work

WHO & HOW

4 mini-documentaries produced:BEATING BARRIERS

BLURRED MINDSCIRQUISH

UNTIL THE THIRTIETH

IN ADDITION:24 screenings of 17 Canadian documentaries

over 11 months in 19 locations reaching up to 1650 people by December 2015

• DfC Mobile Theatre (portable projection system, free licenses)

• 25 trained Fellows• Relationships with community groups• Connections: 11 filmmakers + 19 communities;

19 communities + 40 resources• 10 Amplified social issues • 1 Conference• Endless opportunities to empower expression,

voices and engagement

#INTERPRETERS4SYRIA (2015-16)

OUR INTERPRETERS AT WORK!

309 Arabic Interpreters mobilized in Toronto and Montreal(Including 6 who spoke Western Armenian + 1 deaf interpreter)98 flights served(Toronto 54; Montreal 44)7 Hotels served(Toronto 1, Montreal 7)26,176 Refugees welcomed by MCIS interpreters

“When the US invaded my motherland, Iraq, in 2003, it caused the largest exodus in history. […] Millions of Iraqis fled their hometowns with barely the clothes they had on. One million, same say more, sought refuge in Syria. Syria, despite its meagre resources, harboured them. […] Sadly, when the time came for my homeland to turn back the act of kindness, it turned its back on the Syrians . It made me feel very bad. Fortunately, my land of option, Canada is opening its doors for Syrian refugees. Gratitude, for the act of kindness . And thank you MCIS for making me part of this act.” Yasmine, Arabic Interpreter

“This is a wonderful night where […] we get to show the world how to open our hearts and welcome in people who are fleeing extraordinarily difficult situations. […]Tonight they step off the plane as refugees. But they walk out of this terminal as permanent residents of Canada […]This is something that we are able to do in this country because we define a Canadian not by a skin colour or a language or a religion or a background. But by a shared set of values, aspirations, hopes and dreams that not just Canadians but people around the world share. And how you will receive these people tonight will be something they will remember for the rest of their lives, but also I know something that you will remember for the rest of your lives.” Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada

SOCIAL IMPACT OF TRANSLATION– RAISING AWARENESS OF THE SOCIAL SIGNIFICANCE OF LANGUAGE PROFESSIONALS’ WORK

“The quality of our results in a system is a function of the awareness from which the people in that system operate.” (Otto Scharmer, 2011)

MCIS’ interpreters and translators interested in defining social impact of translation

1 year of gathering lead by working Committee

Outputs: Manifesto and videoCurrently open to larger community and managed thorough Meet-Up Groups

WHO & HOW

GABRIELA RODAS is a Spanish into English translator and reviser, holds a BA in Hispanic Studies, and a Spanish-English Translation Certificate and a Masters in Translation Studies from Glendon College, York University, Toronto, Canada. She has worked as a project manager and translation supervisor in the language services industry for several years, managing large teams of translators for multilingual translation requests. Gabriela is now managing the development of MCIS’ unique language independent translator training.

VERONICA COSTEA, MCIS’ Translation and Special Projects Manager, is a certified translator and accredited community interpreter with over 10 years of experience in the language services industry. Prior to joining MCIS she has worked as a freelance language professional, language teacher, as well as in computational linguistics research. She has also coordinated the development of MCIS’ Online Training Initiative to Address Human Trafficking.

ELIANA TRINASTIC’s background is in non-profit (NP) and project management, program design/ delivery, civic engagement, PR, communication and social innovation. She has a Master’s Degree in Information and Environmental Sciences, and her current research interests include social enterprises, social innovation and open data advocacy. In her role of MCIS’ Social Impact Manager Eliana’s task is to help with unpacking complex and dynamic relationships between NPs as social enterprises and NPs as community change- makers with focus on measureable evidence of impact. Eliana contributed to several MCIS’ projects, among others, Food for Language and Documentaries for Change.

THANK YOU!JOIN US - @MCISLANGUAGES@FOODFORLANGUAGE@DOCUMENTARIESFORCHANGE@SOCIALIMPACTOFTRANSLATION