I was at the Association of Translation Companies (ATC) conference in London, while there on a personal visit. Seemed like a worthwhile event to spend 2 days at. It was held at the Holiday Inn in Fitzrovia on September 20th and 21st and a much smaller affair than I had thought it would be, attended mostly by UK based translation and interpretation companies. There were about 150 people in attendance and the schedule allowed for…
The cover of Ingrid Piller’s 2016 book, Linguistic Diversity and Social Justice, features an interesting twist on the iconic image of blindfolded Lady Justice holding her scales while wearing earmuffs because she “would have to be deaf as well as blind to be truly impartial […] As long as Lady Justice can hear, she will be able to form a view of the speaker’s socioeconomic status, their level of education, their ethnicity, their gender, their…
“Excuse me,” a senior citizen behind me, on the bus says. She is trying to make her way on a visibly overcrowded bus. As I give her some space, I realize the bus is teeming with senior citizens, not unusual for a commuter who takes the subway or bus every day. In fact, Canadians know we have an aging population which is increasing by the day. This is precisely the reason why we have a…
During Sexual Assault Prevention Month, I thought I would relay this story of a rape (some facts have been modified), so we never lose sight of the immense harm it does. I refer to it by the old term rape and not by the legal term sexual assault. I believe most people have more of a visceral reaction to the term “rape” – I may be wrong. We read gruesome tales of rape every day…
Every once in a while, I receive emails from language professionals signed “Certified Interpreter.” However, when I look at their credentials, they often don’t appear to be those of a certified interpreter. This designation is one out of an array of terms, including qualified, accredited, trained and tested, that are sometimes used interchangeably by our colleagues in the field. But should they be? It is clear that there is a lot of confusion among some…
We believe that great non-profits are built by great staff and great board and committee members. In this video, incoming Chair of MCIS’ Board, Gautam Nath, outgoing Chair, Cambria Ravenhill, and Secretary, Soussanna Karas, share their experiences about serving on MCIS’ Committees and the Board and their perspectives on how the Board’s strategic and advisory activities, guided by a clear mission and vision, have been contributing to positive social impact in the communities MCIS…
Ten Syrian refugee families celebrated Easter at a gathering held at the Tzu Chi Foundation and guess who interpreted for them; our very own interpreter Maisaa Sahloul. Hold on, the best part is yet to come, she did it all for free. She spoke about what motivated her to do this. “Language barrier is a huge challenge for Syrian refugees and I want to help my countrymen, which is why I volunteered to interpret for…
We landed in Amsterdam on the 24th of March to attend the 2017 Globalization and Localization Association (GALA) Language of Business conference. I was filled with nostalgia for Schiphol airport having been there once 30 years back, en route to Canada as a new immigrant, filled with anticipation and excitement. A lot has changed in the world, in my life, and in the language services industry over these three decades. The conference kicked off to…
On a cold foggy evening, Zewdi Gselassie, our Interpreter Services Coordinator was about to leave when phones started ringing off the hook; not unusual for MCIS where our coordinators attend calls after-hours too. “Hello, I am calling from Toronto Police Services. We need an interpreter for an emergency situation now,” a desperate voice on the other end said. “I realized that they needed an interpreter for an elderly gentleman Abai (name changed) who did not…
On March 8, firefighters in Emerson, Manitoba were taken by surprise, as they reached a shed to find 17 asylum seekers including a baby taking shelter from a major storm that blew through the area. This isn’t the first time that refugees in such high numbers have crossed the border town. According to the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), 410 refugee claimants were intercepted near the Emerson port of entry while crossing into Canada between…
