Ivana and Vera at efsli 2008
REPORT | Serbia 2008
by Ivana Markovic and Vera Jovanovic
This year’s AGM and conference which took place from 12th to 14th September in Voorschoten, Netherlands was focused on the topic of Third Language Interpreting and Relay interpreting.
The event was really good organized and hereby we would like to congratulate the organizers - the Interpreters’ Association of Holland for that.
This year’s topic is far from the situation in Serbia because we still don’t have even a proper training for Serbian Sign language interpreters but it is always good to hear things like this because it clarifies your goals even if it puts them higher then you are able to aim at the moment, but it is a very important energy input to push forward in your own situation.
And presentation offered at this event were of a really high level so it really can help us create a vision which is in accordance to the highest world standards in interpreting, still keeping in mind that we have to create foundation first, but foundation for that kind of goal.
The discussion on the term of “relay” or “Deaf” interpreter is also something that is beyond our fight at the moment, because we still have to raise awareness regarding Sign language interpreters in general, and we don’t even have Deaf interpreters, but it is really important to raise some questions while you are still positioning the situation. It is precious to have possibility to open your mind at the beginning of the road.
Also, being at the AGM, listening to all the country reports, and seeing how an organization functions, is a valuable opportunity.
From two of us, one was attending an EFSLI event before and one was there for the first time. But for both of us it was really useful. We were in position to develop some joint plans and projects with some colleagues from other countries, which was result of previous meetings, but also to have more people infected with “EFSLI virus” as Maya said, which is very important because it gives energy for our work at home, in our own country.
This event had a good balance between working and leisure hours, as well. We had a chance to exchange in many different ways which is a way to build up a network of people working on a same task.
For us, interpreters from developing countries, it is all very important but we would probably not be able to attend these events without EFSLI SAF support, because it is too expensive for us; therefore we would like to once again emphasize the importance of this initiative, because it is an exceptional opportunity for us.
It was the third time that interpreters from Serbia have attended EFSLI AGM and Conference. It was a great experience for all of us and it helped us, in the first place, to start to set up some quality standards. There were always some new questions raised that we didn’t think about before and some new directions given in which we can think in the future. And not only in the presentations, but also in group discussions as well as in informal conversations. And even though we still don’t have an interpreters association and a proper training for SSL interpreters, we exchange information and experience gained from these conferences in contacts with our colleagues and with the Deaf community, as well as through the Deaf Association’s newspaper. But also in all the contacts that we have with different parts of society (members of disability movement, NGOs, decision makers, media etc). And situation regarding SL interpreters is changing, though it’s quite slowly, but all these possibilities to meet colleagues from Europe or world provide us with guidelines on the direction in which we should try to lead this process. And in the moments in which we lose our enthusiasm, motivation and spirit it is good to have this kind of vision because it pushes us to go further.
It would be really good if some of the future events would be organized in some of the central eastern European countries because it would have given a chance to more people from this part of Europe to get “infected” with this useful “virus” and to join this story, and it would be much more effective if they would have a chance to really feel it from inside.
Once again, we would like to thank to EFSLI and EFSI SAF. We will keep you updated with our situation.
We now start to work with Hungarian Interpreters on a joint project which will help us collect some useful information on SLI in our country and to start with some training which we hope will become regular.
It also means that we will do our best to gather as many SL interpreters as possible to join this initiative and to benefit from it.
And then…we hope to see you soon somewhere near, maybe even in Serbia, for some new EFSLI Conference or summer school maybe.
Ivana Markovic and Vera Jovanovic
Sign language interpreters from Serbia