Translation, Interpreting and Social Activism

The undeniable role of translators and interpreters in perpetuating and redressing injustices in an increasingly polarized and conflictual society led ECOS, la Asociación de traductores e intérpretes por la solidaridad, with the support of the University of Granada, to gather together individuals from across categories of academics, professionals and activists in a space for 2 days reflection and debate in Granada (Spain) in April 2007.

This website was created as a communication tool for the organisation of what would be called the First International Forum on Translation/Interpreting and Social Activism.

The concept of the initiative was to address the pressing need to rethink translation and interpreting in socio-, geo-political and ethical terms, in a world ravaged by economic, neoliberal globalisation, by generating critical knowledge from across contexts. The idea was thus to open the debate beyond academic circles in which translation conferences are usually organised, by involving members of activist communities of translators and interpreters that have flourished since the beginning of the 21st century as well as professionals and teachers eager to reflect on their controversial role in society.

Some of the successes of this initiative materialised in the Granada Declaration approved by participants at the end of the forum, and in the selection of papers that is currently being edited for the publication of a Spanish-English bilingual, copyleft book: Boéri Julie and Carol Maier (eds) Compromiso Social y Traducción/Interpretación – Translation/Interpreting and Social Activism, ECOS: Granada. Soon available in St Jerome Publishing and in this Website.

It is hoped that this initiative will be given continuity, and will evolve dynamically in relation to both our field and the outside world.