Volunteering Part 2

January 2, 2013 // From our blog »

In this second article about volunteering, I will focus on volunteering for a translators’ and interpreters’ association.

Surely, if you are a member of such an association, you know they have a lot to offer – information, continuing education, professional advice, professional events, discounts for products and services you need (software, courses, books and dictionaries).  What you may not know, or may not have thought about, is how it all gets done.  Care to guess?  Yes, through volunteering.  These associations exist and operate thanks to their members and their members’ willingness to offer their help for the benefit of the group.

If you have some time on your hands or are willing to donate your free time, this is a fantastic way to advance the profession and help your colleagues.

What’s in it for you:

  • Networking opportunities
  • Access to the latest news first
  • Discounts on admission to events you help organize
  • The chance to learn from colleagues
  • The opportunity to make new friends
  • A boost to your resume
  • The chance to advance the profession as a whole (after all, it’s your profession)

What you can do:

  • Organize programs, seminars, webinars and workshops for translators and interpreters living in your area
  • Promote the organization, recruit new members, promote events
  • Serve as webmaster/help with website maintenance and communications with members
  • Write and/or edit newsletters, blog articles, and content in general
  • Manage logistics for translation- and interpretation-related conferences and other events
  • Raise public awareness of the translation and interpreting profession
  • Promote and assist in the organization of certification procedures

Where?

I would suggest volunteering for a local association where you can meet with members in person.  If you prefer a large association, you can volunteer at the regional, national or international level.  You can also volunteer with a division within an organization.

You will find a list of associations at the end of this article.

No time?

If you don’t have time to volunteer, you can still help.  You can donate money or resources, such as books, software, membership to a newsletter, etc. to a local, national or international association.  These can be used as awards for members or by the association’s Board of Directors.

Another way of helping that usually goes unnoticed is giving a hand to your friends who volunteer.  Even if you are not a volunteer yourself, you can help your friends who are.  Maybe a friend organizing an event needs your help.  Have you recently found a great, free online tool or open-source software that would be useful?  Share the news!  Even something as simple as that can be a great help!

ATIF

I’m pleased to announce that I am one of the incoming Board members of the Association of Translators and Interpreters of Florida (ATIF).  I will be serving as Secretary for a two-year term starting January 1st, 2013, joining Linda Dunlap, President; Mayeluz Navarro, Vice President; Emily Paul, Treasurer; Emmy Prieto, Director; Gloria Nichols, Director; James Nolan, Director, and Silvia Guzman, Director.

List of Professional Associations (This is not a complete list.  Please bear in mind that new associations are created frequently and old ones change names or cease to exist.)

International Associations:

  • European Society for Translation Studies (EST) http://www.est-translationstudies.org/index.html
  • International Association for Translation and Intercultural Studies (IATIS) http://www.iatis.org/
  • International Association of Professional Translators and Interpreters (IAPTI) http://www.aipti.org/
  • International Federation of Translators / Fédération Internationale des Traducteurs (FIT-IFT) (FIT is a worldwide organization, composed of the national translation organizations from over 60 countries)  www.fit-ift.org/
  • Translators Without Borders (TWB) / Traducteurs sans Frontières (TSF) http://translatorswithoutborders.org/- If you want to volunteer for Translators without Borders doing something other than translating, you can offer your skills in project management, computers, accounting, graphic design, etc. here.
  • World Association of Sign Language Interpreters (WASLI) http://www.wasli.org/

Multinational Associations:

Arabic Associations

National Associations:

Africa

Egypt

Egyptian Translators Association (EGYTA) http://www.egyta.com/

Ethiopia

The National Association of Translators and Interpreters of Ethiopia (NATIE) http://www.translationdirectory.com/article992.htm

Morocco

Morocco’s Legal Translators Association (ATAJ) http://www.atajtraduction.asso.ma/indexfr.php

Nigeria

Nigerian Institute of Translators and Interpreters (NITI) http://www.nitinigeria.net/index.html

South Africa

South African Translators’ Institute (SATI) http://translators.org.za/sati_cms/index.php?frontend_action=display_text_content&content_id=1

Asia

China

Translators Association of China (TAC) http://www.tac-online.org.cn/en/

India

Indian Translators Association (ITAINDIA) http://www.itaindia.org/home.php

Indonesia

Association of Indonesian Translators (HPI) http://www.hpi.or.id/

Iran

Iranian Translators and Interpreters Association (ITIA) http://itia.ir/

Iraq

Iraqi Translators’ Association http://www.irtrans.org/index_en.htm

Israel

Israel Translation Association (ITA) http://www.ita.org.il/index.php?cnt=about_us

Japan

Japan Association of Translators (JAT) http://jat.org/

South Korea

Korean Society of Translators (KST) http://www.kstinc.or.kr/

Europe

Austria

Austria Interpreters’ and Translators’ Association (UNIVERSITAS) http://www.universitas.org/en/home/

Belgium

Belgian Chamber of Translators, Interpreters and Philologists (CBTIP) http://www.translators.be

Croatia

Croatian Association of Scientific and Technical Translators (HDZTP) http://www.drustvoprevoditelja.htnet.hr/index_engl.html

Czech Republic

Union of Interpreters and Translators (JTP) http://www.jtpunion.org/spip/

Denmark

Danish Authorized Translators and Interpreters (DT) http://www.dtfb.dk/

Finland

Finnish Association of Translators and Interpreters (SKTL) http://www.sktl.fi/in-english/

France

Société française des traducteurs/ French Association of Translators (SFT) http://www.sft.fr/index.php

Germany

Greece

Panhellenic Association of Translators (PEM) http://www.pem.gr/en/

Hungary

Association of Hungarian Translators and Interpreters (MFTE) http://www.mfte.hu/docs/1/Bemutatkoz%C3%A1s/

Iceland

Icelandic Association of Translators and Interpreters (THOT) http://www.thot.is/

Ireland

Irish Translators’ and Interpreters’ Association (ITIA) http://www.translatorsassociation.ie/

Italy

Luxemburg

Association luxembourgeoise des traducteurs et interprètes (ALTI) http://www.traducteurs-interpretes.lu/

Netherlands

Dutch Society of Interpreters and Translators (NGTV) http://www.ngtv.nl/

Norway

Norwegian Non-Fiction Writers and Translators Association (NFF) http://www.nffo.no/

Poland

Association of Polish Translators and Interpreters (APTI) http://www.stp.org.pl/

Portugal

Associação Portuguesa de Tradutores/ Portuguese Association of Translators (APT) http://www.apt.pt/

Russia

Union of Translators of Russia (UTR) http://www.translators-union.ru/

Slovakia

Slovak Society of Translators of Scientific and Technical Literature (SSPOL) http://www.sspol.sk/

Slovenia

Association of Scientific and Technical Translators of Slovenia (DZTPS) http://www.dztps.si/eng/index.html

Spain

Asociación Española de Traductores, Correctores e Intérpretes (ASETRAD) http://www.asetrad.org/

Sweden

Swedish Association of Professional Translators (SFÖ) http://www.sfoe.se/

Switzerland

Association suisse des traducteurs, terminologues et interprètes (ASTTI) http://www.astti.ch/

Turkey

Çeviri Dernegi (Association of Translation) http://www.ceviridernegi.org/

Ukraine

Ukrainian Translators Association (UTA) http://www.uta.org.ua/en

United Kingdom

Institute of Translation & Interpreting (ITI) http://www.iti.org.uk/

Latin America

Argentina

Asociación Argentina de Traductores e Intérpretes (AATI) http://www.aati.org.ar/site/

Brazil

Associação Brasileira de Tradutores (ABRATES) http://www.abrates.com.br/site/

Chile

Colegio de Traductores e Intérpretes de Chile (COTICH, Ex AGTS) http://www.traductores-agts.cl/

Colombia

Asociación Colombiana de Traductores e Intérpretes (ACTI) http://www.traductorescolombia.com/

Costa Rica

Asociación Costarricense de Traductores e Intérpretes Profesionales (ACOTIP) http://www.acotip.org/

Cuba

Asociación Cubana de Traductores e Intérpretes (ACTI) http://www.esti.cu/

Mexico

Organización Mexicana de Traductores (OMT) http://www.omt.org.mx/

Uruguay

Colegio de Traductores Públicos del Uruguay (CTPU) http://www.colegiotraductores.org.uy/

North America

Canada

Canadian Association for Translation Studies (CATS) http://www.act-cats.ca/

United States

Oceania

Australia

Australian Institute of Interpreters and Translators (AUSIT) http://www.ausit.org

New Zealand

New Zealand Society of Translators and Interpreters (NZSTI) http://www.nzsti.org/

Regional or Local Associations:

Since there are several associations in each country, I will just mention a few in the United States.  You can probably find an association in your area on your national association’s website.

* ATA Chapters.  If you are a member of the ATA and there is no ATA chapter in your area, you can start an ATA chapter.

Specialized Associations:

Audiovisual

Conference Interpreters

  • International Association of Conference Interpreters / Association internationale des interprètes de conférence (AIIC) http://aiic.net/
  • International Association of Conference Translators (AITC) http://www.aitc.ch/

Court/Legal

Literary

Medical

Other

  • Divisions within your organization (technical translators, interpreters, medical interpreters, etc.)

List of organizations from Wikipedia.

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