Over the past few years, the KCI has published several items relating to humanitarian interpreting and interpretation in conflict zones - for example, news about interpreters working in specific conflict zones, like the story of Baidar Hammad, an interpreter facilitating communication between the Afghan commandos and the U.S. Special Forces, or, more recently, an article about the US planning to evacuate Afghan interpreters.
Other examples include:
An article about the fundamental role played by interpreters in the International Criminal Court trials or in the migration and asylum procedures involving speakers of Mayan languages;
Information items about existing training material, such as the UNHCR Handbook for Interpreters in Asylum Procedures or the handbook published by the Belgian Agency Integratie en Inburgering, or specialised courses, like for instance the one offered by the University of Nairobi;
References to specialised articles and tutorials;
Information about the impact of interpreting in conflict zones on the interpreters themselves and how they can overcome negative effects on their mental wellbeing.
These issues continue to be topical. Recently, the European Language Resource Coordination launched a call for language data in Ukrainian to train automatic translation systems for refugees and helpers in the Ukraine crisis. With financial support provided by ECHO, organisations like Translators without Borders and Save the Children developed a Field Guide to Humanitarian Interpreting and Cultural Mediation. Specialised education programmes have been set up, for instance the University of Geneva’s InZone programme . Scientific research concerning appropriate training models for interpreters working in conflict zones continues to develop. Red T, a non-profit organisation dedicated to the protection of translators and interpreters in conflict zones and other dangerous settings, in partnership with AIIC and FIT, published a Conflict Zone Field Guide for Civilian Translators/Interpreters and Users of Their Services, that is now available in 26 different languages. This is just an indicative list of projects and initiatives in this field: there is so much more going on.