XVIII World Congress of the International Federation of Translators
August 4–7, 2008, Shanghai, China
VP of Operations Kim Vitray represented the Translation Company Division of the American Translators Association at the XVIII World Congress of the International Federation of Translators (FIT) in Shanghai, China, August 4–7, 2008. She participated on a panel of translation association representatives from the United States, Canada, Europe, and China, discussing the topic of trade and professional associations and how they serve different purposes yet work together or in complementary fashion on issues of concern to the worldwide translation industry. FIT is an international federation of associations of translators, interpreters, and terminologists, and this event—its largest ever world congress with more than 1,400 participants—drew attendees from 74 countries and regions.
The theme for this year's congress was "Translation and Cultural Diversity," which tied in beautifully with the United Nations' proclamation of 2008 as the International Year of Languages. The UN sent an eight-member delegation to the congress, and UN Assistant Secretary-General Yohannes Mengesha was one of the keynote speakers, addressing the topic of UN translators' and interpreters' role as silent partners in the diplomatic process. Other keynote speakers were Wu Jianmin, former Chinese ambassador to France, who spoke about respect for others as the key to mutual understanding; Karl-Johan Lönnroth, director-general of translation for the European Commission, who discussed translation efficiency, transparency, and openness in the European Union; and Gu Yueguo, research professor of linguistics at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, who presented his model of the Chinese language as an ancient and multidimensional city.
The congress was a very interesting, well-attended, and prestigious event, although highly academic in nature. It was a great opportunity to connect with clients, colleagues, and vendors from around the world, and according to Common Sense Advisory, "generated some good energy and learning." This was McElroy Translation's first attendance at the FIT congress, and we look forward to participating again in the next one, which will be hosted by the American Translators Association in San Francisco in 2011.
