As the end of a term approaches, it is common to look back and celebrate the achievements, progress, and memorable milestones that have helped foster our associational spirit. The outgoing FIT LatAm Board is proud to share its valuable contributions to upholding the principles of member associations and to FIT, particularly those to make our professions stronger and more visible.
Between 2022 and 2025, we achieved the following key milestones:
- Hosting two FIT LatAm Regional Forums: Conversations on Translation and Artificial Intelligence and Diversity, Integration and Quality: The Fundamentals of Translation and Interpreting in Latin America.
- Strengthening the regional training program, offering a variety of relevant topics and opportunities for member associations to engage and providing continuing education in the form of panel discussions, presentations, webinars and workshops.
- Supporting the creation of new associations: of note, the advice provided by the Asociación Guatemalteca de Intérpretes y Traductores (AGIT) was instrumental in helping establish associations in Central America, including the Asociación de Traductores e Intérpretes Profesionales de El Salvador (ATIPES) and the Asociación Hondureña de Traductores e Intérpretes (AHTI).
- Establishing new academic partnerships, such as with the Universidad César Vallejo from Peru, and offering guidance to other academic institutions that train professionals in our region.
- Holding annual meetings with presidents and executive committees of professional associations throughout the region to share initiatives, projects, achievements, and collective efforts in association building.
- Opening channels for dialogue, with a commitment to receiving input and support for motions that are beneficial for association work and the professional community.
- Taking a firm stance on emerging issues: exemplified by the Viña del Mar Declaration on Artificial Intelligence, Translation, Interpreting, and Terminology.
- Developing guidelines and systematising our processes, introducing procedures for routine management tasks designed to showcase achievements, progress, and milestones aimed at the legitimate defence of our professions.
- Continuing with the amazing and invaluable volunteer work by the social media team, whose tireless dedication and commitment have helped elevate and promote the aforementioned initiatives, as well as other significant efforts that truly defined our Board.
True to the spirit of this article, we’re calling for fresh energy, and given everything we’ve done, we would like to urge other professional associations in the region to actively join in this process and to move it forward. Our goal is to encourage a more balanced, inclusive form of representation that brings fresh perspectives while being guided by past experiences, and to keep passing a torch that shines and stands out globally within the FIT community. With the proper direction and focus, we can all be united in our diversity. Diversity strengthens and increases the visibility of a continent with a clear voice – a voice that defends, promotes and addresses news challenges, to continue growing and contributing to the advancement of our professions.
Cristián Araya Medel (COTICH)
FIT LatAm Academic Relations Officer
