Why join a professional association? This question keeps coming up in our industry. And with good reason. All the more so in an economic downturn, when orders dry up, uncertainty sets in, when discussions become pessimistic or even alarmist, and when budgets are stretched. In these circumstances, we scrutinise every expense, think twice before committing, and ask ourselves what being a member of a network can actually offer.
Meanwhile, the people working behind the scenes of an organisation are well aware of its positive impacts and can easily list the benefits. Unfortunately, their efforts are sometimes invisible, either because they are too busy to spread the word or because they think everyone already knows about them. It is often here – in the communication – that things fall down.
On paper, though, the benefits of FIT are obvious. It is an international federation that, through its Regional Centres, enables national associations to share good (and the not-so-good) practices and to strengthen the international translation community as a whole. FIT also provides a wealth of information, thanks to its Standing Committees, which put together webinars, talks, surveys, reports and position papers. Thanks to FIT, our professions enjoy international visibility, from the annual ITD on 30 September to the triennial FIT World Congress. FIT is our mouthpiece and our advocate on the world stage, particularly with organisations such as UNESCO, ISO and WIPO. It supports colleagues from so many countries in setting up their own organisations. It stands up for Indigenous languages. It protects translators and interpreters working in conflict zones. And by doing so, FIT takes on the same role for national associations that they assume for their individual members: it provides a collective voice, resources and recognition – but on a global scale.
Our strength, therefore, is international solidarity and the sharing of our experiences. Given the challenges facing our professions, together we are, quite simply, stronger. This is why FIT exists. This is why its work has never been more important.
The last few months have proven this.
Earlier this year, the United States Department of Justice issued a memo encouraging federal agencies to rely heavily on artificial intelligence to cut costs in their multilingual services. It was very vague about using this technology ‘responsibly’. In response, the FIT North America Regional Centre, in collaboration with the American Translators Association (ATA), proposed a clear framework for responsible translation, based on rigorous risk assessment and sensitive content being verified by professionals.
Several European countries have faced comparable situations. Recently, a Request for Information revealed the British Home Office’s clear intention to replace large numbers of interpreters with AI tools. We have seen similar events unfolding in the Czech Republic (see our position paper on this), Greece and Poland: public authorities, under financial pressure, are turning to what they perceive as miracle solutions, without always considering the repercussions for quality, confidentiality or equitable access to services.
To address these challenges, FIT Europe decided to form a working group whose mission was to develop a practical guide to help organisations respond effectively when situations like this (re-)occur, because the number of cases is growing and a pattern is forming.
Another example requiring international action was Amazon’s launch of ‘Kindle Translate’, a service claiming to be able to instantly translate literature at the click of a button. As simple as that! If the situation wasn’t so appalling, it would be laughable. Two of our partners, the European Council of Literary Translators’ Associations (CEATL) and the European Writers’ Council (EWC), have published a joint open letter warning of the dangers of these developments. FIT has been actively supporting this initiative by ensuring the letter is shared widely.
These examples demonstrate how powerful solidarity can be: a threat in one country can serve as a warning to others. By sharing our experiences and aligning our strategies, we have the means to act quickly and effectively.
This is why FIT is appealing to each of its members and to the entire industry: tell us if you come across a similar situation where an authority wants to replace human beings with translation machines or a business underestimates what we contribute. Inform your country’s professional association, talk about it in your networks, and alert FIT. Every experience is a learning opportunity for us all. What is happening in the United Kingdom today could happen in Argentina or New Zealand tomorrow. By sharing our experiences, we are creating a collective memory that gives us strength.
FIT is not an abstract concept. It is what we make it: a network that connects us, a tool that helps us take collective action, a voice that takes our concerns to the international stage. To be effective, though, it needs your involvement.
Because the legitimate question of ‘What can FIT do for us?’ only represents half of the equation. The other half is ‘What can we do for FIT?’ The most engaged members – the ones who attend the meetings, serve on Standing Committees and share their experiences – are the ones who get the most out of their membership. The relationship is mutually beneficial.
That’s why joining an international federation makes sense. It is not a moral obligation, but instead a practical way to protect ourselves, become stronger and move forward together. In response to the voices predicting our demise, let’s show that we are here and determined to stay. We will succeed if we are united and if everyone is willing, in their own way, to contribute to this collective endeavour.
Guillaume Deneufbourg, FIT President